Bibingka

In my quest to find the recipe that fits my "used to" bibingka sold in the dirty market in our home town: grainy yet soft when served hot,  sweet and with the aroma of burnt banana leaves, i've decided to make a hybrid version. More like soft, fluffy and a little grainy texture. Finally a little upgrade of what i used to have, not that i am saying what i used to have is not delicious, it's just like we can make something a little more palatable than what we used to have :-D.

Be warned that if you are immersed in a culturally diverse group of friends, always clarify what you refer because each region has its own version of bibingka, like the bibingka galapong i made or you ask for "puto" and you will be given "biko" instead. So here it is the quest for the authentic bibingka. 

I can't get that authentic burned banana leaves aroma since those were cooked in a traditional way of "oven" where batter was placed in a claypot lined with banana leaves and baked in a clay oven sandwich by charcoal, but this is the closest i can achieve, finally--


BIBINGKA
makes 1 7" pie pan and 1 mamon pan.

1 c rice flour
1/2 c light muscovado sugar ( or you can use 2/3 c regular brown sugar)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 c coconut milk
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven in 180 degrees.
In a bowl place flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix to combine.
In a mini blender, place egg, coconut milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine.
Then pour the batter into the prepared pan lined with banana leaf.
Bake for 30 minutes or less until the toothpick comes out clean when tested.
Remove from oven when done and top with grated coconut.
Serve warm with coffee and tea.

Awesome!!!

Fresh from the oven, see those signature cracks? 

This is the texture I am looking for --

Enjoy it with your favorite drink... serve warm with grated coconut or grated cheddar cheese.

Bibingka Galapong

Living in Manila for quite some time exposed and integrated me to various cultures, primarily language. If you're a pure Manileña, language barrier is your major concern cause your friends may talk behind your back  (mostly in a nice/ funny/ joking way). On the other hand, it will be a realization that similiraties abound these different cultures yet expressed in several ways and again language is evident.

The word of the day is Galapong. It is a tagalog word for milled glutinous rice. Some called it as rice flour others defined it as glutinous rice powder. In the province, we simply call it giniling na malagkit (glutinous rice) or giniling na bigas (for white rice flour). The common denominator is that-- it is from rice and in a powdered form.

Got cravings for another native delicacy and as i was researching for the recipe, i came across bibingka. I'm used to bibingka with grainy texture, sweet and cooked in banana leaves topped with shaved fresh coconut but sometimes food photo are looking appetizing that you may want to explore it. So today, i am trying this bibingka galapong made of rice but not regular white rice but glutinous rice, which made me thinking the texture could be different from the one's I am used to but let me give it a try. 

Indeed I was right,  this is more of a smooth sticky side than the grainy, soft bibingka. It's texture is a hybrid of maja blanca and cassava cake: smooth, sticky and soft.  But not bad to have though, here is the recipe i reinvented--


BIBINGKA GALAPONG
makes 2 round 7" pie pan

1 1/2 c glutinous rice powder
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
200 ml (1 packet) coconut cream
2 whole big eggs 
1/3 c caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh banana leaves ( cured by passing over an open flame) and cut about 9" in diameter so when lined on a pan should cover the whole pan with extra.

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees.
1. In a big bowl, put rice and baking powder. Using a whisk, mix to combine.
2. Add water and coconut milk. Mix to combine.
3. In a mini blender, add eggs and blend or whisk then slowly add sugar, pulse to mix and then add butter. This process is to get a frothy texture of egg mixture.
4. Pour this frothy mixture  into the bowl of rice.
5. Add in vanilla.
6. Lined the pie pan with banana leaf and brush with melted butter.

7. Pour the mixture into the pan until a little less full.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 mins. 
9. When tested and toothpick comes out clean, it's done.
10. Remove from oven brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle it with cheese.
11. Serve hot with coffee or tea.

Maja Blanca (Mixed Coconut Pudding )

Hubby saw my panna cotta photo and suddenly craved for Maja Blanca.

I warned him not to browse my photo files but he would not listen. :-D 

Begging to gather the ingredients so i can cook it for him yesterday but the rain saved me, hehehehe. But i could not bear his plea, so here is his maja blanca. He just requested for the classic (plain) one but since I am clearing my shelf for the next set of supplies, I might as well go the extra mile to give it a twist (hopefully) with the ube halaya. Unfortunately, purple yam is not in season at this time so i have to content myself with OTC flavouring-- UBE flavour.

Maja Blanca (2 tone)

Ingredients:
makes about 8 slices of 2"x3"
pan size is about 9"x6.5"

for Classic Maja Blanca

1 pack -200 ml coconut cream

1/2 c + 3 tbsp fresh milk

150 ml condensed milk (or you can use half the can of 

               small condensed milk about 370-392g) 

1/3 c cornstarch dissolved in 100 ml water, then set aside

1/2 of fresh boiled corn on a cob, cut the kernels from the cob

for Ube Maja Blanca

1 pack -200 ml coconut cream

1/2 c + 3 tbsp fresh milk

150 ml condensed milk (or you can use half the can of 

               small condensed milk about 370-392g) 

1 tsp ube flavour (McCormick)

1/3 c cornstarch dissolved in 100 ml water, then set aside

1/2 of fresh boiled corn on a cob, cut the kernels from the cob

Topping:
Toasted shaved fresh coconuts.
Just place the shaved (shredded) coconut in a pan, use medium heat and with constant mixing toast the coconut until dry and slightly brown.

 

Procedure:

Procedures for both ingredients is the same except that you have to add the ube flavour on the Ube Maja Blanca.

1. First pour the coconut cream, fresh milk and condensed milk, stir to combine.

2. Bring to boil for about 3-5 minutes on a medium heat.

3. Add the Ube flavour at this time and stir.

4. Slowly drop the corn and stir after which add the dissolved cornstarch.

5. Keep stirring about 2-3 minutes until you reach the paste-like texture. It is done when everything can be scooped up by a laddle

6. Pour over a greased container and cool under room temeprature.

7. You can chill for about an hour before serving.

8. Top with toasted coconuts shavings or roasted nuts or kernels.

Notes:
This is a less sweet maja blanca and a sturdy one (holds its shape)
1. If you want it sweeter, add condensed milk.
2. If you want it creamier, lessen the cornstarch and don't overcook. Once the mixture holds its shape, cooking is done.
3. You have the option to toast a coconut or chopped roasted peanuts or simply garnish with kernels.
4. You can make classic (plain) or flavoured maja blanca.

Lotus Glutinous Rice (Lo Mai Gai)

My kids love the movie Coco that after watching it they've been singing "Remember Me" at any time. They specifically mentioned Nov 2 as the feast of 'Dia de Muertos" a holiday in Mexico celebrating the "Day of the Dead." Although they have no cravings on the mexican tamales, or calavares de azucal nor calabaza en dulce, we have customized the food in commemorating our loved ones -- thru something sticky, savoury, symbolic and cold. Which is why we had glutinous rice, dumpling and mango lemonade. Sticky, colourful deli and delicious. And becuase it was the kids special requests... they have to share the effort.  Paige is the chef and Kai is the moral support this time... So let me share this sticky rice made simple and easy as compared to the real tedious preparations--

Lotus Glutinous Rice
makes 3 parcels

Rice
2 c Glutinous Rice, washed and soaked  in plain water for at least 20-30 mins., then set aside. You do this first before you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

1 tbsp tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Light Soy sauce

1/2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 head (single head) or about 1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp Olive Oil

200 ml water

Chicken Marinade

1 pc boneless chicken breast (about 200g), small cubes sliced

1 pc lean pork (about 200 g), thinly sliced

1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1/2 tbsp Dark  Soya Sauce

 tbsp Shao xing wine (chinese wine)

1 tbsp  Corn Starch

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

***Slice the meat as directed and place in a bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken while you continue to prepare the other ingredients.

For Sautéing

2 tbsp Olive oil

I single head Garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp Dried shrimps (if you don't have this it's ok)

1 1/2 tbsp Fried shallots ( if you don't have this its' still ok)

Slices of mushroom ( your preferential amount) if you are using whole shitake mushroom, then 3 pcs of shitake- one pc for each parcel.

>>> Other ingredients that you can add which i didn't as per request of kids not to include these..

3 half inch slices of chinese sausage

3 pcs of whole salted egg yolks

3 cubes of turnips

Wrapping:

3 pcs of lotus leaf (thoroughy washed, and rinsed with warm water), set side

How to do it?--

Place oil in the wok over a medium heat, when hot enough add garlic and stir fry.

Add marinated meat and stir fry.

Add dried shrimps and mushrooms. This time you can add the other ingredients >>.

Stir fry for few minutes.

Remove from heat  and transfer in a bowl and set aside.

In the same wok, without cleaning this up, add the oil.

When hot, add garlic and stir fry until slightly brown.

Then add  glutinous rice and stir.

Add the sauces and lastly add water.

Sauté until the rice absorbed all the water.

When done, remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly:

Divide your cooked glutinous rice into 3 and each part divide into half.

Open 1 pc of lotus leaf, cut if you need to, just make 1 sheet out of it.

Then brush the center of the leaf with oil the, where you will place the rice.

Place 1/6 of cooked glutinous rice on the center of the leaf.

Then top it with 1/3 of the cooked meat.

Then cover it with 1/6 of the cooked glutinous rice.

Fold the right leaf over your rice. Followed by the left leaf.

Then fold the leaf in front of you over the rice and finished it up with folding the back leaf

over the rice towards you....Your finish product is a wrap that looks like a parcel.

Secure with kitchen twine and ready to steam.

Steam for one and a half hour (1 1/2 hr). 

I used the electric steamer for less monitoring.

(You can use the traditional bamboo steamer to make it authentic)

Serve steaming hot with caution.

 

Almond Caramel Popcorn

The corn that popped--- popcorn!

It's an all time fave especially for movies and parties, and since the festive season just started with the Trick or Treats, I have decided to share a simple remedy to an instant,  not too exciting microwaveable popcorns. You may want to try this, so simple with just few steps that are not that complicated, but this will need an oven to make it more exciting so here we go--


Almond Caramel Popcorn

What you need...

1 bag (150g) Almonds (ready to eat  baked or roasted almonds)
1 bag of microwaveable popcorn (microwave as directed)
When done  spread on a baking tray lined with parchment for easy cleaning and spread the almonds on the popcorn.
Then set aside.

Caramel

100 g unsalted butter

1 c brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking soda

On medium heat, place butter, sugar and salt in a pan and let the butter melt.

Then add sugar and salt mix until well dissolved. 

Let it boil until no sugar granules are seen. 

Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla.

Mixture will create a bubbling light brown solution.

Continue mixing for about a minute then RTU.

Assembling:

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees.

Pour (in a stream) the caramel over the popcorn and almonds.

Then mix to cover the popcorn and almonds with caramel.

Place the tray with popcorn and almonds inside the oven and bake for 15 minutes ( 3 times) every interval, take it out and mix for an even baking of caramel.

When done, transfer on a serving bowl and serve with caution.

Note: You can use any nuts you like and colour or flavour your caramel at your preference.

Sit down, relax, see a movie and pop these corns in your mouth!