Ang buhay ay parang gulong, minsang nasa ibabaw, minsang nasa ilalim.Batu-bato sa langit, tamaan huwag magagalit.
Does that language sounds gibberish ???? It did to me as well initially but guess what it is a famous Filipino saying meaning "Life is like a wheel: Sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down.You will have good times and bad times. Don't overreact to your current situation.
If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread.Instead of looking for revenge, show love and forgiveness. " .
![]() |
Amen! In Divine I trust |
- Filipino households usually greet guests asking "Have you eaten yet ?" instead of directly asking Hi,how are you ? ...(I second that ! The foodie in me is jumping with joy with butterflies in my stomach). Being an Indian ,that struck a chord with me as it reminds me of our Indian saying,"Athithi Devo Bhavo !" (meaning Guests are God and should be treated with immense respect ,love and care)
- In the Philippines, the term "Bumbay" is often used to call people of Indian origin because of Sikh people who migrated from Punjab/Mumbai as Sikh people refer Bhum BHAI as brothers of the Earth.
- There is a commonly used word called "Hindi" meaning No or Do not !!
- Filipino foods are influenced by Chinese,Thailand,Malaysian,Japanese,Spanish,Indian and western culinaries.Hence each region have their own twist to every Filipino recipes.
- Rice is a staple food in Philippines served with every meal of the day including the breakfast.There are almost 300 varieties of rice in the Philippines. The heirloom rice varieties come in black, green, yellow, purple, red, and green colors.The Philippine Rice Research Institute is even developing drought-resistant, pest-resistant, and high-yield rice varieties.
- βThe Eighth Wonder of the Worldβ, the hand-carved rice terraces in Banaue ,a world-renowned symbol of Philipine's heritage are the world's oldest rice terraces long enough to stretch halfway around the globe.
- Philippines is the third-highest nation for coconut production after Indonesia and India.
- The Philippines ranks as the sixth-largest Banana producer in the world, producing around six million tons of Banana every year.Saba Banana is the most grown and widely used Banana in the filipino cuisine.
- Indian soldiers who settled in the Philippines during the British invasion, are said to have introduced kare-kare (traditional oxtail stew).Perhaps, the use of Pepper and Bay leaves became quite popular in Filipino cuisine since then I think.
- Filipinos love Cassava and Cassava recipes.The Malayali in me is so happy to know that !!
- Filipino also prefer to use green mango,tamarind,tomatoes as souring agents in their recipes just like Indians.
- Pork is the most popular go-to source of protein and it appears in almost all sorts of Filipino dishes.No animal part goes to waste.Lechon, a whole roasted pig, is a quite popular and sought-after centerpiece dish in many celebrations and gatherings of Philippines.Poor Pig !! Sigh ! My heart goes out for you dear Pig !!
- Bulalo, a famous meaty beef bone marrow soup, is popular for its powerful flavour. (Nope Cow and Buffalos ,likewise are not welcome to Philippines !!) Seriously!!
- Tinola is another popular Filipino recipe, a light, ginger-infused chicken or seafood broth whereas batchoy is a savoury noodle soup made with pork parts infused in pork blood and chicken/beef stew and egg noodles. Holy Moly !!
- Balut is another unique sought-after Filipino delicacy,considered also an Aphrodisiac.A partly developed duck or chicken embryo,when a duck egg is between two to three weeks old, is hard-boiled in brine which retains some features of its development like the beak, bones, or feathers intact.Vendors insulate the freshly made Balut with a warm rug to serve it warm in the shell itself. HOW CRUEL !!(Wait a minute,I do eat duck meat though ! ...Even so guilty for that , looks less cruelty comparatively!)
- Etag is another famous recipe of Philippines .A salt-cured pork stored in earthen jars for weeks before hanging it out to dry, at which point it will be crawling with maggots and is considered edible and another unique delicacy of Philippines.How SALTY !! OMG!!
- Soup Number Five is another sought-after Filipino recipe with Aphrodisiac properties which contains the testicles and (sometimes) the penis of a bull.ROFL !!
- Other popular Filipino recipes includes Helmet, the name for barbequed chicken heads. Adidas , the name for barbequed chicken feet. Betamax is the name for coagulated chicken blood,nilaga monggo is the name for a Pork infused Mung Beans soup.Wonder full!!
- Dinuguan is a Dugo (is a Filipino word for blood) /blood-infused stew , so rich and flavorful made with a pigβs offals, ears, intestines, and snout that was simmered in its own blood. (What the Puck !!haha...This Filipino recipe I won't try to eat or cook even if someone offers me million dollar.Na-aah !!My dear Pig ,may you stay away from Philippines for good !!..Hardcore animal lover -Yours truly !)..Dear Pig,tumse ka bhool hui jo ye saza tumka mili....
- I read somewhere that the Filipino farmers just to outsmart the pests attacking their crops ,they came out with many recipes to eat them out instead as a revenge from ant eggs, to crickets, grasshoppers,snakes, bats, field mice, frogs, snails to name a few. (What the F-ood...For the first time I hate those farmers and supporters..No offense,that's too much and heartbreaking!!!..They are an important part of our eco-system afterall!)
- Bicol Express is another popular stew,a comfort food of Filipinos , made with pork, especially the fatty parts such as the belly and shoulder, and uses mainly coconut milk,chili peppers and coconut cream to prepare the recipe.(Like that famous dialogue from the movie,Chennai express,"Don't underestimate the power of a common man especially of Philippines " !!) ThangaFili lol
- Filipino's Ice cream carts would usually have two to three unique ice cream flavors which includes purple yam (Ube), cheese, and avocado.Ube Ice Cream is the most wanted ice cream of Filipino with a purple tint made with Ube or Purple Yam as the main ingredient. Anyone screaming for that?? (Is the letter "r" missing? ππππ)
What is Ube Ice cream?
How to make Ube ice cream at home :
Ingredients
How to prepare Ube Ice cream at home :
- In a large bowl,using an electric mixer/hand mixer,beat the heavy whipping cream on a medium-high speed for 3 minutes approx until stiff yet soft peaks forms .Do not mix for longer or it may become butter.
- In another bowl ,stir condensed milk ,vanilla ,pinch of salt (balances the sugar) ,purple color as needed and Ube powder/extract and mix well until well-combined.
- Finally add the above mixture into the whipped cream with soft peaks and mix well until well combined .
- Pour it into a rectangular glass container or a loaf pan (easy to scoop out later) and freeze it for 6 hours approx or more or until firm.
- That's it purple-y colored Ube Ice cream is ready to serve!!!
- Scoop it in a bowl /cup or an ice cream cone and enjoy !!
- Always use COLD condensed milk and heavy whipping cream.
- You can either use any store-bought Ube liquid extract or Ube extract in powder form for the purple yam taste and flavor.
- I also used a purple icing tube thinking that would be enough to get that purple-y tint to my ice cream but it didn't ,however, it did enhance the taste but was not needed.So,I used a combo of red and dark blue food color for a purple-y tint for the ice cream instead.I used a very light purple color as too much food color scares me .So adjust as per your preference !
How to prepare Halo Halo at home :
- I used the store-bought ready-to-eat Halo Halo mix which had red beans,Lima beans,coconut shavings,palm fruit chunks,pearls dunk in sugar syrup.
- Otherwise to make it fresh,just soak beans overnight and the next day pressure cook it until soft in sugary water as per taste until well cooked.Similarly with tapioca pearls ,soak for a few hours and cook it in water until soft.
- Chop any fruits of your choice preferably Mango,Plantain/Banana,Jackfruit ,Cooked Taro/Yam palm fruit chunks , coconut thin strips but I used only the palm fruit and coconut shavings dunked in the pre-made Halo Halo mix.
How to make Adobo chicken fried rice at home
Preparation method to make Adobo chicken fried rice :
- Marinate the chopped chicken pieces with pepper powder,salt and vinegar or I used dry version of Vinegar-salt combo and keep it aside for a few minutes.This will tenderize the chicken pieces and make it flavorful.
- Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces until tender on low flame preferably.
- Keep the cooked chicken pieces aside.
- Heat oil in a pan,add bay leaves,chopped garlic.Saute until the garlic is lightly browned not burnt though.
- Throw in chopped onions,peas and carrots and saute well.
- Add in soy sauce to taste.Saute well.
- Cover with a lid and let everything cook.
- Remove the lid .
- Add in the cooked fried chicken pieces,leftover rice and mix well.Fresh rice can also be added but the leftover rice gives the recipe the perfect crunch,texture and taste.
- Add more soy sauce if needed.More soy sauce enhances the color of rice as well.I am not a fan of soy sauce so I added as per my taste only.
- Mix everything well.
- That's it my easy peasy quick to make Adobo Chicken Fried rice is ready to serve !
- Enjoy it hot !
How to make Bola Bola with chicken at home
Preparation method to make Bola Bola:
- Boil water.Then add the chicken breast into it with pepper powder and salt to taste.Reduce the flame and cover it with a lid until the chicken is tender.Or You can also use the ground chicken directly ,then you don't have to boil them just add the below made ground paste to the ground chicken and make meatballs directly which will take little bit more time to fry as the chicken is raw yet soft.
- Then turn off the cooking gas and keep it aside.
- Break an egg into a mixer jar and add the shredded chicken into it.
- Now add in all the chopped veges like garlic,chilies,carrots,bell peppers,cilantro leaves or parsley leaves ,spring onions as well into the jar.
- Add breadcrumbs and grind everything into a paste (smooth or coarse doesn't matter) but it should be easy to make ball shapes properly and hold the shape .Adjust breadcrumbs to make the paste easy to shape aptly.
- Heat oil for deep frying.
- Once the paste/dough is ready ,make golf-sized balls out it and keep them all aside.
- Put a bit of dough into the oil and try to fry it and if it springs to the top the oil is ready for deep frying aptly.
- Reduce the flame and fry all meatballs batch by batch without over crowding ,flipping to make sure all sides are well-cooked.
- Once they turn golden brown,remove them to another plate.Do not burn them to fry them fast.
- Once all meatballs as needed are fried ,sprinkle a few chopped spring onions on them and enjoy them with soy sauce.
- That's it Bola Bola recipe,Filipino style meatballs are ready to serve !
- Enjoy Bola Bola as it is or with pasta/noodles/rice etc.
Preparation method to make Sisig :
- Coat the chicken breasts with salt and pepper powder and keep them aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken breasts until tender /well-cooked.
- Once done, turn off the cooking gas.Allow the chicken pieces to cool down.
- Then chop all the chicken breasts and keep them aside.
- In the same leftover oil,add in the chopped ginger,garlic,chillies,bell peppers,onions and saute well.
- Add in soy sauce as preferred.Mix.
- Add in Mayo and mix well.
- Add in the fried chicken pieces to it and saute well.
- Squeeze lime juice as needed.
- Saute for a few minutes and top it with chopped onions and spring onions.Mix well.
- Make little space in the center to make an egg bulls eye .So,break an egg and make one.
- Now leave it as it is or you can also mix the egg into the Sisig completely .
- That's it my homemade sisig recipe is ready to serve !
How to make Yema candy at home :
How to prepare Yema candy/Yema Ball recipe at home :
- Break eggs and separate the egg yolks from them and keep them aside.
- Add the condensed milk and the egg yolks into a container and beat well.
- Heat butter in a pan on low flame and let it melt down.
- Then add the condensed milk mixture into it and stir well on low flame until the mixture thickens up.It is quite time taking ,attention seeking and a great hand exercise procedure.
- Keep an eye always as the mixture has got a tendency to get burned.
- Once the mixture thickens up ,add the crushed peanuts and mix well.
- A pinch of salt or two will help in balancing the sweetness .
- Keep on sauteing it until the mixture leaves the edges and starts to accumulate to the center.
- Turn off the cooking gas.
- Allow the mixture to cool off.
- The candy mixture/dough is ready.
- I prefer to keep this candy mixture in the fridge for a few hours /overnight so that the mixture becomes more flavorful and pliable.
- Then make square strips of paper out of parchment paper/wax paper or Cellopane.
- Then as shown in the video ,make a small marble sized balls out of the mixture and place each one of them on a wax strip/cellopane strip and pinch from all side in such a way that the ball turns into a cone shape .
- Repeat with all the candy mixture/candy balls .
- That's it Yema candy,Filipino style candy is ready !
Maruya are a classic Filipino Banana Fritters ,popular street food/snack of Philippines .Traditionally, the batter- coated Saba Bananas (sliced/mashed) are either deeply fried and coated with sugar.Bananas can be cut long or mashed into the batter .The former looks like a Banana Fritter and the latter looks like a Banana pancake.
This recipe reminded me of our Kerala style Pazham Pori/Banana Fritters or American banana pancake.
How to make Maruya ,Banana fritters recipe at home
Maruya Recipe
Ingredients
Ripe Bananas (Saba Preferred) 2-3 Nos.
Sugar 1/2 cup
All-purpose flour 1 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Vanilla essence 1 Tsp
Egg 1 No.
Milk 3/4th cup
Salt a pinch
Oil 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar
Preparation method to make Filipino Maruya at home :
- Break the Bananas and mash it into a smooth/coarse batter with sugar in a mixer jar.
- In a wide ball, mix all purpose flour and baking powder,add in the mashed Banana mixture,vanilla essence and break an egg into it.
- Mix everything well until it forms a well-combined batter.
- Keep it aside for fluffier Maruya.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Mix the batter once again and pour ladle full of batter on the pan.
- On medium-low flame,once the bottom is cooked/golden brown,flip and fry the other side until golden brown.
- Remove the fritter/pancake onto another plate.
- Repeat with all batter as preferred.
- Then sprinkle powdered sugar on top of all Maruya/Banana Fritters/Filipino Banana Pancakes.
- That's it Maruya,Filipino style Banana Pancake/fritters are ready to eat.
- Alternatively,you can make a batter of all purpose flour,baking powder,powdered sugar,vanilla essence, egg and water into a smooth but thick batter.
- Then slice the Bananas into long strips and dip them into the batter and deep fry each of them into Maruya Banana Fritters.Coat with powdered sugar.
Masarap ...Take a bite!!
Pancit is a staple food of Philippines made with thin/fine rice noodles,pork/Chicken and vegetables and soy sauce.The fine rice noodles when done tasted just like our Kerala style Idiappam.
Kerala style Idiappam/String hoppers
How to make Filipino Pancit at home :
Pancit recipe
Ingredients
Chicken strips 1 cup
Pepper powder 1 Tsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1/3 Cup
Chicken Boullion 1-2 Nos.
Water to boil 2-4 Cups
Oil 4 Tbsps
Garlic ,chopped 4-5 Nos.
Onion,chopped handful
Bell peppers,chopped handful
Carrots,chopped handful
Spring onions chopped
Crushed red chilli flakes as preferred
Cabbage sliced as preferred
Soy sauce 1-4 Tbsps
Snow Peas as preferred
Vermicelli Thai fine rice noodles 1 packet
Preparation method to make Pancit
- Marinate the chicken strips with salt and pepper powder and keep them aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry them until tender and keep them all aside.
- Boil water in a pan and add 1-2 Chicken boullion cubes and let it melt down .Reduce the flame.
- Heat oil in a flame,add in the chopped garlic,onions,bell peppers,carrots and saute well.Cover it for a minute until tender but not too much or the veges will be too soggy.
- Add in the crushed red chilli flakes,cabbage , soy sauce and snow peas and saute well.
- Stir in the chicken boullion cube until mixed well in water.
- Add the noodles into it and gently stir and let them sit their for a while until tender.These noodles cook very fast.Do not overcook it.
- Then strain the noodles and keep them aside.
- Add the fried chicken strips into the veges and mix well.
- Add in the cooked noodles and mix well gently .
- Add more soy sauce/oyster sauce as preferred.
- Turn off the cooking gas.
- That's it Pancit is ready to eat !
So,those where my favourite Filipino recipes I was excited to store it in my blog and share it with all foodies like me.Hope you will like it and give it a try as they are not that time-consuming and tasty.
Here are my Filipino food ideas demonstrated in this video/vlog showcasing my favourite homemade Filipino recipes .
Since this is my first post of 2025 .I would like to wish you the best and share with you all a few amazing Filipino quotes I came across as a token of inspiration and reminder to me and others if you wish .
Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.
Meaning ,"As long as there is life, there is hope."This quote encourages people to not give up, even in the face of adversity. There is always an opportunity to make a change, learn from mistakes, or start anew. It promotes resilience, optimism, and a positive outlook on life.
Pulutin ang mabuti, ang masama ay iwaksi.
This quote emphasizes the importance of discernment, being able to distinguish between good and bad. Good influences and behaviors should be emulated and bad influences and behaviors ignored or rejected.
Also remembering those who left us to be by Divine's side ....Everyone has to leave this realm one day....some go sooner..some leave later.Sincerely my heart goes out to them who left us in tragedy or organically....All I can do is pray for peace !
Wish all my readers a very happy and blessed new year !
![]() |
Forget the pain/past,cherish the happy memories, embrace the present like a gift from God and Keep it true ! |
Yours truly,