Ube Cheese Buchi

Ube cheese buchi is a delightful Filipino dessert that combines the vibrant purple goodness of ube (purple yam) with the rich creaminess of cheese, all wrapped in a crispy fried shell. This unique twist on the traditional buchi takes the classic dessert to a whole new level of flavor and indulgence. Once assembled, the buchi balls are deep-fried until they develop a golden-brown crust, creating a delightful contrast between the crispy exterior and the gooey cheese center.

Ube Cheese Buchi

Ingredients:

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon ube flavor
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 160 grams cheese cubes

Directions:

1. Place hot water in a bowl. Add the sugar and ube flavoring. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the glutinous rice flour gradually and mix. Continue mixing until well combined and sticky. Make sure that there are no lumps.
3. Knead the dough for 2 minutes using your hands. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Let them rest for a few minutes.
4. Slice the cheese into cubes.
5. Get a portion of the dough and then roll into a ball. Flatten it a little and then place a cheese cubes in the middle. Then roll into a bowl, wrapping the cheese inside. Do these steps with the rest of the dough.
6. Place the sesame seeds into a bowl. Roll each buchi into the sesame seeds. Roll it again using your hands to make the sesame seeds stick better.
7. Heat a lot of oil in a pot using medium heat. Deep fry each buchi for a few minutes. Flip the buchi balls for a few times to cook them evenly. Once the balls are floating, fry them for just a few more minutes until the sesame seeds are toasted.
8. Transfer them to a strainer or paper towel to drain excess oil.
9. Transfer the ube cheese buchi to a serving plate. Enjoy this with some hot tea or coffee . Yum!

What is Buchi

Buchi is a popular Filipino dessert made from glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour that is shaped into small balls, filled with sweet fillings, and then deep-fried until golden and crispy. It is a beloved treat known for its chewy texture, delightful sweetness, and variety of fillings.

The frying process gives the buchi a satisfying crunch while allowing the flavors of the ube and cheese to meld together into a harmonious blend. Ube cheese buchi is often served warm, allowing the cheese to ooze out when bitten into, creating a delightful cheesy surprise.

The history of buchi can be traced back to ancient China, where it is believed to have originated. The word “buchi” is derived from the Chinese term “tangyuan,” which refers to glutinous rice flour dumplings typically filled with sweet fillings.

In Chinese culture, tangyuan is commonly associated with the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year. These glutinous rice balls are often filled with ingredients such as sweetened black sesame paste, red bean paste, or peanut paste, symbolizing happiness, abundance, and unity within families.

Over time, tangyuan traveled to different parts of Asia, including the Philippines, where it underwent local adaptations and became known as “buchi.” In the Philippines, buchi has become a popular sweet treat enjoyed by Filipinos of all ages.

Ube Cheese Buchi

Buchi is often served as a snack or dessert, and it is enjoyed during special occasions and celebrations in the Philippines. The contrast between the soft and slightly sticky dough and the crunchy outer layer is one of the defining characteristics of buchi. It can be found in local bakeries, food stalls, and even in some restaurants specializing in Filipino cuisine. The sweet fillings and the addictive texture of buchi make it a favorite among both children and adults.

Buchi one among the common snacks at our home. If you have been an avid reader of my blogs, you’ll know that glutinous rice flour is a staple to our pantry. Glutinous rice flour may seem like a very simple ingredient but can make some of the best afternoon snacks. I have been very addicted with buchi everytime we make some at home. While we continue to make innovations with the buchi, the combination of ube and cheese makes the classic butchi extra special.

If you wanna know how to make ube cheese buchi at home, simply read and follow the simple steps below. Happy cooking!

How to Make Ube Cheese Buchi

Making some ube cheese buchi is very simple and straightforward. There will be a little dough kneading needed for this recipe so make sure to prepare your arms!

To make the buchi dough, simply combine all ingredients except for the cheese and sesame seeds. To make sure that there will be no lumps, use hot water. Start by dissolving the sugar into the hot water. Add the glutinous rice flour gradually to prevent lumps. Continue mixing until the dough becomes sticky and thick.

We need to knead the resulting dough for atleast 2 minutes. To have the buchi balls in equal sizes, my hack is to shape the dough into a flat square and then slice them into small squares. This recipe yields to 16 medium buchi balls.

Place a cube of cheese inside the buchi dough ball. To finally turn it into the classic buchi, roll each of the stuffed dough with a cube of cheese. While ube and cheese is the best combination, you can try other fillings for the buchi like mung bean past, red mung bean, etc. Before frying, roll the buchi balls in sesame seeds. Some seeds may not stick well, so we need to roll the balls using our hands to push the sesame seeds well into the buchi’s crust.

Last step to do is to deep fry the buchi balls to cook the dough, melt the cheese and to toast the sesame seeds. I love my ube cheese buchi together with my afternoon tea or coffee. Yum!

Ube Cheese Buchi Recipe in Tagalog

Mga Sangkap:

• 2 tasang glutinous rice flour
• 1/2 tasang asukal
• 3/4 tasang mainit na tubig
• 1/2 kutsaritang ube flavoring
• 1/2 tasang sesame seeds
• 160 grams cheese (hiniwa ng cubes)

Mga Hakbang:

1. Ilagay ang mainit na tubig sa isang bowl. Ilagay ang asukal at ube flavoring. Haluin hanggang matunaw ang asukal.

2. Dahan-dahang idagdag ang harina at  haluin. Ituloy lang ang paghalo hanggang maging malagkit ang mixture. Siguraduhing walang lumps.

3. Masahin ang dough ng 2 minuto gamit ang mga kamay. Hatiin ang dough sa 16 piraso. Isantabi muna ng ilang minuto.

4. Hatiin ang cheese sa malalaking cubes.

5. Kumuha ng isang piraso ng dough at bilugin gamit ang mga kamay. Medyo iflatten ito ng kaunti para  mailagay ang cheese sa loob. Gawin ang mga steps na ito sa iba pang ingredients.

6. Ilagay ang mga sesame seeds sa isang bowl. Pagulungin ang bawat buchi sa mga sesame seeds. Bilugin ulit ang mga buchi gamit ang mga kamay para mas dumikit ang mga sesame seeds.

7. Magpainit ng maraming mantika sa isang pot gamit ang katamtamang init. Ideep fry ang mga buchi ng ilang minuto. Baliktarin ang mga buchi ng ilang beses para maging pantay ang luto. Kapag lumulutang na ang mga buchi, lutuin pa ito ng ilang minuto pa hanggang matusta ang sesame seeds.

8. Ilipat ang mga fried buchi sa  strainer o paper towel para tumulo ang sobrang mantika.

9. Ilipat ang ube cheese buchi sa serving plate. Enjoyin ito kasama ng mainit na kape o tsaa. Yum!