LEEWARD Community College Professor Zeny Estrada asked for a recipe for puto (pronounced like Pluto), a Filipino confection that tastes like a sweet manapua bun without filling. Puto a sweet treat
for the new yearA traditional recipe follows from the Julia Child of the Philippines, the late Enriqueta David-Perez, former food editor of the Philippine Herald. And, Estrada shared her own updated recipes for Bisquick Puto and Mayonnaise Bisquick Puto.
Star-Bulletin cartoonist Corky Trinidad says there are three types of puto - putong puti (white, as below), putong bum bong (brownish) and puto maya (malagkip, or sticky, like mochi).
Estrada grew up in Santa Cruz, Laguna province, and recalls, "Very early in the mornings, the puto vendor walks with a heavy, woven-bamboo basket on the head. Inside the basket is a layer of banana leaves with hot puto on the top."
She adds that it's a holiday tradition to eat puto with sotanghon (chicken long rice) after Christmas midnight Mass and at midnight on New Year's Eve.
Merlina Agdinaoay of Merlina's Kitchen in Wahiawa makes puto commercially. A package of 10 small puto is about $1.50 at Ambassador Market, Shirokiya Pearlridge, Tamashiro Market, and Tropic Fish & Vegetable Center.
Here are recipes with best wishes for a Manigong Bagong Taon - a prosperous New Year.
Puto
(Filipino Steamed Rice Flour Cake)2 cups regular white riceSoak rice in water several hours. Use a hand grinder to grind mixture into consistency of a thick batter. Add sugar, baking powder and salt; mix thoroughly. Pour batter into ungreased small, round, custard cup-like molds until 2/3 full. Arrange molds in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick tests dry. Makes 16 to 20 pieces, depending on size of molds. Serve with a bowl of grated fresh coconut for garnishing.
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon saltNote: If desired, soak rice overnight and use a food processor to machine process the soaked rice mixture into a paste that's thicker than poi, according to Zeny Estrada. To steam, she fills muffin cups about 1/2 full.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving, based on 20 servings: 130 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 130 milligrams sodium. Garnishing with 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh coconut adds the following values to each serving: 5 calories, 0.5 gram total fat, 0.5 gram saturated fat. *
Bisquick Puto
(From Hawaiian Electric Co.)1 cup milkGrease muffin cups. Beat milk and eggs. Combine dry ingredients, except anise seeds. Combine wet and dry mixtures, then beat 3 minutes or until smooth. Fill muffin cups 1/2 full and, if desired, sprinkle each with 8 to 10 anise seeds. Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes or until done. Makes about 16 pieces. Garnish with grated coconut.
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 cup granulated white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Anise seeds, optional
Mayonnaise Bisquick Puto
(Courtesy of Zeny Estrada)2 eggsGrease muffin cups very lightly.
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 cups buttermilk baking mix, such as Bisquick
1-1/2 cups milkBeat eggs and sugar. Add mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Add Bisquick, then mix until smooth, adding milk gradually. Fill muffin cups 1/2 full. Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes or until done. Makes 24 pieces. Garnish with grated coconut.
