As colorful boxes of Tikoy in different flavors start to stack up in every supermarket and specialty store, there are now simply more ways than one to spin the classic deep-fried Tikoy into a completely leveled-up dish to serve this Chinese New Year.
This traditional sweet and sticky Chinese cake is often served to welcome the upcoming year which is believed to foster a close-knit bond among Filipino-Chinese families. While still honoring the tradition, the humble Tikoy now takes on many forms as it fuses with various cooking and preparation styles.
Lumpia-style ube cheese Tikoy
Concocted by the ‘Lumpia Queen’ herself Abi Marquez, this recipe fuses together the sweet and chewy Tikoy, savory and melty cheese all wrapped together in a deep-fried lumpia wrapper.
To start, Marquez recommends to freeze the ube flavored Tikoy for easier slicing, chop in some mozzarella or regular processed cheese, place them in a lumpia wrapper, and seal with a binder paste made out of flour, cornstarch, and water.
These treats are best served after frying with a side of condensed milk sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Another variation of this recipe is the milky ube cheese Tikoy made by food content creator Arwin Lao behind Win’s Foodtrips. After deep frying the ube Tikoy and cheese in lumpia wrapper, simply sprinkle through a generous amount of powdered milk to bring the recipe up another notch.
Tikoy turon with cheese
Think of the iconic Espanya food stop the Mang Tootz banana Rhuma but in the form of Tikoy. This recipe combines all together a plain Tikoy with cheese cased inside a lumpia wrapper and deep fried until golden brown. Once fried, melt in some sugar and butter in a pan and then, toss in the fried Tikoy turon into the caramelized glaze. Lastly, sprinkle some sesame seeds for a good balance of texture and flavor. Or turn this Tikoy turon ala mode with a cold scoop of ice cream on the side.
Ginataang Tikoy
Still up in the alley of Filipino meriendas, this ginataan recipe is an innovative take on how well Tikoy fits in with traditional Pinoy flavors. To make the ginataan, pour in coconut milk, water, and sugar in a pot depending on the desired consistency and sweetness. Add diced sweet potatoes and plantain bananas to give them time to soften while the coconut milk is boiling. Get your ube flavored Tikoy, cut them into bite sized pieces, and place in the pot. Once most of the chopped ingredients are boiled into proper doneness, add some pre-cooked mini tapioca pearls.
This recipe saves you the time in making glutinous rice flour balls or bilo-bilo by simply replacing them with diced Tikoy. This ginataan will always feel like a warm hug with its coconut-y and creamy soup and a fusion of textures in one bowl.
Tteokbokki tikoy
Returning to its East Asian origins, Tikoy a traditional delicacy from China fuses with a beloved South Korean street food, Tteokbokki, which is also a Korean rice cake.
Start by mixing together Korean red chili paste or gochujang, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Then, add sesame oil and finely minced garlic. In a pot with a medium heat and 2 cups of water, dissolve in the gochujang mixture with around a tablespoon of white sugar. Finally, toss in the plain Tikoy strips. Make sure to stir constantly and bring the mixture into a boil to soften the Tikoy and until the sauce reaches desired thick consistency.
French toast Tikoy
There’s truly an array of ways to mix and match Tikoy with various flavors both locally and internationally. This spin on the breakfast favorite french toast can even be served the morning before all the Chinese New Year festivities.
For the egg mixture, in a bowl, mix together one large egg, 1/4 cup full cream milk, 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. To assemble the main french toast, get two slices of bread without crusts, then, tightly press in between two Tikoy slices with your flavor of choice. Quickly soak the sandwiched bread into the prepared egg mixture. Cook the french toast in a pan with melted butter until crispy and golden. Serve with a generous drizzling of condensed milk on top.
With all these recipes, you can make use of your fresh boxes of Tikoy or even leftover ones after the Chinese New Year celebrations. A bit of creativity and resourcefulness can transform the Tikoy we have always come to prepare during this time of the year.
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