Easier Than You Think Kutsinta

Specially ordered through a Filipino bakery or the best at home Filipina caterer, Kutsinta is a staple dessert at every family party. To my recollection, if not ordered, I think that I had only one aunt who knew how to make it. In actuality, making Kutsinta is not that hard. It might be time consuming but that is dependent on your steaming situation. To help us all out, I wrote up an Easier Than You Think Kutsinta recipe.

What is Kutsinta?

Growing up, these delicious brownish/orange, sticky rice treats were always my favorite. It’s one of those treats that I could not eat with bites. Topped with shredded coconut, I had to eat it whole, in order to fully enjoy it. (Although, as a kid, that might have been everything that I ate.)

As mentioned, Kutsinta is another rice flour Filipino dessert. Not on the dry/breaded side, like puto, but more so a sticky gelatin texture. They are steamed, cooled and then typically topped with raw coconut shavings.

The distinct dark orange color comes from annatto powder. Some recipes call for extra food coloring but I find that it is an unnecessary addition.

The sticky rice cake gets its sweetness from brown sugar. To maintain more of an orangish color, I like using light brown sugar.

The magic of kutsinta comes from the rice flour and Lye water. As you would think, the rice flour gives kutsinta its form and rice cake texture, but the Lye water (Lihiya) is what gives it that yummy chewiness to each bite.

Other than that, flour and water (I like using coconut water) rounds off the recipe. See, this is an easier than you think kutsinta.

What is Lye Water?

Lye Water is high in alkalinity, sometimes also called Lime Water or Caustic Soda. Did that help? Probably not.

If you do a deep Google search on Lye Water, you may not want to eat kutsinta ever again. Although, if you make that choice then you would have to reconsider soft pretzels as well. But rest assured, Lye Water used in food is at a food grade, not at the strength of its potency in household cleaners or as an ingredient in soaps.

So being food grade, the concentration of what may seem disgusting for foods is at a very low amount. Just remember, yummy chewiness. Not too mention that the recipe calls for only a tablespoon of Lye Water.

I will include an easier than you think kutsinta without Lye Water version. Maybe you might not want to make it with Lye Water or perhaps Lye Water is not readily available where you are at. Just keep in mid that the recipe for kutsinta without Lye Water will be adding another flour ingredient (tapioca starch). It’ll slightly change the flavor and the chewiness. It will still taste like kutsinta and it will still be chewy but at a different level. Definitely less, in the stickiness rating.

Annatto Powder?

If you think that Lye Water is a bit of a weird ingredient, let’s not forget about the Annatto (Achuete/Achiote) Powder. Yes it will give it its distinct color that we all know of, but it is also the ingredient that is used to give that nice color to Tocino. It is a grinded up ingredient from the seeds of an achiote tree. It has a slight peppery taste but it is also widely used as a food coloring an dye for other products.

But let’s face it, if we really knew what went into some of our favorite dishes, we would reconsider many. Although, we might be onto a new and effective diet plan.

Possible Game Changer?

There is one ingredient that I use that I will have to continue to experiment with, and it may turn out to be something special. In replace of water, I use unsweetened coconut water and it turns out fine. I honestly cannot say for sure if there is an added taste difference from plain water. My use of coconut water is purely for the opportunity to possibly add some nutrients (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium) in this delicious treat. I do want to explore the recipe with sweetened coconut water and then at some point even try it with some of the coconut pulp. I will certainly update this recipe, after I try it.

Easier Than You Think Kutsinta Process

If you live in n area where Asian Markets are in abundance, then you should not have any difficulties with finding the ingredients. Even if you live in an area where there are only a few, there is a good chance that they will have each ingredient.

Like many desserts I make, I typically mix together the wet ingredients with the sugar and then add it to the mixed dry ingredients. With this recipe it probably doesn’t really matter. It is important though that the rice flour and flour is thoroughly mixed in. A bite into dry clumps would not be too good. Also, if you ever work with rice flour or starches, the consistency of what you are making will drastically change if you do not mix them in well.

To ensure that you mix it well, opt for a high speed electric mixer, over hand mixing the ingredients. Just letting it go in a blender is perfect for a couple of reasons. Not only will it mix well but it will be hands free. I like using our NutriBullet, because it takes seconds to mix well and its flip top spout cover comes in handy when pouring into the molds. Allow some time for the bubbling to settle before pouring the mix into the molds.

Steaming

The molds that I use are the 12 cup mini muffin tin pans. I like the minis because they come out as nice bite size pieces. Unfortunately, the pans do not fit in my stack steamer, so I have to steam them one pan at a time in a larger pan. So keep in mind that the size of your steamer is going to dictate what you are going to use. I have made the mistake of buying cool silicone pans, only to find out that they don’t fit in my steamer. For kutsinta, I do recommend tin pans though. They are easier to remove from the steamer with tongs or gloves.

This is something to think about because it does take at least a 40 minute steam time. The more you can do during a steam session the better. At this size (minis), they are typically done within 40-45 minutes.

Many recipes recommend wrapping a towel or some type of cloth around the lid. This prevents dripping from getting into your molds while steaming. I have never done this but it might be something for you to consider if your lid is shaped in a way that emits drips from its center. I also carefully remove the lid, to prevent the heavy drips from rapid or unbalanced movements.

It is also smart to get your steam going while you are making your kutsinta mix. When I am ready to steam, I lower my temperature to get a nice steady steam versus the rapidness of a high heated one. This will also give you a smoother looking top.