Baka Tim or Beef Pata Tim (Beef in Sweet-Savory Sauce) for December Kulinarya Challenge

For foodies and people who love food, cooking, eating and everything in between (you are right, the one after eating is usually not well loved :)), one Christmas tradition that excites me the most is the Noche Buena. The customary dinner or feast shared by and between the whole family on Christmas Eve …… usually right after attending the midnight or late evening Christmas Eve Mass called Misa De Gallo.

Keeping up with that tradition, Joy of Gastronomy by Joy and She of Señorita Sisa’s Blog of the Kulinarya Cooking Club (KCC) chose the theme Noche Buena (of course) for our December Challenge where participating members will prepare one dish of their choice. Something that they intend to become part of their family’s Noche Buena come Christmas Night.

Since I decided to dwell on the centerpiece of the Noche Buena which is usually accorded to the magnificent ham or the all-time Filipino favorite fried or roast whole chicken or the pricey roast pig, I decided to make a new dish that could be placed at the center table with all pride and glory comparable to that of the three mentioned main dishes but characterize by a fresh idea, easy preparation and relative affordability. Here comes my version of “pata tim” prepared using a slab of beef instead of the usual pork knuckle – the “baka tim”. :-)

Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken Congee) – iLugaw 4S for Kulinarya Challenge

It’s Kulinarya time once again …… and the November Challenge conceived by Joy of Joy’s Misadventures is up among the (probably) finest Filipino food bloggers around …… exploring an authentic Filipino light meal or snack dish generically referred to as “lugaw” …… a common name which for me is representative of scrumptiousness, self-effacement, simplicity and serenity …… my own concoction of iLugaw 4S. :-)

This month’s theme is “arroz caldo”. A type of Filipino congee or “lugaw” (as referred in the local language) flavored or added with chicken. As you may know, the main component of the dish is rice which in the Spanish language is called …… you guessed it right, “arroz”. Well of course, the other originally Spanish word “caldo” refers to broth or stock …… I know you knew that …… and you need a lot of it to be able to prepare a really tasty rice congee worthy of being called iLugaw 4S.

This modest dish is superb when the climate is cool …… during winter (obviously when living outside the Philippines, like most Kulinaryans are) …… or when it’s windy and rainy. It is believed to possess the ability to perk-up or improve one’s body condition after dining with it …… piping hot of course. It is also considered an ideal comfort food for the sick and elderly as it has a therapeutic effect …… or healing power of sort, if you like.

Apart from my “Goto Arroz Caldo”, I have already posted a recipe for “Arroz Caldo” before (no, it’s not called iLugaw 4). While I am fully satisfied with it, in honor of Kulinarya Cooking Club, I will attempt to make a reboot entrée to offer a fresher approach to the dish …… hopefully to come out with simpler or easier procedure but geared towards accommodating many variations or possibilities …… and probably …… just probably …… we could make serving and eating the humble “lugaw” more fun and exciting. :-)

Alimango Con Sotanghon (Mud Crab with Glass Noodles)

It has been a while since I last chanced upon mud crabs or “alimango” in the Philippine language, from the roadside kiosks we are regularly visiting along the coastal towns of southern Sri Lanka to obtain our group’s weekly supply of fish and other seafood. It seems the nearby vast mangrove forest that has always been lush and green (how I wish this could happen in the Philippines) was quite generous that day that it provided the local fisherman with a truly fine catch; a mixed bag composed of the tasty decapods crustaceans along with some pretty large prawns, pan-sized mangrove snapper, delectable eels and other exciting brackish water fishes.

Being a passionate outdoorsman and a perennial angler, the sight of the catch was simply awesome to me. It represents an abundance of nature and existence of a very healthy mangrove environment. From the looks of the catch, I could assume that it was harvested from a sustainable level of stock in a well flourishing ecosystem where marine water and freshwater collide. While I am also excited about the other fishes, the mud crabs instantaneously transported me into the realm of dish concoction moments. :-)

Mud crab or mangrove crab and sometimes called black crab is an economically important crab species found in the estuaries and mangroves of Asia, Australia and Africa. In the key cities of the Philippines, most Southeast Asian countries, and Northern states of Australia, it is generally priced above other seafood within the general public. Lucky for us Filipinos living here in southern Sri Lanka for it is reasonably priced around here although not widely available.

Commonly, the shell colour of mud crabs varies from a deep, mottled green to very dark brown to almost black. They are generally cooked with their hard shells on, usually steamed, stewed, fried and in soups. However, when they moult their shells, they can be served as soft shell crab seafood delicacy. Many Asian people, including myself, consider them to be among the tastiest of all crab species. The Philippines and other South Asian countries have a huge appetite and thus a very high demand of the said crab species.

Chicken Lumpiang Shanghai (Chicken Spring Roll)

Have you heard of the prideful name “Global Filipinos”? Okay that’s quite tough. How about the enterprising brand “Overseas Filipino Investors” or “OFI”? It still doesn’t ring a bell? Or you probably have a hint but not quite sure. Well, the two labels are the same as the most used (and abused) “Overseas Filipino Workers” or “OFW” (I am referring to the word of course). The shortened version is simply known as “Overseas Filipinos”. I bet you now know this. You hear and read about it so often that it could have already involuntarily left a permanent mark in one of the faculties of your mind. It’s in the news, magazines, internet and even books.

The popularity (or infamy) is not surprising though. After all, it represent a rather large but very silent group of Filipino people scattered all over the world with only one thing in mind – to WORK ……… and I mean really WORK HARD at that. Just how big this group is amazing ……… about 10 million ……… more than 10 percent of the entire Filipino population distributed to nearly all major continents of the world. That’s 20 million skilled hands contributing to the world’s economy from the tiny islands collectively called the Philippines.

Culinary speaking, that’s a lot of people missing their native foods back home. I’m one yeah! More so for those who are in countries where there are some levels of prohibition (due to religious affiliation or the likes) to the foods we grew up with like in the case of pork in the Middle East where about 4 million pork-loving “Overseas Filipinos” are working. Or in the far North American or European countries which geographically could not sustain the cultivation or raising of vegetable and foods commonly grown in the tropical Philippines and thereby leaving close to 5 million “Global Filipinos” (such an endearing title) craving for “tawilis”, or “saluyot” or “talangka” or “gatas ng kalabaw” or “talbos ng kamote” or “bulaklak ng katuray”. :-)

Relative to this, I wish to share a variant recipe of the well-loved Filipino meat spring roll called “lumpiang shanghai”. Specifically a type you can easily cook while living in the Middle East where pork, the main ingredient, is not available and chicken fills up most of the areas of the meat section of groceries. Thus, this is chicken meat spring roll ……… your tasty alternative for the crunchy, mouth-watering and pleasurable “lumpiang shanghai”. Did I mention I had a beautiful childhood memory and long standing infatuation with this dish? :)

Tinausiang Manok (Chicken Cooked in Salted Yellow Beans)

A colleague-friend is coming over and we want to prepare an unusual viand cum “pulutan” or bites made from chicken I have been wanting to cook for the last several days. Already tired of the usual “adobo”, “afritada”, “caldereta”, fried and even barbecued chicken, we thought of preparing a chicken version of the earthy pork dish called “tinausian”. We believe the unique flavor of the pungent-tasting and sweet-spicy-smelling “tausi” or salted/fermented soy beans would also work well with poultry, especially if complimented with the sweet-sour flavor of fresh plum tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Just as I have already prepared almost all of the required ingredients and ready to sauté, I realized I no longer have “tausi”. :) We are in Sri Lanka and the canned “tausi” that we normally use all came back home from the Philippines. Maybe it is available in any of the several Chinese or Korean stores in the Colombo capital but we are yet to find one. I can no longer back off from doing the dish so I thoroughly scoured the cupboard once again. Right there at the back, I found a familiar “Temple” can but my joy is short-lived because the label says “Salted Yellow Beans” instead of “Salted Black Beans” which refers to “tausi”.

But then I thought it might serve the purpose as well, after all, it is made from beans and also salted. A short research from the internet confirmed it is a very similar seasoning ingredient which can be used for the intended dish and thus I have a green light. I found out later that salted yellow beans, also a type of fermented beans like “tausi”, is called “tauco” in Indonesia where it is popular and commonly used in cooking chicken. With that, it seems I’m on the right track.

The fact that I will be using a different condiment in my “tinausiang manok” made the preparation even more exciting. Apart from the dish itself, the opportunity to learn new preparation using the distinct ingredient opens a new horizon to my limited culinary world; that is, granted I really have one. :-) Like “tausi”, I could imagine salted yellow beans can be applied to many braised meat and seafood dishes as well.

Lumpia or Lumpiang Prito A La Sally (Vegetables Spring Roll)

Every mom (or everyone for that matter), who is truly passionate with foods or cooking, has her own specialty dishes. Select entrees which can be prepared by heart, without the aid of any notes, and almost always a sure delight for diners. These would involve tightly-guarded recipes or food preparation techniques which would come in the form of a secretly passed-on cooking knowledge (usually by parents or love ones) or learned through kitchen experiences or experimentations (intended or accidental) leading to process development and perfection and eventual acquisition of mastery through continued or repeated preparations.

These recipes, if we can only collect from our grandparents, parents, other family members, relatives and friends would represent the pinnacle of tried and tested cooking methods and information available within our reach. It can be considered as the best recipes there are, at least within our clan, extended family and circle of friends. For these reasons, I am deeply thankful and really treasure all the specialty recipes unselfishly shared in this website by families and friends for the noble purpose of spreading culinary knowledge for the benefit of others.

In the same tradition of shared personal recipes such as the widely visited “pork adobo a la Dong”, “cuchinta a la Lalaine”, “siomai a la Jhala”, “kinilaw na tanigue a la Rene”, “igado a la Nanay Consuelo”, “binagoongan a la Lalaine”, “espasol a la Luz” and quite recently the “embutido a la Lalaine”, we are ecstatic to welcome here another golden recipe contribution by a friend whom we call Sally with her signature dish “lumpia” or “pritong lumpia”. While I have already posted here my recipe for the same “lumpiang gulay” dish, this version of Sally is just so good to pass on and really worth every minute of our time checking. That’s a promise Sally’s friend assures me!

Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

When thinking of a dish composed chiefly of meat and vegetable, a stir-fried beef flavored with oyster sauce will always come to one’s mind. For some reason, beef and oyster sauce easily create a pleasant combination of flavors which works very well with many kinds of vegetables especially those belonging to the families of cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprout as well as gourd like bitter melon. So when a friend requested that we cook broccoli for a change, in our regular list of weekly veggies actually, I immediately thought of beef broccoli. Sounds pretty delicious right!

Broccoli is a plant of the Kale family “Brassicaceae”. The plant has large lovely flower heads stunningly arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick stalk. The edible flower head is usually green in color and attached to an also edible stalk. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli is a cool season annual crop most closely resembles cauliflower, a different cultivar group belonging to the same species. It is believed to have evolved from wild cabbage plant that grew on the continent of Europe.

Apart from tasting real good and quite an attractive ingredient, broccoli is a very important vegetable because it is highly nutritious. It offers many health benefits - enough reasons for us to regularly include it into our family’s everyday meal. It is an excellent source of vitamins C, K & A and dietary fiber; and a good source of selenium. In fact, a single serving of the vegetable could provide more than 30 mg of Vitamin C. It also has high levels of carotenoids, particularly rich in lutein and a provider of beta-carotene. Amazingly, it also contains multiple nutrients and chemical compounds with potent anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

Beef Siomai or Shaomai a la Jhala (Beef and Vegetable Dumpling)

Now among the most popular light meal or snack meal in malls and supermarkets in the Philippines, “siomai” has been causing quite a stir in the Philippine food scene. With the proliferation of mall kiosks and roadside stores selling freshly steamed and sometimes fried “siomai” at a very affordable prices, the family can now fully enjoy the delicious Chinese dumpling any day of the week without losing a big chunk of the already tight budget. It is a welcome reprieve for mothers who have kids and hubby, who love the tasty dumpling so much, but do not have the required time to regularly prepare one.

“Siomai” as called in the Philippines is a traditional Chinese dumpling also known as “shaomai”, “shumai”, “siu mai”, “shui mei” and “siew mai” among its many name variants. While originally, there were two regional varieties in China, the Cantonese and the Jiangnan versions, its introduction and wide acceptance in many parts of the world like the Philippines and other South East Asian nations, inevitably resulted to the evolution of many varieties, methods of preparation and using different ingredients.

I have been preparing ‘siomai”, a standard dish of the Chinese dim sum tradition, for many years now but regularly using pork (though sometimes with shrimp) as the main ingredient. It is a constant hit among my friends, colleagues and guests. Due to personal satisfaction, a colleague, Jhala, wittingly prepared a variant using minced beef in lieu of the usual ground pork. It came out quite successful so sharing the recipe here for interested readers to try is such a noble deed which we should take advantage of.

Tofu and Mushroom Delight

I hated tofu or "tokwa" during my younger years. Probably most kids of my generations, and even other generations before and after ours, shared the same feeling. But that changed when I grew up and learned to explore with food, outside the boundaries of usual family dishes. I developed an appreciation of its health benefits and eventually its unique taste that it only acquires from various flavoring ingredients that it is cooked with. It is basically tasteless on its own and requires good batter or sauce or broth to be truly enjoyed and admired as a main food.

Although I have already posted two tofu recipes here before such as the simple fried tofu or “pritong tokwa” and the much elaborate sizzling tofu in oyster sauce, I am still in constant search for new ways to get pleasure from the rather bland but healthy and energy-packed food from China. Interestingly, other nations have also noticed and showed acceptance of the food item as an exciting addition to their cuisines. It is either for health reasons or due to its wide usage and applications to vegan principle (not using or consuming animal products) and vegetarian (plant-based) diets.

An alternative way of preparing the food is in combination with the tasty abalone or oyster mushrooms cook in mayonnaise and soy sauce. While the resulting dish will resemble the one with oyster sauce, its taste will be distinctly sourly and salty as oppose to sweet and salty of the sizzling tofu. Appreciation to this dish will then be a matter of taste preference. While I am biased over the one using oyster sauce for I really love that dish, this remains a stimulating option, especially for the daring and adventurous in taste.

Seafood Balls and Veggies Hotpot (Steamboat)

Hot pot style of preparing and eating food is not only satisfying but also fun and fulfilling. Apart from the fact that hot pot is a truly tasty stew and soup dishes combined into one which, due to increased level of excitement in the preparation, could cause diners to somehow over-eat and feel really full afterwards, it is also a source of personal fulfillment and pride. The participation of the diners with the associated form of control in the cooking process somehow provides a feeling of accomplishment or achievement of sort, both in the dish and in the meal.

Hot pot or steamboat refers to several varieties of stew in a metal pot prepared at the center of the dining table. It consists of a simmering broth or stock and many other ingredients cook right on top of the table. While the hot pot is simmering, typical hot pot dishes such as thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg, dumplings, noodles, seafood and various types of Chinese balls are placed into the pot and cooked through and then eaten with a dipping sauce.

This is among our favorite Chinese food and usual orders whenever we are dining in a Chinese seafood restaurant, either in the Philippines, here in Sri Lanka or elsewhere in Asia. On several occasions, we have also tried this at the comfort of our home using electric rice cooker and even conventional pot and single burner stove. This is quite easy to do and a constant hit to families and friends. This is worth doing whenever you have time especially during the rainy and cool season when piping hot soup is the preferred meal by everyone.

Braised Spareribs

Sometime late last year, I already shared an easy spare ribs recipe which to me is really good and utterly tasty. Today, let me share another simple, fool proof but also a delicious way of preparing that wonderful variety of pork ribs called spareribs (also spelled spare ribs). Since the meat cut is basically more meaty and succulent than baby back ribs, though the two can be used interchangeably in most cases, the dish is sure to please anyone with its soft, juicy and luscious meat that will easily fall off from the bones as you eat them along with its rich sauce.

Since the process involves braising, the resulting dish will be similar to a typical Chinese method of preparing spareribs rather than like in the Philippines where it is usually stewed with vegetables like in “nilaga/linaga” or “sinigang” and in the US where it is commonly barbecued or baked.

Though spareribs are among the popular and fast selling cut of pork and the first one to sell out, purchasing a good quality meat is necessary to ensure a really wonderful dish. I usually select freshly butchered meat that is still colored pink and with a layer of fat that is still colored white and not yellowish. By all means avoid thawed or previously-frozen spareribs when buying. You can’t be sure of its quality and more importantly of its taste.

Lumpia or Lumpiang Prito or Lumpiang Gulay (Vegetable Spring Roll)

If you are thinking that “lumpia”, as most Filipinos have known it, is only popular in the Philippines, you are mistaken. It is also widely available and called by the same name in Indonesia. In fact, “lumpia” generally, are pastries similar to spring rolls that originated in China. The term “lumpia” was actually derived from a Hokkien language “lunpia”. The recipes for both fried and fresh versions were brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province of China to Southeast Asia and became well-liked where they settled in Indonesia and the Philippines.

You can also find the dish in the Netherlands and Flanders where it is called “loempia” which is the old Indonesian spelling for “lumpia”. There, it has also become the generic name for spring rolls. Another popular variant is the Vietnamese “lumpia; which is wrapped in a thinner piece of pastry or wrapper. It is prepared in the same size of a spring roll though the wrapping closes the ends off completely like in a typical lumpia.

The Filipinos have strong fascination to the dish. It is greatly appreciated that there are several varieties of “lumpia” in the Philippines all widely prepared and consumed. Among them are: “lumpiang shanghai” that uses minced meat in the filling and which I have already featured here for pork and here for fish meat; “lumpiang sariwa” or fresh “lumpia” or fresh spring rolls that consist of minced “ubod” (heart of palm), flaked chicken, crushed peanuts and turnips in a double wrapping of lettuce leaf and a soft yellowish egg crepe or wrapper. It is sometimes called “lumpiang ubod” when heart of palm is the major ingredient.

Asadong Dila or Lengua (Pork or Ox Tongue Asado Version 2)

I have already featured here a recipe for “asadong dila or lengua” but to satisfy a reader’s request, particularly asking an even simpler way to cook the sweetish-salty Chinese influenced-Filipino dish using just basic and ordinary ingredients, I am posting this second version of preparing the dish. Whilst this is easy, simple and requires just a few common Filipino ingredients be surprised not that this still tastes great. With enough patience in slowly simmering the meat, tongue or “lengua”, until it is already succulent but still with the correct amount of sauce, you can’t go wrong doing the dish.

I usually prepare this dish in large quantity. Not only because I really love it but because there are many other uses of the already cooked “asado”, be it a straight beef asado or like in this case, using the tongue meat. It can be used as filling for “siopao” or Filipino-Chinese steamed bun; bread rolls or baked buns or empanada; and wrapped up foods like burrito, soft taco, tortilla and probably even like in a la “shawarma”. It also remains good tasting over a long period of time kept in the fridge and a handy source of quick food when in a hurry. During an unannounced visit of guests and relatives, it could well save you from stress thinking of what food to urgently serve. :-)

Pato Tim or Patuten or Humbang Itik (Marinated Duck Braised in Soy Sauce)

As a variation of the popular Filipino-Chinese dish “pata tim” or pork knuckle braised in soy sauce, “pato tim” was created. “Pato” is the Filipino language for duck so the dish is simply a marinated duck braised in soy sauce. The method of preparation as well as the ingredients is somewhat similar so expect the taste to also have resemblance with the individual distinct taste and texture of the meats providing the difference.

Duck is the common name for a number of species of birds in the “Anatidae” family. They are aquatic birds, usually smaller than the swans and geese and may be found in both fresh water and sea water. They are characterized by elongated and broad body, relatively long neck, short but strong wings and usually broad bill with serrated lamellae or thin layer of plate of tissue.

Ducks have many economic uses. They are widely farmed for their meat, eggs, feathers specially the down or the soft and fine feathers below the contour feathers which are used for cushion and quilts.

Arroz Caldo or Lugaw (Chicken Congee)

Rice congee is a type of rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries. The word congee is possibly derived from the Tamil word “kanji”. The dish is widely popular in Asia and even in some part of Europe. It is called by many names such as “kanda” in Sri Lanka, “canja” in Portugal, “pinjin” and “zhōu” in China, “bubur” in Indonesia, “ukayo” in Japan, “juk” in Korea, “chok” in Thailand, “chao” in Vietnam, “babaw” in Cambodia and “lugaw” or “lugao/lugau” in the Philippines. Rice congee is an ideal comfort food for the sick and elderly as it has a soothing effect. Apart from the fact that it can be easily consumed and digested, it is believed to have therapeutic or healing properties for the ill.

While there are many varieties of toppings and flavoring ingredients added to make different variations, chicken is probably the most common addition. In the Philippines the dish with chicken is called “Arroz Caldo”, obviously from the Spanish word “arroz” that means rice and “caldo” that refers to broth. However, please note that it is not a Spanish dish. The name was only adopted by the Spanish colonial settlers who patronized Chinese restaurants in the Philippines for easy reference.

Chinese Fried Rice or Yang Chow Fried Rice

When we are dining in a Chinese restaurant, there is a 90% chance that we will order Chinese fried rice along with my other preferred Chinese foods such as “Steamed Lapu-Lapu or Grouper”, “Sizzling Tofu”, “Chop Suey”, “Pata Tim or Pork Knuckle in Soya Sauce”, Spicy Cuttlefish, etc.. The delicious rice dish, also called Yang Chow Fried Rice, is just too good to be ignored even by the trying hard less-rice eater like me. :-)

Chinese Fried Rice originally called "Yeung Chow Fried Rice" or "Yang Zhou Chao Fan" is a popular Cantonese style wok fried rice dish served in most Chinese restaurants in North America, Australia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Although the ingredients is highly varied, depending on the availability and local produce, the staple items are day old cooked rice (though hot cooked rice prepared with less water is also okay), Chinese sausage or “lap leong”, slightly beaten eggs, chopped scallions or leeks, diced vegetables such as carrots and cooked green peas.

Fish Shanghai (Fish Spring Roll)

We can gauge the level of popularity or success of a particular food by looking at the number of variations concocted or created from it. In the case of Filipino cuisine, perhaps “adobo”, “sinigang”, “caldereta”, “paksiw”, “kinilaw” and “pancit” with their many variations and styles of cooking developed, are amongst the most prepared Filipino foods using different types of ingredients and thus, can be considered as also the most successful ones. I believe the Filipino-Chinese meat spring rolls or “lumpiang shanghai”, which I prepared and posted earlier, is also one of them.

While the original recipe primarily uses pork, many other type of meats have been successfully substituted and accepted, like chicken, beef, shrimps and combination thereof. Since I have been regularly shore fishing lately and have accumulated a lot of freshly caught game fish in our freezer, I thought of preparing a “fish shanghai” or the fish version of the known meat spring roll called “lumpiang shanghai” would be a very sensible and economical idea.

So for today, let me do my version of the well-loved spring roll using a fish from one of our recent catches from angling or sportsfishing at our favorite shore fishing spot along the highly diverse Rumassala reef in Galle City, Sri Lanka, namely, the gorgeous but not very good smelling parrotfish. :-)

Loming Lipa - Pancit Lomi (Fresh Egg Noodles in Thick Soup)

This is the real thing. OK..OK…..let me rephrase it....this is the closer you can get to the real “loming lipa” and to some extent to the famous “loming Ma Mun Luk” where it has a big resemblance. The said two styles of cooking “pancit lomi” are probably the best I have tasted. After regularly being exposed to and had actually eaten bowls and bowls of “loming lipa”, in Lipa City, Batangas (Philippines) and neighboring cities and municipalities, I developed a fascination with the rather simple and ordinary noodle dish particularly the way it is prepared a la “loming lipa”. Since then, it has been my long term objective to learn cooking the sticky and yummy noodle soup right in the comfort of my own little kitchen which I successfully achieved some years back.

As a backgrounder, “pancit lomi” or simply “lomi” is a Chinese-Filipino noodle dish made with a thick variety of fresh egg noodles of about 5 mm or half a centimeter in diameter (probably the biggest fresh egg noodles available in the Philippine market) sautéed with small pieces of pork or chicken meat, liver and select vegetables, added with tasty broth and then thickened by cassava flour and beaten eggs. Several toppings are added prior to serving such as fried “kikiam” (que kiam), as I mentioned in my previous post, meat balls, pork liver and slices of hard boil eggs.

Kikiam or Que Kiam

There are two main reasons why I’d like to prepare the popular Chinese dish called “Que Kiam” made from minced pork and shrimps, some vegetables like water chest nut or “jicama” (“singkamas”), carrots, onion and garlic, flavored with “que kiam” powder or “goyong powder” or wrapped in bean curd sheets called “tawpe” and then deep-fried until golden brown. Firstly, I really enjoy eating it from roadside eateries and cart kiosks plying the busy streets of towns and cities of the Philippines along with the more popular fish balls and squid balls. Secondly, I’d like to have a ready stock of “kikiam” balls in my freezer to be able to cook the famous “Loming Lipa”, where it is a major ingredient, whenever I want to.

“Que Kiam”, called “kikiam” in Filipino was introduced to the Philippines and like the other Chinese balls, dumplings and dimsum dishes, was widely accepted by the Filipino people, specially the masses. It is now considered as part of its unique amalgamated cuisine. It is regularly eaten as an afternoon snack and appetizer or “pulutan” dipped in sweet and sour sauce and likewise commonly used as an ingredient in some soup and fried noodle dishes. I particularly like it as among the ingredients in “Filipino Pancit Bihon”, “Easy Pancit Miki” and “Sotanghon-Miki Guisado” but I just don’t have some when I prepared those dishes before. :-( More importantly I love it in the rich and thick “lomi” noodles the way it is prepared in Lipa City, Batangas (Philippines) as mentioned above.

While “kikiam” is normally elongated and wrapped in bean curd sheet, it can also be prepared round like meat balls or fish/squid balls and no longer wrapped in “tawpe” but flavored with “kikiam” powder to attain that distinct earthy taste the dish has been known for. The powder which is brown in color resembles a paprika and is now widely available in wet markets, groceries and supermarkets, unlike some 5 years ago when it was really difficult to find.

To cook the dish, a kilo (1,000 grams) of minced pork of about 70% meat and 30% fat is an ideal choice. But of course, you can always use leaner meat or whatever you have in your freezer. Drain the meat thoroughly.

The other ingredients needed are: several pieces of shrimps (about 150 grams), shelled and minced, ½ cup minced onion, 2 tbsp minced garlic, ½ cup minced water chest nut, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp salt or to taste, 1 tsp ground pepper, ½ tsp MSG (optional), 2 medium eggs lightly beaten and more importantly, 1 tsp “kikiam” or “goyong” powder.

In a deep mixing bowl place the minced pork and add in the shrimps, onion, water chest nut and garlic. Evenly mix the ingredients.

Then add the sugar, salt, ground pepper, MSG (if using) and “kikiam” powder. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until a homogenous mix is attained.

Add the beaten eggs and continue mixing until the mixture is sticky and capable of forming into balls. Others would normally use some cornstarch dispersed in a small amount of water to attain the right consistency. But I guess the eggs are quite enough to provide the required bonding agent.

Let it stand for at least an hour inside the fridge for the taste to develop. Afterwards, take one tablespoon at a time and form into balls. Continue doing it until you have enough “kikiam” balls for your current requirement. Keep the remaining meat mix in the freezer.

You can also finish forming everything into balls and freezing the rest for ready-use some other time. I did just like that.

In a small deep pan on medium heat, pour some vegetable oil to a level enough to deep fry the balls. No need to use too much oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, drop the balls one by one and fry them in batches until golden brown. Be careful with the ugly splatter.

Continue deep frying until you are done with all the “kikiam” balls you intend to cook. Drain them in paper towels and transfer in a serving plate.

Serve hot with your favorite sweet and sour sauce as a snack or along with some hot steamed rice or better yet with adobo garlic fried rice as a meal. It’s delicious. I like it more over a bottle of our favorite pale pilsen though. :-) Enjoy! c“,)

UPDATE: As requested in the comment below, we are showing here the photo of "kikiam" or "goyong" powder which is the brown powder on the lower section of the image, just below the ground pepper and MSG. :-)

Steamed Lapu-Lapu (Steamed Grouper in Soy Sauce)

Groupers, generally known as “lapu-lapu” in the Philippines, “groper” for some species in Australia and “hammour” in the Middle East are reef fishes that belong to the boniest group of fish and typically having a stout body and a large mouth. The size of the fish varied considerably with some species reaching over a meter in length and up to 100 kilograms in weight. They swallow prey rather than biting pieces off it. They do not have many teeth on the edges of their jaws, but they have heavy crushing tooth plates inside the pharynx.

They habitually eat fish, octopus, crab, and lobster. They lie in wait, rather than chasing in open water. Their mouth and gills form a powerful sucking system that sucks their prey in from a distance. They also use their mouth to dig into sand to form their shelters under big rocks, jetting it out through their gills. Their gill muscles are so powerful that it is nearly impossible to pull them out of their cave if they feel attacked and extend those muscles to lock themselves in.

As mentioned in my previous post about “Mixed Bag of Fish from Sri Lankan Waters 2”, there is an abundance of grouper here in Sri Lanka which are called “garupa”. It is very close to the Portuguese name, “garoupa” which is widely believed to be the origin of the word “grouper”. Groupers are extensively eaten in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, Hong Kong and Macau. In the United States, grouper are often found in waters off Florida. It is also found in the New Zealand and Australian waters. In the Philippines, China, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian countries, groupers are considered priced fish and usually cooked during special occasions.

Many groupers are important food fish and some of them are now farmed. Unlike most other fish species which are chilled or frozen, groupers are usually sold alive in seafood markets which command a higher price. Many species of groupers are popular game fish for sea-angling. Although they are not really ferocious fighters, catching them excites anglers and I particularly like them due to good taste which provides me with many culinary possibilities.

Steaming the fish in soy sauce is one of the special ways of preparing the tasty and succulent fish. It is one of my favorites and always on the top list of my orders when dining in a Chinese restaurant. Following the same procedure in my post “Steamed Fish in Soy Sauce”, let’s cook this gorgeous grouper. The fish of about 600 grams needs to be cleaned by removing the scales, guts and gills. It is quite difficult removing the scales of grouper and sharp bones along the jaw section can easily cut into careless hands. For a typical Chinese steamed fish, the fins and tail of the fish are kept intact and that’s what I also did.

The first group of ingredients required includes: 1 tsp of sugar dissolve in 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 inch ginger, peeled and julienned.

Arrange the steamer or a big wok with prop on the middle to hold the plate of fish while steaming. Drain the fish and pat dry using paper towel and place in a plate. Evenly pour the rice vinegar mixture on top and inside the fish cavities. Arrange the ginger pieces on top and place the plate on the steamer. Start steaming the fish and continue until it is fully cooked. It should be soft inside when poke with fork. My grouper took about 30 minutes.

For the meantime, prepare the sauce ingredients. In a small bowl mix 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp water, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 ½ tbsp sugar, ½ tsp sesame oil and ¼ tsp ground white pepper until you attain this exotic sauce.

In addition, prepare the aromatic ingredients such as 1 inch ginger, peeled and julienned, 2 stalks green onion (I used leek), chopped lengthwise and a small bunch of flat leaf parsley or coriander or cilantro or Chinese celery, chopped. In addition, about 2 ½ tbsp vegetable oil is also needed.

Take the cooked fish from the steamer. Discard the ginger and the fish liquid all together. Carefully place the fish in a big serving plate and arrange the fresh ginger on top of the fish.

Heat the oil in a small sauce pan and slather the hot oil on the fish. In the same pan, heat the soy sauce-rice vinegar mixture until bubbly. Then slowly pour the hot soy sauce mixture on top.

Sprinkle the chopped leek and flat leaf parsley on top. Serve immediately along with lots of steamed rice and your preferred soup.

The dish is not intended to be served to our group. Yes, it is only for me. I’ll steam some mackerel for them. :-) This “steamed lapu-lapu” could hardly serve one. c“,)