Maja Blanca with Budbod is a variation of Filipino delicacy maja blanca or coconut pudding and is made by adding budbod made by desiccated coconut and sugar as toppings on a maja blanca made with corn-starch, coconut milk, cream style corn, evaporated milk, condensed milk and sugar. It is a white and simple kakanin with a mildly sweet flavour, which is why a budbod toppings would crown it nicely. Best served chilled during an afternoon snack with coffee.

MAJA BLANCA WITH BUDBOD

Maja Blanca was one of the classic Filipino native delicacies which has been our favorite for a long time. It was theorized that maja blanca was invented during the period of Spanish colonization. The word maja means “to pound, grind, mash” while “Blanca” is the Spanish term for white. The name maja was used since making this kakanin involves pounding of coconut meat to extract the milk or cream.

The traditional maja blanca was plain and topped with corn bits. Modern versions added different toppings like grated cheese and uses different flavors like ube and pandan. In this recipe, I made use of the sepal or the desiccated coconut, also called the budbod. The word “budbod” means to spread.

BENEFITS OF HOME COCONUT PRESSING

In making coconut-based dishes, do you buy ready-made coco cream or do you press your own at home? If your answer is the first one, I bet I can encourage you to do the home pressing at home and have your own coconut cream. Here is just a short list on the what you can gain in home coconut pressing.

Home extracting is fun. The pagkakayod of the niyog may be a good bonding time for you and your family especially when you need a large amount of gata. After you kayod the niyog, you do not need any special pressing tools. Grab a clean cloth then just squeeze squeeze squeeze until fully extracted.

You can ensure sanitation. When you’re the one to do all the preparation, then you are sure on the cleanliness of the products you can get from the coconut.

You can save the coconut juice. I have witnessed actual coco cream extraction in the market and I saw how much coconut juice is wasted. If you do this at home, you can save the coco juice and turn it into a nice drink for later.

You can save the dessicated coconut. When you buy gata from the market, or when you buy ready-pressed ones or the canned ones, you only receive the gata and nothing else. If you do this at home, you can turn the dessicated coconut which can be a great toppings for your maja blanca. Steps on how to make budbod from dessicated coconut can be found on the recipe below.

HOW TO MAKE MAJA BLANCA WITH BUDBOD

Making maja blanca is just making the main mixture and just heat it then allow it to set. Start by making your slurry, just for it to be prepared beforehand. The maja blanca mixture is simply made by combining all the ingredients. Remember to adjust the sweetness level before adding the slurry. In this recipe, I used ½ cup sugar. Add the slurry after heating the mixture and cook until super smooth and sticky.

With the cornstarch as the thickening agent, maja blanca is very quick to set. If you’re dealing with a large batch, it is advisable to have someone to help you transfer the maja blanca into the container so you can scrape the sides of the pan well. Tap the container against the table for a few times to let out of the trapped bubbles and to flatten the top. In this recipe, I was able to make 2 trays.

While waiting for your maja blanca to chill, make the budbod by heating the sapal and sugar together. When it becomes golden brown, grab a slice of the dish and add some budbod on top. Enjoy!