Category: Sweets & Desserts

Tikoy (Nian Gao) – Chinese New Year Cake

Rice Cake

Tikoy (Nian Gao) – Chinese New Year Cake


Tikoy (Nian Gao) photo by JMorton

Xin Nian Kuaile

12 February marks the start of Chinese New Year for 2021 (It is a movable feast)

With the celebration of the new year goes many costumes and traditions.

Anyway, when it comes to food, the chewier, denser, and sticky the cake the better because it symbolizes close-knit family ties.  Sticking together through thick and thin.

Tikoy is so sticky and chewy.

I have to confess that I used to have a love-hate relationship with this cake.

I remember my Grandpa gave me a red box of tikoy.  It looked so yummy and I was rather partial, still am, to cake.

So I opened the box and not even bothering with knife and fork or fork and spoon, I bit into the cake.

I was stunned because I almost cracked not only my teeth but my skull. 😜🥵😝

It was so tough, like biting a rock, but why would you bite a rock?

It turned out that the tikoy was only half made.  To enjoy it, you have to slice it into bite-size pieces with a machete 🙁

Dip the pieces into a beaten egg and then fry until golden brown on all sides.  Then you get the most sticky sweet, plump and chewy heavenly delightful rice cake.

I was thirteen, no one told me how to make tikoy from the box.

After that every time someone offered me tikoy, I looked at them as if they just cursed me.

But when I was in my twenties, my auntie gave me a plate of yummy looking cake.  I ate it with gusto and when I asked what it was she said it was tikoy.  She then explained the process of softening it.

The recipe I used was from youtube courtesy of someone from the Quezon province.

Ingredients

  • 200g Glutinous Rice Flour
  • 1 large can of evaporated milk
  • 1 regular size/1 cup condense milk
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp melted butter

Method

  • It is so easy, pour everything in a mixing bowl and stir until you have achieved a pancake batter consistency.
  • Start putting your steamer to a boil.
  • Divide the cake batter into 2 or 3 greased cake tins.
  • Cover the tins with aluminum foil and carefully put them into the steamer.
  • Steam for 45 minutes.  Set the timer or watch one episode of a Chinese drama, I recommend Go Ahead by the way.
  • Remove from the steamer and uncover.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • Remove from the tins and then slice into long inch wide strips and then wrap them in cling films and leave in the fridge for an even cooler temperature.
  • The person in youtube assured her audience that there was no need to heat by dipping in egg and then frying it.  She said you can eat it.
  • I am still cooling them and have yet to slice.  I shall report tomorrow of the outcome.

Will my love and hate relationship with Tikoy be case of loving it forever?

Dila Dila (Ground Sticky Rice Pudding Recipe)

Filipino Recipe
Ilocano Recipe
Sticky Rice Dessert Recipe

 

Dila Dila (Ground Sticky Rice Pudding Recipe)


Dila Dila, photo by JMorton

Dila Dila is an Ilocano dish much like palitaw.

Dila Dila means tongue or tongue tongue, LOL.  Just like the Chinese, Filipinos love repeating certain words, especially names.

It is called dila dila because it is shaped like the elongated tongue.

It is pretty easy and simple to make.


Ingredients


  • 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour
  • 2/3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cans of coconut milk

Preparation

  • In a large mixing bowl, place the glutinous rice flour and pour half of the water into it.
  • Mix to form a dough.  Add more water to make it more pliable.
  • Separate them into balls, would probably make about 6-10 balls.
  • Flatten each ball by the palm of your hands and shaped them into something resembling a tongue. 🙂
  • Put them in a large dish or tray and set aside.
  • In a large wok or casserole dish, bring to a boil the coconut milk. Lower down the heat and add the sugar.
  • Stir to ensure that the sugar has dissolved in the coconut milk.
  • Now add the dila dila into the pan.
  • Cover and allow to simmer.
  • Add a little drop of vanilla if wanted.
  • When the dila dila floated on the surface, it means it is cooked.

Serve immediately .

Mango & Sultana Jelly

Mango & Sultana Jelly

This is a refreshingly delicious dessert that would delight even the most fastidious eater.

If you can find a ripe carabao mango, please do so.  It is apparently the sweetest fruit ever.

Anyway this recipe is called mangga gulaman in the Philippines and the recipe has been tried and tested and of course tasted a million times.  🙂

 

Ingredients

• 1 large mango, peeled and chopped in small pieces but not too finely

1 heaped tablespoon sultanas or raisin

1 packet plain jelly

Water

2 tbsp sugar

 

Preparation:

  • Pour boiling water into a measuring jug; the amount of water should correspond with the jelly packet’s instruction.
  • Pull apart the jelly and place on a mould or an heatproof serving dish.
  • Pour the measured boiled water over the jelly. Add the sugar.   Mix until everything has dissolved.
  • Leave to cool a little then add the mango and raisin.
  • Leave covered to cool completely and then refrigerate until set.

Camote Cue (Caramelised Sweet Potato)

Camote Cue, photo by JMorton

Camote Cue (Caramelised Sweet Potato)

When it was merienda time (2-3pm snack time) in the Philippines, we used to queue up for the still frying caramelised sweet potato in one of the street vendors in Tondo, Manila.  It was hypnotic to watch the bubbling cooking oil as it cooks the camote.  We then had to watch how each circular slice was threaded into a wooden skewer.

This 2017 holiday in Manila, we had camote cue for snack and was surprised to be given elongated shapes sans the kebab stick.  It tasted the same but I have to admit, I miss the way you take a bite from a slice of camote from the stick.

Anyway below is a simple recipe for this delicious snack, much loved by Filipinos.

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potato, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup cooking oil
  • wooden skewer

Instructions

  1. Heat a wok or a large pan and pour the cooking oil.
  2. Carefully heat the cooking oil and then stir in the sugar.
  3. When the sugar is heated up, it begins to break down and float up.  Now add the slices of sweet potatoes.
  4. Fry each side for 7-10 minutes, allowing it to be covered with the caramelised sugar.
  5. Remove the sweet potatoes with slotted spoon from the wok and using a tong directly thread the caramelised sweet potatoes in a wooden skewer, usually three pieces in each skewer.
  6. Share and Enjoy.

Note:  Be careful in cooking this recipe.  Bubbling oil and boiling sugar are excruciatingly hot!