Kutsinta + Recipe Video (firm and chewy) - The Not So Creative Cook (2024)

I was in a Kutsinta kick lately. I spent my last week trying to perfect a Kutsinta recipe. I made Kutsinta around 5 or 6 times just before dinner, after I arrived home from work. I tried different flours and tried straining and not straining the mixture and even cooking the mixture before steaming. It was a tiring, yet fun week. Imagine me eating Kutsinta during breakfast and snack for one week (and oh, the weekend, too).

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO

Kutsinta + Recipe Video (firm and chewy) - The Not So Creative Cook (1)

Kutsinta is a Filipino rice cake that’s very popular in the Philippines. It is made with different kinds of flour (such as glutinous rice flour, rice flour, tapioca flour and all-purpose), brown sugar, lye water, annatto powder (or annatto seeds), and water. It is cooked by steaming the mixture using small molders. It is chewy, not overly sweet and delicious. The rice cakes are traditionally topped or served with freshly grated coconut. These days, it can be enjoyed with dulce de leche, too, which I haven’t tried yet.

Kutsinta + Recipe Video (firm and chewy) - The Not So Creative Cook (2)

All the recipes I’ve tried worked perfectly when it comes tothe taste. I’ve played with different ingredients to get the texture I wanted.

#1: All-purpose flour + tapioca flour = the texture was firm, but it doesn’t have the chewiness I wanted.

#2: Glutinous flour + tapioca flour = the texture was chewy, jiggly and sticky, but not firm. Also, the top was watery even after chilling them.

#3: Glutinous rice flour + all-purpose flour + = the texture was also chewy, but it is still lacking something.

#4: Tapioca flour + All-purpose flour + glutinous rice flour = this is the perfect mixture of flours for me – chewy and firm, just how I remembered them from the palengke.

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TIPS:

  • It is advisable to strain the dry ingredients before mixing with wet ingredients and again strain the mixture before steaming.
  • LIGHTLY grease the molders with cooking oil. Don’t overdo it or else your Kutsinta will be in a mess. Take it from the one who used a cooking spray.
  • During steaming, you can put the heat on high setting and when the water starts to boil, lower down the heat to a low setting and let it remain that way until the end of the steaming process.

I hope you can try this recipe. I am sharing these with my friends at Fiesta Friday #282, hoping everybody would love them. 🙂 Thanks to our hosts, Antonia and Angie.

Kutsinta + Recipe Video (firm and chewy) - The Not So Creative Cook (4)

Print

Kutsinta

A steamed rice cake with jelly-like texture – chewy, sweet and delicious, can be served warm or cold with freshly grated coconut or dulce de leche.

CourseSnack

CuisineFilipino

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 16 Kutsinta

Author Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook

Ingredients

  • 152g(1 cup) brown sugar
  • 500ml(2 cups) water
  • 10ml(2 tsp) lye water
  • 65g(½ cup) all-purpose flour
  • 55g(½ cup) glutinous rice flour
  • 58g(½ cup) tapioca flour
  • 1tspannatto powder

Instructions

  1. Prepare your steamer: put enough water (about 2 incheon the bottom of part of your steamer. Add the second and/or third layer, and put the lid on (the lid must be wrapped with a cloth to prevent the water from dripping over your Kutsinta). Put on the stove over medium-high heat. When the water starts boiling, decrease the fire to low.

  2. In a bowl, add brown sugar and water. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Add lye water.

  3. Sift the three flours along with the annatto powder and add this to the mixture above. Mix well.

  4. Divide the mixture into molders that are LIGHTLY greased with cooking oil and steam for 40 minutes.

  5. Let the Kutsinta cool down for 15 minutes before removing them from the molders.

  6. Serve with freshly grated coconut.

Recipe Notes

  • Kutsinta can be served warm or cold. I always prefer cold Kutsinta.
  • I am using the UK measuring cups.

Thanks a bunch for spending your precious time with me!

Kutsinta + Recipe Video (firm and chewy) - The Not So Creative Cook (5)

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Featured: Fiesta Friday #283 | What’s for Dinner? Sunday link up #208 |

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Kutsinta + Recipe Video (firm and chewy) - The Not So Creative Cook (2024)

FAQs

What is lye water for kutsinta? ›

Lye water (or potassium carbonate) is a traditional ingredient that contributes to the unique chewy texture of Kutsinta. However, if you prefer to avoid lye water, you can substitute it with baking powder & water mixture for a slightly different texture.

Why is my kutsinta wet? ›

Two common causes of this are using continuous high heat during steaming and water getting into the cake. For a smooth and silky texture, use the lowest heat for gentle steaming. To prevent the water from dripping into the cake, wrap the lid with a damp kitchen towel.

What is Kutsinta in English? ›

Puto cuchinta or kutsinta is a type of steamed rice cake (puto) found throughout the Philippines.

What is the best substitute for lye water? ›

Salt crystals or powders that do the same job as lye water include:
  • bicarbonate soda (bicarb)
  • sodium carbonate.
  • sodium bicarbonate.
  • lye salt.
  • uvusaaru.
  • combo.
  • soda ash.
  • magadi soda.

What is a natural substitute for lye in soap making? ›

You could also replace lye with baking soda to make your own soap. We'll take you through these recipes step by step and give lots of tips about how to customize your soap.

Can I use baking soda for kutsinta? ›

Kutsinta recipes traditionally call for lye water to achieve its unique texture and color. But you can substitute by dissolving a small amount of baking soda in water. This alternative is perfect for people who prefer not to use lye water. Baking Soda solution: 1 cup water plus 1/4 tsp baking soda.

Can I use cassava flour instead of cassava starch for kutsinta? ›

You can also use tapioca flour, tapioca starch, cassava flour, rice flour as substitutes. Lye water – What does lye water do in kutsinta? This ingredient that is also used in making suman sa lihiya gives the kutsina its soft and chewy texture. Careful not to use too much as it will give the kutsinta a bitter taste.

What are the ingredients of lye water? ›

What is lye water? Lye water (aka Kansui, 枧水), is a food-grade alkaline solution that's used in many cuisines around the world. The ready-to-use, bottled one mainly contains potassium carbonate (K2CO3), a white alkali salt that's soluble in water. It looks like ordinary water: clear, transparent and odourless.

What is a fun fact about kutsinta? ›

The kutsinta was thought to have sprung up at the same time as its pasty counterpart, but the origins of its name remain a mystery. It has been theorized, however, that its name might have a connection to an obsolete piece of kitchen equipment responsible for its flattened, saucer-like shape.

What is kutsinta in Chinese? ›

The word 'Kutsinta' comes from the Chinese word 'Kueh Tsin Tao'. The word 'Kush' in Hokkien language means a little cake or cookie for snack, more often steamed than baked.

What is black Kutsinta made of? ›

Black Kutsinta is made the same way as my Kutsinta, with tapioca flour, all-purpose flour, and brown sugar. But instead of using annatto, these sticky round cakes are made using blackstrap molasses. It is extra delicious with a rich and smoky flavor, even more so when topped with sweet sesame and coconut toppings.

What is lye water solution? ›

A lye is an alkali metal hydroxide. Traditionally it was obtained by using rainwater to leach wood ashes, which are strongly alkaline and highly soluble in water, of their potassium hydroxide (KOH), producing lye water, a caustic basic solution.

What is the difference between lye water and baking soda? ›

Baking soda is an 8 on the pH scale, which is only slightly alkaline, while Lye is a 13-14 which is about like the strongest alkaline you can find.

What is lye water also known as? ›

Lye water also known as kansui, is a food grade potent. liquid alkaline – a food grade potassium carbonate. solution.

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