Kwek Kwek
Kwek-Kwek is a very famous Filipino street food which is made out of deep fried battered hard boiled quail eggs dipped in vinegar or sweet gravy sauce. Another food similar to this is called Tokneneng where it is made out of chicken or duck eggs instead. I guess this one is a fairly new culinary invention as my early recollection of this dish is when I was in the late years of my intermediate school and at that time I was wondering what this orange round food people on the streets are eating in bowls full of vinegar, I asked my Auntie and told me it was deep fried hard-boiled egg that is nearly expiring. So since then I lost my interest until I was in college and tried one and all I can say that this is a good comfort meal and as an afternoon snack that’s why this food item is sold almost everywhere.
Now let’s go to my Aunties story about the nearly expiring eggs, well that’s not true it’s just a way mom’s, aunties and grandma’s way of letting Filipino kids be turned off with street food which is not always 100% clean due to the exposure to outside pollution and not properly cleaned utensils. They just don’t want you to get sick or get some bad disease by eating them, that is why stories like this is popular in the Philippines on street foods like stray cats meat used on steamed buns, minced earthworms used on hamburgers and dirty water on sago. But anyways even I was told about those nothing stopped me from trying them out, especially with siopao which is in the top 10 of my favourite food. How about you do you have food stories like this? I want to hear about them.
Ingredients (Kwek-kwek)
20 pieces hard boiled quail eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp annatto powder
salt
freshly ground black pepper
oil
Ingredients (Vinegar dip)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red chilli, finely chopped with seeds
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. In a bowl mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, water, annatto powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Mix all vinegar dip ingredients in a bowl then set aside
3. Place quail eggs in the bowl and coat with the batter evenly.
4. Add oil in a wok and once hot add quail eggs one at a time, make sure eggs are coated with the batter.
5. Remove from wok, drain then serve with vinegar dip.
naalala ko tuloy nung college ako tol,,,lunch ko na yan eh…sarap nyan , libre sakit at typhoid fever,,hehehehehe!!!
oh i miss pinas!
Beautifully coated eggs in the crispy batter, but I stay away from quail eggs for the high cholesterol level as it is I am up there already will pulling pain on my shoulders. I love eggs and this is the effects of the yolk.
We have something similar here and call them Scottish eggs, good to read about the origin of a similar dish. They really do sound addictive.
wow I am craving one but it is evening here so i better wait for balut =)
When I was a teenager, growing up in Manila, street food was always one of the most exciting street scenes. Well, okay second to beautiful girls and ladies.
But to be honest with you, I have never had kwek kwek because I guess it was discovered way after we left the Philippines. So thank you for this recipe, Raymund because I can make them here at home. Nice vibrant color of your dish — good job!
~ ray ~
I’ve never heard of a deep fried egg and I have to say I am impressed with this Kwek-Kwek dish. Not sure if I would try it.. but then again.. why not
Oh that is a lovely way of your auntie trying to put you off eating food that might be bad! great.. i like the look of these eggs.. c
What a hilarious, appealing name! If I were a kid I would love it just because of the name. It must taste great!
I also remember my mum warning me about the street food… Dirt, bacteria etc.. I suppose she was often right, but the same food made at home just doesn’t attract children as much as sold in the street, even if the street food tastes worse.
I am not surprized people finding the name so hilarious, even Filipinos laugh at it it sounds like a sound effect bubble from a comic book.
I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s a must try, especially with quail eggs.
Naalala ko tuloy ang college days ko… sa UP ay naka-survive kami sa kwek-kwek lunch haha.
Your blog is very interesting. Saan po ba pede magfollow dito, aside from Facebook?
Hi fellow UPian you can follow on http://twitter.com/#!/angsarapblog or email subcription as well. Thanks for visiting
This totally reminds me of scotch eggs.
And I never saw these anywhere? I’ll have to look for them the next time I go back.
Oh well – just means I have to make them instead
Mmmm this sounds so good, I’ve only had a quail egg one time before. Fun name to say, too!
I miss kwek kwek!! I love your blog! You always make me hungry, haha!
Funny how we are told strange stories when we are kids! The eggs looks great – I could often get quail eggs when we were living in Mauritius – can’t say I see them often here though.
mandy
Have a happy day.
Cool! Now I can make a clean version here at home. I wonder if the street version still uses annato? It looks like food coloring to me
Pingback: Karioka « Ang Sarap (A Tagalog word for "It's Delicious")
Pingback: Banana Cue « Ang Sarap (A Tagalog word for "It's Delicious")