Memories of Philippine Kitchens

Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan are the owners of the Purple Yam restaurant in Brooklyn. They are the former owners of Cendrillon. They live in Brooklyn.

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UKOY

M A K E S  A B O U T  12  F R I T T E R S

1/2 banana leaf, thawed if frozen

 

 

Batter:

3/4 cup rice flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

 

 

Filling:

1 cup julienned Napa cabbage

1 cup julienned carrots

1 cup julienned snowpeas

1 cup julienned leeks (white parts only)

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts

1 cup chopped peeled and deveined shrimp

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Canola oil, for frying

Rice vinegar with sliced garlic and chopped chiles to taste,

for serving

 

 

1. Using a damp towel, wipe the banana leaf clean on both sides. Cut out 4-inch squares from the banana leaf. Set aside on a baking sheet. Brush one side lightly with oil.

 

 

2. To make the batter, sift the rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, beat the egg with 3/4 cup water, then stir this into the dry ingredients, to form a thick but smooth batter. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

 

 

3. Fill a deep saucepan or wok with 3 inches canola oil and warm over medium heat until the temperature is between 350° F and 365° F.

 

 

4. While the oil is heating, prepare the filling: Combine the cabbage, carrots, snowpeas, leeks, bean sprouts, shrimp, fish sauce, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir the batter and pour just enough into the filling to coat the ingredients. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons over the mixture and toss to firm it up if necessary (it should not be too wet).

 

 

5. Put about 1/3 cup of the filling on the oiled side of each banana-leaf square. Place a square on a spider and lower it into the oil. Fry until the fritter is set (about 1 minute), lift from the oil, and remove the banana leaf. Continue frying for another minute until the fritter is lightly browned. Flip and brown the other side until crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Lift out of the oil with the spider and place on a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat until all the filling is fried. Serve hot with the vinegar dipping sauce.