AI-generated image
Tupig (grilled sticky rice rolls)
Pangasinan's banana-leaf rolls of sticky rice, coconut and brown sugar, charred over coals for Undas
In Pangasinan and the Ilocos provinces, smoky tupig is the snack of Undas, the first days of November when families clean and decorate graves, keep vigil through the night and share food in the cemetery to remember their dead. Sticky rice, coconut milk, shreds of young coconut and dark brown sugar are rolled in banana leaf and grilled until the leaf blackens and the inside turns chewy, caramel-dark and fragrant with smoke. They travel well in a basket, so they are handed round to relatives and visitors, still warm, with coffee or hot ginger tea. Chef's tip: no charcoal? A heavy griddle pan over a medium heat gives a good char on the leaves; just turn the rolls more often.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the rice mixture
- 14 oz glutinous rice flour
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk1 tin, shaken
- 6 ½ oz dark brown sugaror muscovado
- 5 ½ oz young coconut fleshcut in thin strips; or 80 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
- ¼ tsp salt
To wrap and grill
- 12 pieces banana leavesabout 25 x 20 cm, wiped clean; frozen ones thawed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oilfor brushing
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down until covered in grey ash, about 25 minutes, or heat a heavy griddle pan over a medium heat when you are ready to cook.
5 minStep 2: Pass each of the 12 pieces banana leaves quickly over a gas flame or dip in very hot water until it turns glossy and supple, so it folds without splitting. Brush the shiny side lightly with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
8 minStep 3: In a bowl, whisk the 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 6 ½ oz dark brown sugar and ¼ tsp salt until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the 14 oz glutinous rice flour and 5 ½ oz young coconut flesh to a thick, sticky paste that holds its shape on a spoon.
5 minStep 4: Spoon about 3 heaped tablespoons along one long edge of a leaf, roll it up into a log about 2 cm thick and fold or twist the ends closed. Repeat to make 12 rolls.
12 minStep 5: Grill the rolls over medium coals (or on the griddle pan) for 20–25 minutes, turning every 4–5 minutes, until the leaves are charred in patches and the rolls feel firm and springy when pressed. Common mistake: grilling over fierce flames; the leaf burns through and the outside caramelises before the middle has cooked.
22 minStep 6: Open one to check: the inside should be glossy, deep brown and evenly chewy with no pale, pasty centre. Give the rest a few minutes more if needed.
3 minStep 7: Rest the rolls 5 minutes, then serve warm in their leaves. Wrapped and kept in the fridge, they keep for 2 days; rewarm on the griddle until soft again.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tupig (grilled sticky rice rolls) take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan