Kusina ni Mudrah: Tupig ng Mudrah ni Mudrah

Tupig is the Ilokano equivalent of puto bumbong for Christmas I should say. I remember my childhood days when we would get to eat this special delicacy everytime someone from the province comes over to visit us. There are days too when we would visit Tarlac or Camiling and come home with this delicious snack. The smokey sweet aroma of tupig would fill the air and it would certainly signal a festive atmosphere in any family gathering.

Last Sunday, January 8 we were privileged to have Mudrah's Mudrah cook tupig for Matthew who would be bringing them back to the Netherlands as pasalubong for his mom. Who's Matthew? Hahaba lang ang kwento so hindi ko na sasagutin yun okay?!

Anyway, here is recipe for Tupig as per Mudrah's Mudrah:

1 kilo glutinous rice (Thai glutinous rice is preferred)
250 grams margarine
2-1/2 cup sugar(brown and white mixed)
2 shredded young coconuts
4 cups coconut milk
Banana leaves for wrapping the tupig

Procedure:
1. Before anything else. The fresh banana leaves have to be immersed in hot water to wilt or soften it so it would not break in the process of wrapping or rolling.

2. Cut the wilted banana leaves to the desired size approximately 4-1/2 x 8 inches and arrange them on a plate or tray. The size of your banana leaves can vary depending on the size you want of course.

3. Then, melt the margarine.

4. Mix the glutinous rice, shredded coconut, margarine, and sugar first.

5. Slowly add in the coconut milk so as to avoid the mixture to be runny making it difficult to wrap. The mixture has to be mixed very well. The use of your hands in mixing would definitely be better, just be sure to wash your hands before doing so.

The tupig mixture has to appear like this, sticky and not runny.
It kinda' looks yucky here :)

6. As soon as the mixture is ready, you can start wrapping them in banana leaves. An ample amount of the mixture depending on the size you want can be placed and start rolling the leaves.

7. Cook over coal on a grill covered with aluminum foil. Cooking takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The tupig is cooked when it turns golden brown already. Have extra banana leaves ready in cases when the wrapping becomes burnt.