Tupig Recipe (Grilled Sticky Rice Cake)

Tupig is a Filipino rice cake wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. It is soft and slightly chewy, with lightly charred spots.

This popular kakanin in Northern Luzon and is often sold warm, straight off the grill. It's also easier to make than it looks.

Just mix, wrap, and grill until lightly charred. No special equipment needed - just a pan or grill and banana leaves.

Ingredients You'll Need

Notes and Substitutions

• Glutinous rice flour: Also called sweet rice flour. This gives tupig its chewy texture, so regular rice flour is not a good substitute.
• Coconut: I used frozen grated coconut. You can also use buko (young coconut).
• Sugar: I used light muscovado sugar, but you can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar. I wouldn't use white sugar here, since darker sugar gives tupig more flavor.

How to Make Tupig (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Prep the banana leaves

Wipe the banana leaves clean, then cut into 4 x 8-inch rectangles. Pass them quickly over a flame until soft and flexible.

You can adjust the size depending on your pan or grill. Just leave enough space around the edges so the mixture doesn't spill.

Step 2: Make the mixture

In a bowl, combine:

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• ⅔ cup muscovado sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk (plus more as needed)
• ½ cup grated coconut
• a pinch of salt

Mix until smooth.

You can add more coconut milk until the mixture is thick but easy to scoop. I added about ½ cup more.

Step 3: Fill and wrap

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the lower center of each banana leaf.

Shape it into a short log, but leave a little space on both sides so it doesn't ooze out as it cooks.

Fold the leaf over to cover the filling.

Step 4: Cook the tupig

Place the wrapped tupig seam-side down on a grill or dry pan over medium heat.

Cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side, until the filling firms up.

The banana leaves will look lightly toasted with some charred spots and smell slightly smoky.

It's done when it feels firm and peels easily from the banana leaf.

Step 5: Serve

Let the tupig cool for a few minutes, then enjoy it warm while it's soft and chewy.

Cooking Tips

• Don't overfill. Too much and it will ooze out while cooking.
• Keep it thin. Shape into a short log and don't make it too thick, so it cooks through evenly.
• Start seam-side down. This helps keep it closed while it cooks.
• Use medium heat. Too hot and the leaves burn before the inside cooks.
• Adjust as needed. If the mixture feels too thick, add a little coconut milk. If too loose, add more glutinous rice flour.

How to Store and Reheat

Because it has grated coconut, tupig is best eaten the same day and should not be left out too long.

• In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• To freeze: Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month.
• To reheat: Reheat in a pan over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

Recipe FAQs

More Kakanin to Try

• Suman: Sticky rice cakes wrapped in leaves.
• Kutsinta: Chewy steamed rice cakes with a sticky texture.
• Puto: Soft, lightly sweet steamed rice cakes.
• Palitaw: Chewy rice cakes coated with coconut and sugar.
• Pichi-pichi: Soft, chewy cassava cakes coated in coconut.
• Nilupak: Mashed cassava with butter and coconut.