Kutsinta Recipe

This Kutsinta Recipe is a beloved traditional dish that has been passed down through generations. Kutsinta ( or cuchinta ) is a chewy Filipino steamed snack that’s made of 5 ingredients. Mixed, steamed, then served with load of freshly grated coconut or toasted desiccated coconut. The best recipe for kutsinta is one that’s simple, and has been passed down from mother or father to their children. This classic recipe is a celebration of heritage and home-cooked goodness.

Kustinta, sometimes spelled as “Kutchinta“, and in English is commonly reffered to as a “Classic FIlipino Chewy Steamed Rice Cake”. These flat brown cakes are traditionally served with freshly grated coconut on top. This staple merienda ( afternoon snack ) can be enjoyed in many ways like the popular Goldilocks Kutsinta Recipe that offers a firmer texture and deeper brown color. Another crowd favorite is the Kutsinta sa Bilao Recipe which is kutsinta served in original or in different flavors and colors, arranged over a big woven or plastic shallow basket called ‘bilao‘. This version is often bought or made to share at gatherings and larger celebrations. Whether you’re making it for a party or to enjoy as a simple snack this recipe is sure to impress.

What is Kutsinta made of ?

• All purpose flour – to thicken the batter. For a gluten-free kustinta, replace this with an equal amount of cassava flour.
• Cassava flour – makes the dish denser and chewier.
• Brown sugar – for sweetness.
• Lye water – One of the kutsinta main ingredients. This helps give the dish it’s iconic chewiness.
• Water – binds everything together.
• Annatto seeds – adds a slight nuttiness and deep brown color.

How To Cook Kutsinta

Ingredients :

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup cassava flour
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lye water
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons annatto seeds (soaked in 2 tbsp. hot water)

Steps :

1. Soak annatto seeds in 2 tbsp. hot water. Stir well. Strain and set the colored water aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all purpose flour, cassava flour and brown sugar. Add water while mixing. It will make a very thin batter / mixture. Mix in annatto water / mixture and lye water.

3. Strain to remove impurities and lumps. Grease each molds with oil or butter. Arrange the molds in before pouring in the mixture. Steam for 15 minutes (longer if the molds is large, I used small-sized molds)

4. After 15 minutes, remove from the heat. Let it cool before removing from the molds. Top with grated coconut. Enjoy!

Craving some some chewy sweet Filipino snacks that you can easily make at home? Look no further with this simple Filipino steamed cake that only uses 4 to 5 ingredients. All you need to do is prepare your annatto water first. While this is optional and you can also use food coloring if you’d like, annatto water helps add a nice sweet nutty flavor and that distinct reddish-brown color kutsinta is known for. Set this aside while you mix all of the dry ingredients together; combine all purpose flour, cassava flour, and brown sugar. then mix in the strained annatto water or food coloring, water, and lye water. To ensure a smooth texture, make sure to strain this. The batter is then poured into the oil or butter greased molds that are then arranged in the steamer. Once the steamer (pot) is boiling place the steamer / molds in. Steam for 15 minutes or until the top looks slightly translucent. let this cool before taking it out by scraping the side with a toothpick or spatula.

Wanting to spuce up your Cuchinta? Some people sprinkle latik (coconut milk curd) or niyog (grated coconut) on top of it to experience adventurous taste giving excitement in every chew on this beautiful gooey rice cake.

What is Lye water?

Cuchinta is a dish can be described as a browned almost translucent snack that has a shiny sheen on the outside with a chewy sticky texture in the inside. How does this recipe get this uniquely interesting texture? This is the result of adding lye water that makes this rice cake so surprising chewy and translucent. The addition of “Lye Water” (also known as Lihiya, or Lihia ). It is water-like solution that gives the soft yet chewy texture to the kutsinta. With just a few drop of it is enough to enhance the texture of this snack. But, be careful not to add too much as it might give a bitter taste and can burn your throat.

Find more information of the many uses of lye water, recipes, and how much to use, and how to make it at home here : “What is Lye Water ?“.

Other Chewy Yummy Recipes :

Questions :

• Is Kutsinta healthy ?

This native Kutsinta recipe is not considered a healthy food as it’s main ingredients are flour, sugar, and lye water. However, if you do want to try and make this a little bit healthier. Try substituting sugar with honey or coconut sugar, and all purpose flour with cassava, rice, or tapioca flour. But like all snacks with sugar, please eat these in moderation.

• Kutsinta shelf life

These kutsinta brown rice cakes can be left at room temperature for a day or two. The best option is for the snack to be consumed within 24 hours. But if you do need to store these for a bit longer. Place these in the fridge ( without the toppings ) to give it a shelf life of 3 to 5 days.

To Reheat : Steam for 5 minutes or Microwave for 20 – 30 seconds until warm enough before serving.

To know of these have gone bad : If the snack smells sour and you notice fluffy or gray colored molds. Then these should be thrown away.

• What other Flours to use ?

While you can make this kutsinta recipe using all purpose flour as this is the more common and easily accessible ingredient. The best and more traditional options would be the rice flour or glutinous flour with a with a mix of tapioca starch for ” Kutsinta Recipe with Tapioca Flour, or ” Kutsinta Recipe Glutinous Rice Flour “.

• How to make Kutsinta without Lye ?

If you do not have lye water in hand. To make a kutsinta recipe without lye water; all you need is to omit the lye water and use a ratio of 2:1 or tapioca starch and glutinous rice flour instead of all purpose flour. This makes for a nice chew. It might not be as chewy as the classic Lye water kutsinta but it’s still tastes great.

• Additional Kutsinta Recipe Ingredients
  • Black Kutsinta Recipe – How to make Black Kutsinta ? Use very dark brown sugar or muscovado sugar, instead of regular sugar. Also add a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses.
  • Pandan Kutsinta Recipe – use pandan flavoring, or blend pandan leaves with water water to make enough pandan water as needed by the recipe to replace the regular water in the list.
  • Kutsinta Ube Recipe – Add 1 – 2 tablesoons of ube flavoring or more if you prefer a more vibrant color and taste. You can also make ube kutsinta without lye water.
  • Kutsinta with Coconut milk – For a kutsinta recipe using coconut milk. Simply replace the water with coconut milk. It gives the snack a certain richness and delicate aroma.

• Kutsinta Toppings ?

To make a special kutsinta recipe, sometimes all you need to mix up is the toppings. It goes from the more classic freshly grated coconut, latik ( or coconut curds ), grated cheese, a small scoop or spread of ube halaya, muscovado sugar, a mix of muscovado and desiccated / fresh coconut, coconut caramel sauce, condensed milk, or serve kutsinta with yema dip on the side.

To make a Yema dip for kutsinta recipe : Try this Dulce de Leche recipe.

Paano Gumawa ng Kutsinta

Mga Sahog

• 1 tasa all purpose flour
• 1 tasa cassava flour
• 1 ½ tasa ng kayumangging asukal
• 1 kutsarang lihiya
• 3 tasa ng tubig
• 2 kutsarang astute ( binabad ng 2 kutsarang mainit na tubig )
• Ginadgad na niyog ( para sa sahog )

Paano Lutuin

1. Ibabad ang mga atsuete sa 2 kutsarang tubig. Salain at itabi.
2. Sa mangkok, haluin ang harina, cassava flour, at asukal. Dagdagan ng tubig habang naghahalo. Haluan ng ginawang tubig ng atsuete at lihiya.
3. Salain ang batter. I-grease ang mga lalagyanan. Ayusin ang mga molde sa steamer bago buhusan ng batter. I-steam ng 15 minuto (o mas matagal kung malaki ang mga ito)
4. Pagkatapos, tanggalin ang mga ito at palamigin ng konti bago tanggalin sa molde. Dekorasyonan ng ginadgad na niyog bago i-enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• Sa mga nagtatanong po, ang lye water or Lihiya ay ginagamit sa mga kakanin gaya ng cuchinta at pichi-pichi para sa “makunat” or chewy na texture. Nabibili po ito sa mga supermarket (baking section) at palengke (bilihan ng mga sago, gulaman). Around 8 to 20 pesos depende sa laki. Sa ibang bansa naman, makikita ito sa mga asian stores.

• Ang annatto seeds naman po ay Atsuete. Pampakulay lang po ito para makuha yung same color kagaya ng nasa video. Pwede rin gumamit ng annatto powder, (1 tbsp, dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water). Kung walang annatto seeds or powder, pwedeng wag na gumamit, light lang magiging color ng kutsinta. Pwede rin gumamit ng food color. 

Paano magluto ng kutsinta ? If you are looking for a traditional kutsinta recipe. This step-by-step old fashioned kutsinta recipe is foolproof. It has a nice chew, just the right amount of sweetness, and can be dressed up with a variety of toppings. We’re sure you’ll enjoy every bite!