Ube Tikoy Rolls

Ube tikoy rolls is a Filipino delicacy sweet treat made with glutinous rice flour, sugar, all purpose flour, salt, vanilla extract, coconut milk and ube flavour rolled in alternating layers of sweet and taro-flavoured rolled into perfection and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This sweet delight is patterned from the famous Chinese tikoy, usually sold during the Chinese New Year. Instead of a firm and circular cake, this version has white and purple roll which is then cut into small swirls, making it super appetizing and fun to eat. The sesame seeds coating on its edges gives this treat a crunchy nutty flavor, which complements the soft and cloudy sweetness from the tikoy. The ube tikoy roll is best eaten as an afternoon snack together with some hot tea or coffee.

WHAT IS A TIKOY?

Tikoy, or Nian Gao in Mandarin, is the Chinese’s version of cake. It is traditionally served during the Chinese New year but can be enjoyed all-year round. Aside from its sweetness, this rice cake is served to signify money because it is round. Aside from this, many people believe that the stickiness of this cake can promise you a healthier bond with your family and loved ones, keeping the relationship closer. Also, many people believe that this cake could also bring you luck.

The tikoy is usually sold in different flavors, namely plain, ube and pandan. They are often sold in boxes, alongside other kakanin and sticky snacks to add to your New Year’s Eve table. This tikoy is usually prepared first before eating. They are sliced, coated in beaten eggs and then lightly fried to soften and reveal the stickyness.

UBE TIKOY ROLLS

Chinese New Year has just passed but the tikoy madness never ends. There are a lot of famous Chinese shops (especially in Binondo) which sell good quality tikoy. But unlike the previous years, I stopped buying tikoy from these shops and started making my own. These tikoys are a bit pricey compared to when you make your own at home. Also, you can save 3 hours of falling in line if you make your own.

If you have been an avid fan of my cooking vlogs, you know that I love kakanin. I was surprised at first, knowing that we have what it takes to make tikoy at home.  It was glutinous rice flour! With the tikoy, you could really see the influence of the Chinese in the Filipino native cuisine.

Ube tikoy roll is not your ordinary tikoy. The usual tikoy is round and firm in shape, while this tikoy is made with layers and are rolled into one. This version is still made with glutinous rice flour with extra flavor, rolled into small swirls. Instead of frying, this tikoy is simply steamed and can be eaten right after.

If you wanna know how to make ube tikoy rolls, read and follow the simple recipe below. Happy cooking!

HOW TO MAKE UBE TIKOY ROLLS

Making this ube tikoy roll is so much easier than waiting in line for hours. With just a few ingredients, you can make this sweet treat in a blink of an eye!

The base of the tikoy is just like any other Filipino kakanin– glutinous rice flour. To make the tikoy mixture, simply combine all the ingredients (except the oil and sesame seeds). You can substitute the coconut milk with evaporated milk or fresh milk if you like. After you achieve the desired consistency, divide it into two portions. Add a few drops of ube flavoring on the other portion to make the ube tikoy.

For this recipe, we are making ube tikoy roll. You can use this recipe as a guide if you want to make other variants of tikoy like pandan tikoy. Or for a more exciting one, you can make a rainbow tikoy by creating many layers and adding food coloring to each one! But take note that the quantity used for this recipe yields only one roll, so feel free to double or triple this if you like to create multiple batches.

After making the tikoy layers, the next step is to steam them. But remember that you need to steam the layers separately, to ensure that they will not mix. This may take just a few minutes if you’re creating just two layers (just like this recipe) but will take you longer periods as you add another layer.

Once the steaming process is done, the last thing to do is to roll the tikoy and then roll it over sesame seeds. You can use both white and black sesame seeds for a finer look! Slice them into smaller swirls before serving. Yum!

Ube Tikoy Rolls Recipe in Tagalog

Mga Sangkap:

• 1 tasa ng glutinous rice flour
• ¾ tasang asukal
• ¼ tasang harina
• asin
• ½ kutsaritang vanilla extract
• 1 tasang gata (o liquid na gatas)
• 1 kutsaritang ube flavoring
• sesame seeds
• mantika

Paano Lutuin:

1. Ihanda ang square pan at pahiran ito ng konting mantika o butter.
2. Paghaluin ang glutinous rice flour, asukal, harina at konting asin sa malaking bowl.
3. Sunod na ilagay ang gata (o gatas) at ang vanilla extract. Haluin ng mabuti hanggang maging malagkit at smooth.
4. Hatiin sa dalawa ang nagawang mixture. Lagyan ng ube flavoring ang isang portion.
5. Ibuhos ang plain mixture sa square pan. Ikalat ito ng mabuti.
6. Ilagay sa steamer ang tikoy mixture at hayaan itong maluto ng 8-10 minuto gamit ang katamtamang apoy.
7. Kapag luto na, sunod na ibuhos sa ibabaw nito ang ube mixture. I-steam ulit ito ng 8 minuto.
8. Alisin ang pan sa steamer at palamigin muna ang tikoy ng konti. Para mas madaling matanggal ang tikoy, padaanin ang spatula sa mga gilid nito bago baliktarin. Ilagay ang tikoy sa malinis at patag na surface bago ito i-roll. I-diin ng konti ang pagroroll para siguradong secured ito.
9. Budburan ng sesame seeds pinggan o chopping board. I-roll ang tikoy dito para dumikit ang mga sesame seeds.
10. Hiwain ang tikoy ng mas maliliit na portions. Ilipat ang mga tikoy rolls sa serving plate. Kainin ang ube tikoy rolls bilang meryenda kasama ng mainit na kape o tsaa. Pwede mo pa itong budburan ng gusto mong toppings. Yum!