Guys, I love you, I appreciate you, but I have to keep this short and sweet. As much as I want to be my ol’ chatty self, I have a pretty bad headache going on and I can already feel it turning into a miserable migraine that will torture me for days. All I want right now is get under my bed covers and find some relief with a few hours of zzzzzz’s. Fortunately, I can be in and out quick as the recipe I have for you tonight is pichi-pichi and simple cannot get any simpler than making this classic Filipino snack. If you use grated cassava (available in the freezer section of most Seafood City supermarkets) like I did, prep time is less than 10 minutes. Heck, it took me lot longer trying to capture a semi-decent photo of the cooked pichi-pichi than getting the pichi-pichi molds ready for the steamer. Alright, folks, over and out. Same place, same time tomorrow?
- 1 (16 ounces or 2 cups) package frozen grated cassava, thawed
- 2 cups coconut juice
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon lye water
- 1 cup grated mature coconut
- In a bowl, combine cassava, coconut juice and sugar. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Add lye water and mix well.
- Pour mixture into individual molds and arrange molds in a a steamer. Steam for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until translucent.
- Remove from steamer and allow to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pichi-pichi from molds and roll in coconut to fully coat.
Hello, can i use tapioca powder instead of grated cassava?
Hello Evelyn
I haven’t tried the tapioca powder or starch for this. I am not sure how it would work. It’s more processed than grated cassava and so the result might be very different from traditional pichi pichi.
Where do yo buy the lye water?
I got it from a Filipino supermarket, Seafood City (Southern California), but I believe you can order it from Amazon also.
Pwede rin po ba gamitin ang soda water in place of lye water? Wala po kasing lye water dito sa amin. Tnx
Hello Mary,
I don’t know if soda water will work the same way as lye water, I’ve never tried it so I am not sure how it’d turn out. I read somewhere that reduced baking soda is a good substitute for lye water.
Thank you for your post. Will try your recipe but how do you keep it from sticking to the mold if I use a muffin/cupcake pan? Hope to hear from you soon was planning on making this friday sana.ty
Hello Christina,
You can use muffin pan. Just spray lightly with cooking spray so they come off easily.
I made this for the very first time and it was outstanding! It’s was very delicious!😋😋your recipe is very accurate . Not like others recipe .they post their recipe but there’s 1 or 2 ingredients missing .but your recipe is very accurate 👍💖thank you ,for sharing your recipe with us .you rock !😘😍
Thank yo, Jenny. I am glad you had great success with the recipe 🙂
Why is my pichi pichi not chewy? I followed the recipe 😭😭😭 Please help..
Hello Conch
I am sorry if the pichi pichi didn’t turn out as you like. I am not sure what caused the problem and I don’t know the extent of chewiness you’re looking for. 🙁
can i use cassava starch instead of grated cassava?
HellO Jenny,
I’ve never tried this with cassava starch so I can’t vouch for the outcome. The texture, for sure, would be different with the starch vs. the grated cassava.
Tnx for the easy recipe. Where can I buy the pichi pichi mold ? Can I add fool boloring Love your site. Easy to follow recipes. More power to you.
Hello Ann,
I use puto molds that I bought from Amazon. If you don’t have any, you can use small ramekins. Yes, you can add food coloring. Pandan extract will be a great addition for color and flavor 🙂
Can I use water instead of coconut juice ? Thank you .
Hello Jen,
Yes, you can. I just like to use coconut juice for more depth of flavor but water should be fine.
Hello there ,can I use muffin tin for the mold ( mini one) thanks ..
That should work ok, I use that, too, when I can’t find my puto molds 🙂
Hi! Where do you get your grated mature coconut?
I buy grated coconut at Seafood City, you’ll find the packages in the freezer aisle.
You can buy grated coconut in any supermarket. It’s dry though but you can add a teaspoon or two of water in every cup. Just mix it properly.:) Besides, grated cheese is also a great topping alternative and definitely can have both…coconut and cheese. 🙂
Thanks for the tip, Jessica. I can’t wait to try cheese on my next batch of pichi pichi!
Hi, was wondering if I can cook this is bath water in oven? I don’t have the mod so planning to use my muffin pan. How long would you suggest? Thanks
Hi! Where can i buy lye water here in the US?
Hi Mae
Do you have a Seafood City supermarket around you? They are all over Southern California and have a very extensive stock of Filipino ingredients. You can also try Amazon, if you don’t have access to a Filipino grocery store.
Try going to any Asian store,they might have it there 🙂
Hello Lalaine,
What happens when I skip the lye? I’ve read a lot of negatives about this lye.
Thanks
Hi Malou
The lye water gives the pichi pichi it’s chewy texture.
Isa sa mga pinakapaborito kong kakanin ang pichi-pichi. Amber’s ang sikat dito sa Manila ngayon. Sa halip na kinayod na niyog, cheese naman ang topping. Yum! 🙂
With cheese? Wow, I am intrigued. Masubukan nga. Thanks, Edel, for the delicious idea. 🙂
Hi Ms. Lalaine,
Get well soon po….Also I will try this awesome pichi pichi….
Thank you, Mary Grace. I feel much better 🙂
Gonna give this a try! When you say coconut juice, is this the juice from macapuno?
Hi Jhanis
NO, not from macapuno but regular coconut (buko) juice. I hope you give this a try, easy and delicious! 🙂