Deep-fried Filipino Foods I Love the Most
Food from the Philippines is what I would always crave if I had the chance to travel out of the country for some time. And in a wide selection of Pinoy food, I would never go wrong with deep-fried foods to fill me up, whether that’s a snack, appetizer, or a viand. With that all said, it’s crunch time!
Deep-fried Filipino Foods I Love the Most
Deep-Fried Crispy Pata
This dish is seasonal. I only get to taste it during special celebrations and occasions. Aside from the fact that it takes long hours of cooking, the whole pork leg also costs a bit. However, when you’re finally slicing that crispy leg, all the waiting time is worth it.
Crispy Pata is cooked first in the water with different aromatics and spices until it’s tender. We let it rest and deep-fried afterward. It is essential that your pork leg is dry and that your deep oil is hot. That is the key to getting the perfect crunch and color to it.
Lumpiang Shanghai
Next up is the crowd favorite, lumpiang shanghai. Now I get to eat this more often than crispy pata. Though the process of preparing its ingredients has many procedures, we still happen to cook it once or twice a month. Also, we don’t cook it in one go. We freeze the uncooked shanghai and fry it when we’re only about to eat it. Our shanghai mixture has ground pork or beef, vegetables such as carrots and parsley, garlic, onion, pepper, and eggs. We also add a bit of flour to bind the ingredients properly. After wrapping in a lumpia wrapper, it is then deep-fried in hot oil. Best paired with sweet and sour sauce!
Lechon Kawali
Quite similar to the process of cooking crispy pata is lechon kawali. Boiled in water with salt, pepper, and sometimes crushed garlic and laurel. Once tender, we slice the pork belly and deep-fried in hot oil.
The insides of lechon kawali are juicy and tender, but its skin is crispy. This crunchy goodie goes so well with liver sauce or spicy vinegar. Don’t forget that warm bowl of rice, y’all!
Kangkong Chips
Moving over to snacks, we have kangkong chips. This food is the ‘healthier’ version of chicharon, I guess? Water spinach leaves are dipped in a seasoned batter and tossed into the hot oil. This dish is perfect for movie dates and afternoon meryenda. If your family member isn’t into veggies, have them try this one. Best with garlic mayo dip and a glass of refreshing soda!
Kwek-Kwek
My all-time favorite street food snack is a deep-fried Kwek Kwek. These orange balls of happiness are usually just along the streets of your houses, barangays, or schools. When I was in high school, on my way home, I always bought two sticks of Kwek Kwek and ate them while waiting for a jeep.
After a long day at school, it feels so rewarding to bite into that crispy orange batter and soft quail egg. The combined vinegar and sweet sauce make every bite so perfect!
These are probably my go-to comfort foods. It doesn’t just bring back a lot of memories, but it also fills up my stomach at the same time. How about you? Do we have the same favorites?
