Kwek Kwek

5 from 2 votes

Batter-fried street snack using quail eggs

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: egg recipe, street food

Servings: people

Calories: 960kcal

Author: Daisy Merano

Pour 4 cups water on a pot. Let boil.
4 cups water
Add the quail eggs and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Discard water and let the eggs cool down. Peel the shell off and then set aside.
15 pieces quail eggs
Meanwhile, make the batter by combining flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and salt. Mix well using a wire whisk.
1½ cup flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Pour annatto water in the mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are well blended.
1 cup annatto water
Submerge the boiled eggs to the mixture one-by-one.
15 pieces quail eggs
Heat the oil in a cooking pot. Once the oil gets hot, scoop a piece of egg from the bowl along with some orange mixture using a spoon. Gently slide the egg and mixture into the hot oil. Let the excess mixture drip on the egg. Deep fry in medium heat until texture of the orange coating gets a bit crispy (around 1 to 2 minutes). Remove from the pot using a kitchen strainer and place in a plate lined with paper towel. Perform this step until all the eggs are cooked.
2 cups cooking oil
Serve with a spicy vinegar dip.

Cold eggs peel faster and cleaner. After boiling, I run the quail eggs under cold water and let them sit for a minute. This loosens the shells and helps avoid tearing the egg white. After cooling down, I sometimes put them in a container where I can gently shake them so the peeling will be easier.
Cornstarch coating helps the batter grip. Before dipping the eggs into the orange mixture, I sometimes dust them with a little cornstarch. It gives the wet batter something to hold onto and stops it from slipping off during frying. You’ll notice less batter fallout this way.
Control the heat, not just the oil. Medium heat works better than high because it prevents the outside from browning too quickly. I test the oil by dropping a little batter in, it should float and bubble gently. Overheated oil burns the coating and leaves the egg cold inside.
Use annatto water for color, not taste. Annatto doesn’t add much flavor, but it gives kwek kwek its bold orange look. I soak annatto seeds in warm water for 30 minutes, then strain out the seeds. Powdered annatto also works—just mix 1 teaspoon with 1 cup warm water.
Avoid clumping during frying. After dipping the eggs, I let a bit of the batter drip off before sliding them into the oil. I fry in small batches and move them gently with a slotted spoon. This stops them from sticking to each other and forming one large lump.