Cooking Kwek Kwek always reminds me of those rainy days back in Cebu where me and my classmates would run to the closest food stall after school to get this snack. We were always on our tippy toes, wanting to get a glimpse of this snack, as the stall owner deep fry the quail eggs.
Kwek Kwek is made by boiling quail eggs and then coating it with batter that consist of annatto powder before deep frying it.
Another variation that uses due eggs is called Tokneneng. The small size of kwek kwek makes it irresistible. We would usually use toothpick to poke the freshly fried kwek kwek and dip it into spicy vinegar sauce.
Boiling Quail Eggs
As mentioned above, Kwek Kwek specifically uses quail eggs but you can also use chicken or duck eggs and follow the same steps to make Tokneneng. First, boil the eggs. We want the eggs to be fully boiled instead of having a runny yolk like ramen eggs.
Place the eggs in boiling water for about 10 minutes. While the egg is boiling, prepare a bowl of ice cold water. We have a lot of people ask us why does it look so easy when we peel our boiled eggs and this is the secret 😉Once the egg has finished boiling, place them into the cold-water bowl and let it cool for about 5 minutes before you start peeling it. Trust us, it’s worth the extra step!
Kwek Kwek batter
You can start mixing the batter while waiting the eggs to boil or cool down. Making Kwek Kwek batter is really easy and doesn’t use a lot of ingredients. The only ingredient that might need you to get out of your way is the annatto powder. We used anatto powder from Pamana spices but you can find them in your local Asian grocery store.
Annatto powder has a slight nutty and peppery aroma, and a bright orange color which is where the distinct color of Kwek Kwek comes from. If you don’t have this in your kitchen or local grocery store, do not fret. You can simply use orange food coloring!
To make the Kwek Kwek batter, mix flour, cornstarch, annatto powder (or orange food coloring), salt and pepper into a bowl. Slowly add water while mixing. We use approximately 1 cup of water but feel free to adjust. We want the consistency of the batter to be a little thick so it can completely coat and stick on the quail eggs.
Frying Kwek Kwek
After you finish coating all the eggs, it’s time for the fun part of frying them! Heat 3-4 cups of frying oil in medium-high heat. You want to make sure that you have enough oil to fully submerge the egg. Once the oil is warmed up, fry the eggs for about 5 minutes.
Take the Kwek Kwek off the heat once it is fried and place it on top of paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Serve and enjoy your Kwek Kwek
For those of you who have tried this dish before, you know that the best way to enjoy kwek kwek is when it’s still hot, freshly fried, and served with spicy vinegar as the dipping sauce. Our favorite is from Suka Pinakurat but you can find other brands of spicy vinegar in your local Asian grocery store.
Enjoy the Kwek Kwek and let us know what you think in the comment section below!
ingredients:
- 20 Quail eggs
- 1 cups flour
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp annatto powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3-4 cups of frying oil
- Spicy vinegar sauce
steps:
1. First, boil the quail eggs in a saucepan for about 10 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked. While the eggs are boiling, prepare a bowl of cold water.
2. Once the quail eggs are fully boiled, transfer them into the cold water and let them rest for 5 minutes. After the eggs are cooled, start to peel the skin gently.
3. Next, prepare the batter by mixing flour, cornstarch, water, annatto powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add the quail eggs into the batter and make sure that the eggs are fully coated with the batter.
5. Heat the frying oil at medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, add the coated quail eggs into the oil and fry for 4-5 minutes each.
6. Take the eggs off the heat once it’s fully fried. Finally, serve with spicy vinegar sauce and enjoy!
Kwek Kwek
Ingredients
- 20 quail eggs
- 1 cups Flour
- 2.5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp Anatto Powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3-4 cups frying oil
- Spicy Vinegar sauce as a dip
Instructions
- First, boil the quail eggs in a saucepan for about 10 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked. While the eggs are boiling, prepare a bowl of cold water.
- Once the quail eggs are fully boiled, transfer them into the cold water and let them rest for 5 minutes. After the eggs are cooled, start to peel the skin gently.
- Next, prepare the batter by mixing flour, cornstarch, water, annatto powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the quail eggs into the batter and make sure that the eggs are fully coated with the batter.
- Heat the frying oil at medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, add the coated quail eggs into the oil and fry for 4-5 minutes each.
- Take the eggs off the heat once it’s fully fried. Finally, serve with spicy vinegar sauce and enjoy!
