My father is half Chinese. Though there’s a lot more Filipino blood running through my veins, there’s a good number of Chinese traditions (and superstitions) that we practice at home. I grew up having Tikoy, especially around the lunar new year. Eating (and giving away) this beloved Chinese rice cake was an annual event in my family.
I went to Chinese school for the most part of my elementary years and the College of Commerce at UST where I had my degree in, was (and probably still is) filled with a lot of Filipino-Chinese. I remember every Chinese New Year in college, teachers could barely carry the piles of tikoy given to them by students.
Tikoy is always available at Chinese bakeries in the Philippines especially when the Lunar New Year nears. It comes in different flavors and colors. I made 3 flavors here so you can either pick one or try them all (like I did). This Chinese delicacy is a great snack or dessert so I make them even whenever. Try it and I’m sure you’ll love it!
Homemade Tikoy – 3 Flavors (White, Ube, Brown Sugar)
Ingredients
Plain (White) Tikoy
- 1 400 g pack glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup white sugar*
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon oil canola or vegetable
- Oil for greasing pan
- 1 egg beaten for frying
Brown Sugar Tikoy
- 1 400 g pack glutinous rice flour
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar*
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- Oil for greasing pan
- 1 egg beaten for frying
Ube Tikoy
- 1 400 g pack glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup white sugar*
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Ube flavor
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- Oil for greasing pan
- 1 egg beaten for frying
Instructions
- First, decide on the flavor you want. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar (or brown sugar for brown tikoy) and mix well. Add water and oil (for Ube Tikoy, add flavoring). Mix very well until smooth.
- Grease the pan with oil (I used an 8×2” round cake pan) and use a fine sieve to strain the mixture over the prepared pan.
- Steam over medium heat for 1 hour**. Check the water level occasionally and add more water to the steamer as needed. Let cool, unmold and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours for easier slicing.
- Add oil just enough to cover the bottom of a non-stick frying pan. Slice tikoy thinly and dip in beaten egg. Fry on low to med-low for about 2 minutes on each side or until tikoy is soft and has a nice crunchy golden egg coating.
[…] can tell we love tikoy with the number of variations I have done. Most of us like the plain White and the Ube but my daughter loves the Layered Tikoy and the Brown Sugar versions. And here I go again with […]