Name: Tupig
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups glutinous rice flour; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 1/3 cups coconut milk; 1 1/2 tbsp butter (melted); 1/8 tsp salt; 1 cup young coconut (shredded); 10 banana leaves (cut into 6 inches by 12 inches rectangles)

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This homemade tupig recipe will let you enjoy Pangasinan’s native delicacy at home! Sweet, chewy rice cakes with coconut strips wrapped in charred banana leaves. It’s the perfect snack or dessert.

We usually make it a point to go to Manaoag, Pangasinan to visit its beautiful church every time we go home to the Philippines. The three-ish hour drive from Pampanga to Manaoag is a pleasant journey of green scenery and local culinary specialties. Once in Pangasinan, tupig is one sweet treat that will immediately catch your eyes. Street vendors lining busy roads and intersections grilling tupig over hot charcoal is a sign that we arrived.

I usually buy a few bundles to eat while on the road and the rest is for pasalubong. It’s like suman but with a charred banana wrapper and smoky flavor. You have the chewy, sweet, rice cake wrapped in almost burnt banana leaves. It’s one of the things I miss when in the Philippines. Luckily, I have this homemade recipe that I use to make a batch when craving or to bring something for a Filipino potluck.

What Is Tupig?

Locally called as intemtem or kangkanen, the word tupig or tinupig translates to “flattened” which is the shape it takes after grilling. Mixing glutinous rice flour, young coconut strips, gata, butter or margarine and brown sugar together makes the rice cake batter. The mixture is then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over charcoal until charred.

In the old days, this popular native delicacy is only served during Christmas and New Year like bibingka. Carollers will sometime receive this instead of monetary gift after some sing-song soirée. Nowadays, buying tupig any time of the year is possible with variations like adding jackfruit, ube or purple yam, strawberry, sesame seed and so on.

Notes On Some Ingredients

Glutinous Rice Flour – Usually, the recipe calls ground glutinous rice but this can hard to find especially if you live abroad. Glutinous rice flour is more accessible and can be found at well-stocked Asian markets near you.
Young Coconut – Frozen shredded young coconuts can be used if you can’t find fresh ones. You can also use macapuno which is jelly-like and texture and adds a level of sweetness to the dish.
Butter – Gives the dish its buttery taste and can be easily bought in groceries. You can also use margarine if you prefer.
Brown Sugar – Adds color and sweet flavor to the delicacy and can be adjusted according to your personal preference. You can also use white sugar if brown sugar is not readily available.
Coconut Milk – Gives the dish its coconutty flavor aside from the young coconut strips. It is a necessary ingredient to make the batter.
Banana Leaves – Cut banana leaves into 6 inch by 12 inch rectangles then wash and dry with a clean cloth or kitchen towels. Carefully run over open fire to make them pliable.
Salt – You don’t need much, just a pinch of salt is needed to balance out the sweetness of the dish.

How To Cook

Grilling on hot charcoal is the usual way to cook tupig. Cooking tupig in a pan is another way do it especially if you don’t have a charcoal grill or the weather doesn’t permit. To do this, heat a pan or skillet over medium heat then fry tupig on each side for 10 minutes. You can also bake tupig in an oven by arranging the wrapped mixture on baking sheets. Cook for ten minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F or until the leaves are browning in several spots.

Cooking Tips

You can make your own glutinous rice flour by using glutinous rice or malagkit. Place rice in a mixing bowl and pour enough water to soak the rice overnight at room temperature. Drain the water from the bowl then strain rice in a cheesecloth to remove excess water. Tip in the rice in a blender or food processor and process until it forms into powder.
Adjust brown sugar if you’re using macapuno to replace young coconut strips. Make sure to balance the sweetness since bottled macapuno is already sweet.
If you can’t find fresh banana leaves, you can use frozen banana leaves that are thawed in room temperature before using.
Keep cooking and turning until you feel that the mixture is getting firm. To check if the batter is cooked, you can open one banana wrapper and see if the rice cake has turned golden brown.
Brush banana leaves with melted butter to avoid the batter mixture from sticking when cooking.

dessert wrapped in leaves on top of rack

How To Serve And Store

Tupig is best consumed either warm or cold. Serve as a snack or dessert with coffee, tea, or a glass of juice.
Tupig tends to harden when not consumed immediately. If there are any leftovers, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days.
To reheat, place tupig in a microwave with or without the banana wrapper and heat for 1-2 minutes.

Tupig

This homemade tupig recipe will let you enjoy Pangasinan's native delicacy at home! Sweet, chewy rice cakes with coconut strips wrapped in charred banana leaves. It's the perfect snack or dessert.

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: tupig, tupig recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: 10

Calories: 224kcal

Author: Mia

Ingredients

2 cups glutinous rice flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 tbsp butter (melted)
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup young coconut (shredded)
10 banana leaves (cut into 6 inches by 12 inches rectangles)

Instructions

Prepare banana leaves but cutting into 6 in. by 12 in. rectangles. Wash thoroughly and wipe with clean cloth or paper towels.
10 banana leaves
Pass leaves through fire in a stove top for a few seconds until wilted and pliable. Set aside.
In a large bowl, tip in glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and coconut milk. Mix until no trace of flour is left.
2 cups glutinous rice flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 1/3 cups coconut milk
Add the melted butter and salt then stir until fully combined. Add shredded young coconut and fold into the batter until incorporated.
1 1/2 tbsp butter, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 cup young coconut
Place a banana leaf on a clean flat surface and brush with melted butter. Place 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of the tupig mixture on the banana leaf.
Roll the banana leaf carefully into a cylinder to wrap. Fold both ends inwards to secure. Repeat process with the remaining batter.
Over medium heat, arrange tupig in a frying pan and cook each side for 10 minutes while occasionally turning or until leaves are charred.
Remove from heat and place in a serving dish. Serve and enjoy. Bon appetit.

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Nutrition

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