PICHI PICHI RECIPE

Pichi pichi is a Filipino dessert made basically from just 3 ingredients: cassava,
water, and sugar. It is steamed and becomes glutinous. Once it is cooked and
cooled it is rolled in grated coconut or grated cheese. The Pichi Pichi I
remembered that I enjoyed so much when I was still working in Manila where
we ordered and delivered from a small restaurant not so far from our office
whenever one of my office mates has his or her birthday. They were
glutinous yet firm and clear even when they are flavored or sometimes
colored and were really good!

I was missing those Pichi Pichi, so once I got hold of these frozen cassavas
(manioc/tapioca) I knew exactly what to do with them. The only question
was…how? Before making them myself, I would never believe that making
Pichi Pichi is super easy. I think the hardest part was grating the cassava. I
tried it manually with a grater at first for my first batch, but the cassava got a
bit too soft when I thawed them so I have to use my food processor (to avoid
scraping my fingers). The second batch I did, I put the still-a-bit-frozen cassava
directly to the food processor to grate and they were perfect. So my advice is,
if you are doing it manually, grate the cassava while it is still a bit frozen and
hard.

If you are living in Germany or any part of the world where coconut is scarce,
then I will let you in on a secret, the grated coconut you see below is not
freshly grated coconut (that can be easily bought in the Philippines). It is not
even the frozen one that is sold in Asian food stores (which I would not
recommend because, from a personal experience, they tasted like old
coconut where the milk was already wrung out). Since it is easier to find the
desiccated coconut flakes (usually in the baking section) in our local grocery,
and I think in most groceries, I had some experiment and tried adding water
to see what happens. Sure enough, the dried coconut flakes absorbed the
water and became soft and it was almost like having freshly grated coconut
and so much better than the frozen one. Just add 70-80 ml of water to 1 cup
of coconut flakes then just mix them well together for 1-2 minutes and you will see the difference.

You can find some recipes that include lye water in their ingredients. But
since I do not have any, I made my first batch without lye water and they
turned out OK, a bit too soft maybe but still totally yummy. For my second
batch, I used a substitute for lye water and they were firmer. The substitute
for lye water I used, was 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 1 cup of
water then boiling the mixture for 5 minutes, that’s it! Lastly, you will need
molds to steam them in. Filipinos would know about ‘puto’ molds, but I do not have those as well,
instead, I used my silicon cup molds that I sometimes use for baking cupcakes.
Pichi Pichi Recipe

Prep Time

 15 mins
 Cook Time
 45 mins
 Total Time
 1 hr

Get this easy recipe for Pichi Pichi. A Filipino dessert made from cassava, sugar, and water. Steamed and
coated in grated coconut.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Servings: 20

Calories: 85 kcal

Author: Bebs

Ingredients

2 cups grated cassava - no need to squeeze out liquids

1 cup sugar

1 3/4 cups water

2 teaspoons baking soda solution

1 cup coconut - grated

Instructions

In a deep bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

Fill individual cup molds about three-quarter full or a bit more but leave some space because it can rise a
bit while steaming.
Arrange the filled molds in a steamer and steam for about 40-60 minutes or until they become
translucent.

Let them cool down completely so it is easier to remove from the molds, or place them in the fridge to
shorten the cooling time.

Roll each Pichi Pichi in grated coconut or grated cheese.

Recipe Notes

You may also add some flavoring by adding drops of buko-pandan or ube extract. If you opt to have it all
natural, boil some pandan leaves in water and substitute that with the water in the recipe,

Nutrition Facts

Pichi Pichi Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 85 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1g 2%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 114mg 5%

Potassium 70mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 18g 6%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 10g

Protein 0g 0%

Vitamin A 0.1%

Vitamin C 5.3%

Calcium 0.5%

Iron 0.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.