Okoy

Okoyorukoy, areFilipinocrispy deep-friedfrittersmade withglutinous ricebatter, unshelled smallshrimp, and various vegetables, includingcalabaza,sweet potato,cassava,mung bean sprouts,scallionsandjuliennedcarrots,onions, and greenpapaya. They are traditionally served withvinegar-baseddipping sauces. They are eaten on their own or withwhite rice. They are popular for breakfast, snacks, orappetizers.Okoyare sometimes dyed bright orange withachueteseeds.
Okoyhas numerous variations using a variety of other ingredients, including replacing the shrimp with small fish orcalamari.Okoybatter can also be made with regularflour,rice flour, or aneggandcornstarchmixture. It can also refer toomelettesmade with mashed calabaza or sweet potato, with or without the shrimp.
According to FilipinolinguistGloria Chan-Yap, the nameokoycomes fromHokkienō+kuè, meaning "cake made fromtaro". However, they are very different dishes. The Hokkien dish is made from deep-fried taro and minced pork, while the Philippine dish utilizes none of those ingredients. The only similarity between them is that they are both deep-fried and pancake-shaped.
The most basic traditionalokoyrecipe uses a small amount ofgalapong(ground soakedglutinous rice) as thebatter, spiced to taste withonion,garlic, salt, andscallions. It is mixed with mashedkalabasa(calabaza) and unshelled smallshrimp. They are deep-fried as small flat patties until golden brown. Excess oil is drained on paper towels and the dish is served warm and crispy.Okoybatter can also be mixed withkamote(sweet potato) orkamoteng kahoy(cassava), instead of, or in addition tocalabaza. Other ingredients are also traditionally added, includingmung bean sprouts(togue) and/orjuliennedcarrots,onions, and greenpapaya.The dish is sometimes dyed bright orange withachueteseeds.
Okoycan be eaten on its own or withwhite rice. It is usually eaten as a snack, asappetizers, or as a breakfast meal. Traditionally, it is served with avinegar-based dipping sauce; likesinamak(vinegar withlabuyochilis, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, and onion) orpinakurat(vinegar withfish sauce,labuyochilis, peppercorns, ginger, garlic, and driedmangoes).It can also be dipped inbanana ketchup,tomato ketchup,sweet and soursauces, or even garlicmayonnaise.
Modern versions typically use regularflourorrice flour, instead ofgalapong.Eggmixed withcornstarchcan also be used.Okoyis also used to refer to savoryomelettesmade with mashed calabaza or sweet potato (more properlytortang kalabasaortortang kamote, respectively), with or without the shrimp.
The shrimp may also be omitted completely, especially when using mashed calabaza or sweet potato. The shrimp can be replaced with small fish likedilis(anchovies) ordulong(noodlefish), as well ascalamarior even shreddedchicken.Larger shrimp, shelled and butterflied can also be used, and can be cookedtempura-style.
The dish can be modified easily to use other non-traditional ingredients,includingpotatoes,bell peppers,peppercorns,tokwa(tofu), gratedcoconut, andapulid(water chestnuts).A unique variant of the dish usesbanana flowers(puso ng saging, lit. "banana heart") cooked in batter.
A similar dish istortang dulongormaranaywhich is anomelettemade from very small fish from the familySalangidaeknown asdulonginTagalogandipon,libgao, ormaranayinVisayan.
A 16 footdiameter'Giant Okoy Bilao' creation used 200 kilograms of shreddedcalabazaand served 2,400 visitors.