Richelle Antipolo's Filipino Street Food

Unlike Korean and Japanese foods, Filipino food is accessible in terms of home-cooked meals due to the lack of specialized ingredients. For this recipe, the only ingredients found at speciality Asian grocery stores are Fishballs, spring roll wrappers, and banana ketchup. This article contains three Filipino street food recipes along with a Fishball dipping sauce that can be used for other Filipino dishes of your choosing. 

Richelle Antipolo's Filipino Street Food

Fishball

Ingredients:

• packaged Fishball with the flavor of your choosing
• neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, peanut)

Instructions:

1. Purchase the desired flavor and amount, let thaw.
2. Cut into thirds, or keep them whole (may need to thaw for an additional several hours to prevent to center from staying cold).
3. Fry in oil until golden brown.
4. Once golden brown, remove them from oil and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any extra oil.
5. Skewer the desired amount.

Fishball Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1 cup of water
• 1-2 chopped red chili pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients into a saucepan until the flour and sugar have fully dissolved.
2. Over low-medium heat, let the sauce simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Occasionally stir to thicken.
4. Serve with Fishballs.

Pork BBQ Skewers

Ingredients: 

• 3 lbs. pork butt or pork shoulder, cut into bitesized pieces
• 1.5 cups Sprite
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup oyster sauce
• 1 cup banana ketchup
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 2 tbsp ground black pepper
• 5-7 chopped red chili peppers

Instructions:

1. Place cut pieces of pork into a bowl.
2. In another bowl mix all the marinade ingredients.
3. Pour the marinade into the bowl of pork and massage until piece of meats are coated.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least six hours (best overnight).
5. Soak the skewer in water for at least 30 minutes to minimize the chances of the skewers burning on the grill.
6. Skewer the meat, then grill.
7. After skewer has been removed from the grill, brush on the glaze.

Turon

Ingredients:

Precise measurements depend on the type of spring roll paper that is being used, since it comes in a large size and a small size, and in varying counts per package. Therefore, purchase plantains and jackfruit accordingly.

• spring roll paper
• plantains (blackened skin indicates ripeness)
• cans of jackfruit in syrup
• brown sugar
• neutral-flavored oil

Instructions:

1. Drain the jackfruit and cut into strips.
2. Cut the plantains into strips that are an appropriate length for the spring roll paper you chose.
3. Roll the plantain strip into brown sugar, then place the plantain and jackfruit strips onto the spring roll wrapper and fold the wrapper based on the diagram on the package.
4. Once all plantains are wrapped, deep fry until golden brown.