Menchie's Ukoy or Filipino Vegetable Fritter

This is a unique and creative version of a Filipino delicacy called Ukoy or vegetable fritter. This dish is usually made with shrimp, bean sprouts and sweet potatoes mixed with a batter and then deep fried.

My sister Menchie got creative and resourceful with her Ukoy and used the heads of the shrimp that were discarded for making shrimp curry. She then used cilantro, green onions and sweet potatoes for the vegetable. For the batter she utilized commercially available prepared tempura mix from the Asian store.



The result of this approach are crunchy delicious fritters prepared using green cooking or creating dishes using ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. The deep frying and the batter render the heads of the shrimp ultra crunchy and palatable. The cilantro added more crunchiness and the deep frying made it unrecognizable for those who abhor it.

My sister Menchie with husband Butch.

Menchie's Ukoy

• Heads of shrimp
• Cilantro leaves, cut into two inch pieces
• Green onions, cut into two inch pieces
• Sweet potatoes, cut into strips
• Tempura batter prepared according to package instructions

Mix the first four ingredients in the tempura batter in batches to make around three inch fritters then deep fry.

Serve with a dip made from vinegar, crushed garlic and red pepper flakes.