Cuchinta is a type of kakanin (Philippines’ native delicacies these are snacks usually made with or containing any or combination of these: coconut,coconut milk, rice flour, glutinous rice, cassava).
Cuchinta is delicious and super easy to make and is almost fat free and low in calories..
I was actually surprise to find out how simple it is too.. I used to think otherwise cause I have never seen my mother made this, we used to buy it regularly from a peddler on a bike when I was a kid. I remember waiting very early in the morning quite regularly (we usually have these in addition to our breakfast either before or after) on our doorstep and when I hear that familiar sound of the peddler’s horn, I will run to the street and wave him down. He sells puto (rice cakes) along with kutsinta, I don’t care much about the puto, though but my mother and one of my sisters like it very much so I had to buy some too, but I always buy more cuchinta than puto hehe 🙂
Anyways, I’ve memorized the recipe because like I said it’s super-simple. All you need to remember is this: 1,1,2,1, that’s flour, brown sugar, water and lihia or lye (sodium silicate, sodium carbonate)
Food grade lye is commonly used in food preparations like in suman sa lihiya and cuchinta in the Philippines. I’m sure it’s not poisonous or hazardous to one’s health or I won’t be blogging here anymore as I have eaten so many cuchinta and suman sa lihiya in my life LOL..Lihiya or lye makes the cuchinta makunat or maligat, loosely translated in English: to have a bite to it.
combine dry and wet ingredients in a bowl
mix well, strain and pour into mini muffin pans and steam for 10-20 minutes..that’s it!
Oh, wait, you have to cool it first or else you won’t be able to take it off of the muffin pan easily…just be patient and like magic, you can peel it off without anything sticking at the sides or bottom of the pan which means..easy clean-up! 🙂
RECIPE FOR KUTSINTA (CUCHINTA)
adapted from Maya Kitchen Sarap Pinoy
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon lihiya
teeny-weeny bit of yellow food coloring (optional)
fresh grated coconut
Here’s how easy it is:
Prepare the steamer, I don’t have one so what I do is boil a little water in a big pot, I put a metal trivet inside to hold my muffin pan.
Meanwhile, combine everything in a bowl, mix well, strain into a pouring cup, or small pitcher for easy pouring into mini muffin pans. Steam for 10 -20 minutes or until set. Cool completely before taking out of the pan..you have to be patient here if you try to take it off while its hot or warm, you will find it stuck in the pan and you’ll regret that later when you’re washing the pan. So like I said, just wait till it cools completely and like magic, you can easily peel it off the muffin pan.
Serve with fresh grated coconut. Yummy!
Thanks for reading and Have a Nice day! 🙂
Cuchinta (Kutsinta)
Ingredients
- 1 CUP All-Purpose Flour
- 1 CUP Brown Sugar
- 2 CUPS WATER
- 1 TEASPOON LIHIYA
- TEENY-WEENY BIT OF YELLOW FOOD COLORING OPTIONAL
- FRESH GRATED COCONUT
Instructions
- PREPARE THE STEAMER, I DON’T HAVE ONE SO WHAT I DO IS BOIL A LITTLE WATER IN A BIG POT, I PUT A METAL TRIVET INSIDE TO HOLD MY MUFFIN PAN.
- MEANWHILE, COMBINE EVERYTHING IN A BOWL, MIX WELL, STRAIN INTO A POURING CUP, OR SMALL PITCHER FOR EASY POURING INTO MINI MUFFIN PANS. STEAM FOR 10 -20 MINUTES OR UNTIL SET. COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE TAKING OUT OF THE PAN..YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT HERE IF YOU TRY TO TAKE IT OFF WHILE ITS HOT OR WARM, YOU WILL FIND IT STUCK IN THE PAN AND YOU’LL REGRET THAT LATER WHEN YOU’RE WASHING THE PAN. SO LIKE I SAID, JUST WAIT TILL IT COOLS COMPLETELY AND LIKE MAGIC, YOU CAN EASILY PEEL IT OFF THE MUFFIN PAN.
- SERVE WITH FRESH GRATED COCONUT. YUMMY!