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Deep-Fried Quail Eggs (Kwek-Kwek) with Sweet and Spicy Sauce Plus Cucumbers
A Brief Background: Description, History and Nutrition Facts
In our country, street foods are a part of everyone’s life. It's who we are. They are a reflection of our way of life. And so, if you go here for vacation or holiday, it's a must that you try any or perhaps, all of these foods aside from visiting our natural wonders and attractions (e.g. Boracay Island, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, El Nido, Hundred Islands National Park, Tubbataha Reef, Mayon and Taal Volcano, Mount Apo, Banaue Rice Terraces, Chocolate Hills, Maria Cristina Falls, et cetera).
Our street foods and snacks are actually perfect for travelers who are not a fan of exotic ingredients like those in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other Asian neighboring countries. This is because the ingredients come from livestock and marine produce primarily. And, these foods only cost around .22 to 0.45 USD (10 - 20 PHP). But we do have bizarre foods too if that's what you are looking for. Delicious, affordable, healthy and satiating! Absolutely worth it!
For this particular street food recipe, our celebrity ingredient is quail egg. We fry a few pieces of local quail eggs and then, serve these with either sweet and spicy or sweet and sour sauce for dipping with fresh and crunchy chopped cucumbers on the side and a glass of cold orange drink.
In the streets of the Philippines, this food is called “kwek-kwek”, which sounds like “quick-quick” in English. The etymology is unclear, but I think the name kwek-kwek is based on the fact that it's a certified fast food. It is very easy and fast to cook.
Vitamins
| Minerals
|
---|---|
Vitamin A 48.9 IU
| Calcium 5.8 mg
|
Retinol 13.9 mcg
| Iron 0.3 mg
|
Vitamin B6 0mg
| Magnesium 1.2 mg
|
Vitamin D 0.1μg
| Phosphorus 20.3 mg
|
Vitamin D3 0.1μg
| Zinc 0. 1 mg
|
Vitamin E 0.1mg
| Copper 0 mg
|
Vitamin K 0μg
| Manganese 0 mg
|
Beta Carotene 1.0 mcg
| Selenium 2.9 mcg
|
Beta Cryptoxanthin 0.9 mcg
| Potassium 11.9 mg
|
Lutein+Zeaxanthin 33.2 mcg
| Sodium 12.7 mg
|
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 0.1 mg
| Retinol Activity Equivalent 14.0 mcg
|
Riboflavin 0.1 mg
| Thiamine 0 mg
|
Folate 5.9 mcg
| Riboflavin 0.1 mg
|
Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
| Niacin 0 mg
|
Pantothenic Acid 0.2 mg
| Folate 5.9 μg
|
Choline 23.7 mg
| Choline 23.7 mg
|
Do you know that 1 quail egg is 3 to 4 times healthier than 1 chicken or duck egg?
Quail eggs have been considered "super food" by nutrition experts. Despite their small size (0.92 inches wide and 1.11 inches long), these eggs are packed with vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual development both for young and old. And, these are highly recommended for pregnant women and breastfeeding moms too as they can improve the quality of their breast milk.
Nutritionists suggest that we make quail eggs part of our everyday healthy diet. Here's the suggested number to consume in a certain period:
18 - Up Yrs = 120 to 240 in 40 days
16 - 18 Yrs = 120 in 25 days
11 - 15 Yrs = 120 in 31 days
8 - 10 Years = 90 in 30 days
4 - 7 Years = 60 in 20 days
1 - 3 Years = 60 in 30 days
3 Months - 1 Yr = 30 in 30 days
What are the vitamins and minerals found in quail eggs aside from proteins?
Please check out the table on the right. This is based on the nutritional content of 1 quail egg (9 grams) as reflected on the data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
The Ingredients
- 2 dozen (24 pieces) quail eggs, local and fresh
- 1 and ½ cup organic flour, all-purpose
- ¾ cup water, tap or mineral
- ½ teaspoon salt, iodized
- 2 cups oil, preferably olive oil
- 1 teaspoon organic food color, red or orange
How to Cook the Quail Eggs
- Soft-boil the eggs in salted water ( a pinch of salt is enough). When done, peel each and put in a bowl. Set aside.
- Make the batter by combining 1 cup of flour, ¾ cup water, and 1 teaspoon organic food color or ½ tablespoon annatto powder. Whisk well and set aside.
- Get another bowl and spread the ½ cup flour evenly on its surface. Put the eggs and dust them with the flour. See to it that they are covered with flour completely. You can also try dredging the eggs.
- Put the dusted eggs to the batter mixture. Make sure they are coated well to achieve perfect orange or red colored kwek-kweks.
- Heat the oil over medium heat and then, drop the eggs one by one, avoiding close contact. When cooked, put them on the paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Serve while hot, paired with your favorite sauce (sweet and spicy or sweet and sour) along with chopped crunchy cucumbers and a glass of cold orange juice.
Tips:
- If you have ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and 3 tablespoon cornstarch, add them to your batter mixture.
- If you don’t have any food color, you can use ½ tablespoon of annatto powder, but you have to dilute this in warm water before using.
- If you don't have organic food color or annatto powder, it is not a big deal. You can just do away with this ingredient. Anyway, it's added just to make the fried eggs look bright and enticing during plating.
- Don't forget to chill the soft-boiled eggs before peeling and be very careful so as to avoid deformation.
The Ingredients
- ¼ cup of organic and all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup of sugar (white or brown)
- 2 cups of water
- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
- 3 pieces of chili pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of salt (iodized)
- 1/4 teaspoon of organic food color, orange or red
How to Make the Sweet and Spicy Sauce
The sauce adds flavor to the fried quail eggs so it is very important that you have it ready beforehand.
Prepare the sauce before cooking the eggs.
1. Pour 2 cups of water to the cooking pot. Add in ¼ cup of flour. Mix thoroughly until all lumps are gone.
2. Put all the ingredients left and mix well.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil under medium heat. Stir diligently until you get the sauce thickness you prefer.
Tips:
- Let it cool for a while before serving.
- If you like to pair the eggs with purely sweet sauce, just don’t add the chili pepper in the mixture. On the contrary, if you like it hot and spicy, then remove the sugar on the list and feel free to add more chili pepper.
- If you like sweet and sour sauce, just replace chili pepper with 1/3 cup of vinegar (rice wine or white).
The Ingredients
- 3 - 4 freshly harvested cucumber, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup sweet rice wine vinegar or lite soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt (iodized)
How to Make the Cucumber Side Dish
1. Put the chopped cucumbers into a mixing bowl.
2. Pour the sweet rice wine vinegar or lite soy sauce. Sprinkle with salt. Mix well.
3. Get some and place them beside the fried quail eggs.
Cooking this street food, you'll get the following:
Health Benefits for Young and Old
| Treatment of Diseases or Disorders
|
---|---|
Improves IQ
| Hypertension
|
Stimulates Physical Growth
| Blood Pressure
|
Balances Metabolism
| Gastric Ulcer
|
Fights Degenerative Effects
| Poor Digestion
|
Refreshes the Senses
| Migraine
|
Protects the Nerve Cells
| Asthma
|
Improves Memory
| Allergic Rhinitis
|
Revives Stress Organs
| Anemia
|
Strengthens the Body
| Allergies
|
Improves Sexual Appetite
| Obesity
|
Enhances the Performance of Body Organ Functions
| Diabetes
|
So what are you waiting for? Try this recipe now!
What do you think?
Before reading this hub, were you aware that 1 small quail egg is 3 to 4 times healthier than 1 big chicken or duck egg?
Comments
Quail eggs are pretty rare here. But they sound pretty good. Something I must try sometime.
Thank you
Lawrence
Nice feature, kabayan! The kwek-kwek is actually one of my favorite street foods aside from the fishballs and squidballs.
Thanks for promoting it to the world!
Really interesting lens. I've eaten quail, but never quail eggs. Well done!!
We try to avoid fried stuff but I would like to see how this would taste.
I've eaten quails and quail eggs, but alas, never deep-fried.
Interesting, looks pretty yummy.
Sounds delicious, Eva.
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