What's in Filipino Food - Ube

Purple yams, officially referred to as ubes, are a tasteless ingredient in Filipino kitchens. These yams are indubitably violet in color and are used in all separate types of recipes. They have even been known to make a pleasant finding violet-colored cake.

Many yam aficionados will tell you that true Filipino ubes have a darker skin than the purple yams, referred to as such, which are available in the United States.

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Yams are not potatoes and should not be confused with purple Peruvian potatoes that are available, at some grocery stores and farm stands.

One of the most tasteless Filipino ube recipes is Halayang Ube or purple yam jam. This is made from powdered ube, milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and butter.

Ube Balls are common, as well. This dish consists of condensed milk, mashed ube, cornstarch and water. The condensed milk and ube are heated over low heat, until somewhat warm.

At that point, cornstarch and violet food coloring is added. Continue cooking until mixture thickens. Stir constantly. mixture is ready to cool, when it separates from the pan.

Once ube mixture has fully cooled, shape into small balls. Roll in sugar and tightly wrap in plastic wrap, to store.

Other uses for ube yams in Filipino food is as an ingredient in cakes, cupcakes and the beverage Halo-Halo.

Filipino food is highly regarded an exotic cuisine in many parts of the world and the ube yam is one of the ingredients that sets Filipino food apart from other cuisines of the region.

What's in Filipino Food - Ube

Filipino Recipes - Pork Binagoongan - Pinoy Food

Another all-time favorite method of Filipinos, especially in the Tagalog region of Luzon is the binagoongang baboy or pork with shrimp paste. It may consist of a lot of fat but the pungent aroma and very delicious saltiness of the shrimp paste make this dish simply irresistible. Those who are on a diet should never go anywhere near this dish (unless you have strong self-control) because it is so mouth-watering that just the smell from a length will drive your stomach rumbling. With mango and atsara on the side of this dish, you won't be able to count how many servings of rice you have already consumed.

Ingredients:

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• 1 kilo pork with fat (liempo, cut into cubes)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 cups bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 chili peppers (minced)
• 4 tomatoes (diced)
• 1 big onion (minced)
• 1 head of garlic (minced) 

Cooking procedure:

• Place the pork and water in a pan and cook under low heat until all of the water has evaporated.
• Continue cooking until oil starts to ooze from the pork meat and use the oil fry it until the meat has become slightly crispy. Take out the cooked pork from the pan and set aside.
• Using the same oil from the cooked pork, saute the onion, garlic, tomatoes and chili. Then add the pork cooked earlier and mix well.
• Add the shrimp paste into the cooking compound and cook for an additional one 5 minutes.
• Add the sugar and pour in the vinegar. Stir well then simmer for a few more minutes until everything is fully cooked.

Filipino Recipes - Pork Binagoongan - Pinoy Food

Pinoy Food - How to Cook Afritada - Filipino Recipes

One of the specialties that Filipinos have inherited from their Spanish colonizers is the Afritada. It is a delectably rich stew mostly made up of potatoes and pork soaked in thick tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

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• 750 grams of pork belly or liempo (sliced into 2 x 2 cubes)
• 250 grams of potatoes
• 3 to 4 pieces of tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
• ¾ cup of icy sweet peas (thawed)
• 2 red or green bell peppers
• 1 whole garlic (finely minced)
• 2 large onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 bay leaves
• ¾ cup of tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon of dried basil
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cups of meat broth

Cooking Instructions:

• In a thick pan, heat the olive oil. Add the pork cubes when the oil is hot. Go on cooking until the edges of the meat start to turn brown. Place under high heat until fat starts to ooze out.
• When the pork is already browned, take out the excess oil from the meat.
• Add the bay leaves, garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well. Add salt and pepper for seasoning.
• Pour meat broth into the pan and stir well. Let simmer with the pan covered for about 15 minutes.
• Add all the vegetables to the cooking stew and mix well. Then add the basil, rosemary and oregano. Cover the pan again and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are completely cooked. More broth can be added but take note that a richer and thicker sauce makes a great Afritada.
• Add the sweet peas and cook for an addition 2 to 3 minutes.
• Best served while hot.

Pinoy Food - How to Cook Afritada - Filipino Recipes

Filipino Recipes - Puto Cheese method - Pinoy Food

Puto cheese is just like the quarterly puto or rice cake. But this version uses flour instead of ground rice so the texture is a whole lot smoother. And the cheese added as topping is the infer why it is named as such. Puto cheese and hot chocolate is a great blend for breakfast. Because it is very easy to prepare, you don't have to be a seasoned chef to cook this recipe to perfection.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cake-flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose-flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar (divided)
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 pcs egg yolks
• 2 pcs egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• cheese (sliced into small strips)

Food

Cooking Instructions:

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder. Repeat the step three times then set aside.
• Beat yolks until the color is lemon yellow. Gradually add ½ cup sugar while beating continuously.
• Fold in the flour mixture, alternately with milk and water, to the beaten egg yolks. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and go on beating the blend until stiff. Fold in the egg batter. Mix well and pour blend in puto molder about ¾ full.
• Top with slices of cheese. Cover with clean cheese cloth.
• Steam for 25-30 minutes. You will know the puto cheese is cooked when you insert a tester in the center and it comes out clean.
• To maintain the solid shape of the puto cheese, let cool for a few minutes before removing from the puto molds.

Filipino Recipes - Puto Cheese method - Pinoy Food

Filipino Recipes - Puto Cheese method - Pinoy Food

Filipino Food

Filipino food is an captivating cuisine. It has evolved over hundreds of years, from basically Spanish and Mexican roots. It has also received sway from many other cuisines such as Japanese, American, Indian, Arabic and Chinese.

The staple of Filipino cooking is rice that is ordinarily served steamed. Leftover rice can then be added too many dishes, turning then into appetizing second meals. An example of this is sinangag, which is fried rice frequently prepared with garlic and onions. It is typically served with fried eggs and cured meat, sausage or fried hotdogs.

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Rice is an ingredient used in all meals from breakfast, lunch and evening meal to desserts and afternoon snack. This afternoon snack time is referred to as Merienda, which is the same belief as afternoon tea.

Filipino Food

Other staples comprise seafood of many dissimilar varieties. Milkfish, shrimp, grouper, mackerel, clams, blue marlin, squid, eel and crabs are just a few popular seafood ingredients, commonly used.

Kinilaw is a popular raw seafood salad. It is made by marinating fish or shrimp in ingredients together with vinegar, onions, several spices and coconut milk.

In the eyes of primary Filipino cooks, seafood should be used in its freshest state. This is why the seafood in many recipes, is left uncooked.

Cooked fruits and vegetables are often seen on Filipino tables. Bananas, coconuts, tomatoes, potatoes, purple yams, kamote (sweet potatoes) and carrots are utilized, year-round.

Coconuts are unquestionably used in a variety of dishes. Guinatan are dishes of meat and vegetables, cooked in coconut milk. Bibingka is rice pudding, made with coconut milk, baked in a clay oven. It is topped with salted duck eggs and thick jam called macapuno.

Kamote and plantains are used to make a appetizing skewered snack. They are each cut into small cubes, rolled in brown sugar and then grilled, on a stick, to make a yummy caramelized dessert.

The majority of Filipino recipes are a compound of spicy, sweet, sour and salty flavors. It is captivating to note that even though spices are easily used most dishes are not overly spiced. Many believe that this cuisine is somewhat bland and mild.

Common cooking methods include: deep frying, barbecuing and pickling. Stew-type meals are very popular, as well. Adobo is one such meal. It is chicken or pork that is stewed in a sauce made with peppercorns, vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. It is sometimes served dry, by boiling the liquid dry. This concentrates the flavors, immensely.

Filipino Food

Filipino Recipes - primary Food, Worldwide Influences

The roots of Filipino food are not your typical Asian fare, for instead of heavily spiced and aromatic food, instead we have original east Asian cuisine but combined with modern influences from the west, including America and Hispanic countries. Often with Filipino food the recipes feature bold combinations which accentuate each other.

Here's a formula that emphasises the worldwide influences on the original cuisine of the Filipino regions. Originally from Spain, these "Mallorca Pastries" are a common foodstuff eaten over many of the islands over the country, and a delicious treat to feed your family.

Food

Ingredients

2 pounds of flour
8 ounces of butter
5 eggs
200ml milk
1.5 ounces of bakers' yeast
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar

Start off by shredding the bakers' yeast in a bowl or pan of milk, then crack open the eggs and whisk them, adding them to the yeast with a slight salt.

Take someone else bowl and beat the butter until it's nice and spongy. Spread the softened butter over the dough. Now, form the flour so that it resembles a shallow cone with a hole at the top, then pour the mix into the centre. You can pick which size to make them, from smaller individual bites to larger concoctions. I find that colse to 60grams (2 ounces) is fine for each one.

Now, use your hands to knead the blend and form a ball, exterior them up for colse to 24 hours in the fridge. After this, let the yeast rise for up to four hours at room temperature, until they roughly double in size and bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade until they take on a lovely golden colouring. Let them cool and sprinkle with your icing sugar. Done! Now you just have to be quick and eat them before everyone else does...

Filipino Recipes - primary Food, Worldwide Influences

What's in Filipino Food - Tamarind

A tamarind is also referred to as sampaloc in the Philippines and is a beloved Filipino formula ingredient. It comes from the Tamarind tree, which originated in India. But obviously, this tree has proven to be hearty in other regions, as well.

This date-like fruit is also a tasteless formula ingredient, in other cultures and can be found in products such as Worcestershire sauce.

Food

Tamarind is used in both its ripe and unripe state. The unripe fruit is quite tart and acidic. It is used primarily in savory dishes. When ripe it is still a bit on the tart side, but used in desserts, sweetened drinks and even as a solitary snack.

What's in Filipino Food - Tamarind

Tamarind is also used as the base for many soups and is what gives the Filipino soup Sinigang its sour flavor. Hard candy and suckers made with Tamarind are easily available, in the Filipino marketplace or in local supermarkets along side other Asian ingredients.

The typical tamarind is three to eight inches, in length. As the pods ripen they come to be juicier and the pulp inside turns reddish-brown, in color. When wholly ripe the pod shells come to be very fragile and are for real broken.

Eventually the pulp dehydrates into a gooey paste that is high in Vitamin B and calcium. This paste is surrounded by tasteless strands of fiber. At this stage, large brown seeds can be found in the pulp, as well.

Filipino food is extremely regarded an exotic cuisine in many parts of the world and the tamarind or sampaloc is one of the ingredients that sets Filipino food apart from other cuisines of the region.

What's in Filipino Food - Tamarind

Filipino Recipes - Estofado method (Beef) - Pinoy Food

Estofado is a special beef method that you cannot find during regular days because of the estimate of preparing required. It is ordinarily prepared during fiestas and special occasions like weddings, birthdays and reunions that are held during the summer months when school is out. Because the beef is cooked to a chewy tenderness, it is loved by both the kiddies and the oldies. Even if there are a lot of dishes set on the table during special occasions, you will really find the estofado being the first to disappear because it is so appetizing thus manufacture it too hard to resist.

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Ingredients:

• 1 kilo boneless beef
• 2 cups Baguio beans (cut into favorable lengths)
• 2 small carrots (peeled and quartered)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 onions (chopped finely)
• ½ cup vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic (pounded)
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 small onions (peeled but whole)
• 1 tbsp flour
• cooking oil
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking Procedure:

• Rub the beef with flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Fry in cooking oil until color turns brown then set aside.
• Using the remaining oil, sauté the garlic until it turns brown then add the onions and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Place the meat in a pan and cover with tomato mixture, bay leaf, vinegar and a small estimate of water just enough to cover the meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Add the 6 peeled whole onions, beans and carrots then allow to simmer.
• Take out from the pan when the vegetables are cooked. Dispose the beef in a serving platter and surround with the vegetables.
• Simmer down the sauce to desired quantity and thicken with flour. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetables then serve.

Filipino Recipes - Estofado method (Beef) - Pinoy Food