Cuchinta/ Kutchinta

Most Filipinos are used to eating 5 times a day: 3 meals and two snacks. The usual succession would be breakfast, late morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Back in the Philippines late morning snacks were always convenient and on-time courtesy of our suking maglalako (hawkers). "Puuuto, puto kayo dyan. Puuto, kutchinta! Mainit-init pa!" His call can be heard half a block away and us kids then would be scrambling to ask for money. Making sure we'll be in front of our house so as not to miss his tasty rice cakes. Manong hawker has only two kinds of rice cake inside his tin cans, putong puti and kuchinta. Of the two I like the kuchinta the most. Slightly jiggly like a hard jello but with that characteristic bite that's a bit sticky and chewy. Warm and best eaten with freshly shaved coconut meat. Yummy!
I've been missing this treat for so long now but to my dismay there's no decent one to be found around. The few I've tasted so far are awfully disappointing aside from being way over priced. The last one I had last year had a bottom stiff as a cardboard and had a icky after taste.
So what else can be done but to learn to make one of my own. After much perusing here's a recipe that I was satisfied with.

What's In It:
1 1/2 c. All purpose flour
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. atsuete (annatto) powder
a pinch of salt
3 c. water
2 1/2 tsp. lye water
Toppings:
grated coconut
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

How It's Done:
Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the water and stir until you get a smooth mixture. Add in the lye and mix thoroughly. Set this aside for at least 3 hours. Then fill your molds halfway. Steam away for 15 min. over medium heat. Cool then unmold. Serve with grated coconut and sesame seeds.