Kutsinta Recipe
Inspired by Tatay Omay and quarantine boredom
Real talk, I grew up not really liking the kutsinta served at big parties or after church functions. It’s always been kinda too tough on the chew, the flavor kinda too egg-y. So when Tito announced that he wanted to recreate the kutsinta of his childhood, I wasn’t exactly excited. How wrong I was though! Kutsinta, when made simply with quality ingredients like freshly grated coconut (!) is addictive.
In a large bowl, combine 270g of glutinous rice flour with 100g of rice flour, 150g of brown sugar, and 600ml of water. For that balanced gummy yet sticky texture, add in one tablespoon of lye water. Finally, the earthy red color comes from soaking one tablespoon of atswete/annato seeds in an equal amount of boiling water, and straining the extract into
the mix. Stir to form a batter like consistency, then pour into your greased mold of choice (a muffin tin achieves the perfect size, but you can also use any tray then cut to serve). Steam the kutsinta for 12-15 minutes and cool fully before removing from the mold. Grate a mature coconut and save half to use as a fresh topping. Toast the other half until brown and sprinkle in some sugar for a crunchy topping.
That’s it folx, sticky kutsinta is best enjoyed with coconut two ways.
Angelo is a self proclaimed tito who likes to procrastinate work with cooking projects. He runs a cooking insta on the side @kasabotecooks