This is Kwek Kwek. Kwek-Kwek is a famous Filipino street food made by deep-frying hard-boiled quail eggs that are covered with orange batter. This is usually served with a spiced vinegar-based dip and chopped cucumber on the side. Another street food similar to this is called Tokneneng which uses chicken or duck eggs instead. Enjoy this recipe from all of us at Filipino Chow.
Kwek Kwek
Ingredients
- 12 to 18 pieces of boiled quail eggs
- 1 cup of flour
- 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of anatto powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups of cooking oil
Instructions
- Hard boil the quail eggs until they are done.
- Then put them in a mixing bowl filled with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Drain then set the eggs aside.
- Place the cornstarch in a container then coat the eggs with the cornstarch and set that aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, and pepper then mix them thoroughly.
- Dilute the anatto powder in warm water then pour the mixture in the mixing bowl with the other ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- Place all the quail eggs in a mixing bowl and completely coat them with the batter.
- Make sure that each egg is thoroughly coated with batter before frying them.
- Place a sauce pan over medium-high heat then pour in the cooking oil. Adjust the heat throughout the cooking process as necessary.
- When the oil is hot you can scoop the quail eggs from the mixing bowl using a spoon and begin to deep fry the quail eggs one or two at a time.
- After a few minutes remove the fried quail eggs from the pan and place them on a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Serve the Kwek Kwek with vinegar or fish sauce while they are still hot and crispy.
Be sure to prepare your chopped cucumber in advance. Use caution if you are frying over an open flame.