This Filipino recipe is ideal for novice cooks and was one of the first Filipino recipes my mother taught me, Kapampangan Sipo Eggs. This is a Kapampangan dish famous for its mix of textures and warm, sweet flavors combining cooked and fresh crunchy vegetables, quail eggs, ham pieces and cream. This Filipino recipe is taken form my soon to be released cookbook, ‘Lina’s Kitchen – Filipino Cooking at its Best.

Kapampangan Sipo Eggs

Happily, as all of these ingredients are easy to find almost anywhere in the world, and the dish is easy to prepare and cook, Sipo Egg is an ideal Filipino recipe for both novice and experienced cooks to practice and showcase their Filipino cooking techniques and flavors.

I’m a Kapampangan girl and this Filipino recipe comes from my home province of Pampanga, where we cook it for local fiestas, family events and as part of family holiday celebrations such as at Christmas and New Year. Apart from its cooking simplicity and the forgiving nature of the ingredients, what makes Kapampangan Sipo Eggs ideal for novice Filipino cooks is that it allows you to experiment with different ingredients and still get great tasting, authentic Filipino food.

Even within the Kapampangan region, (the central area of Philippines Region III) this Filipino food has many variations. The two most common variations are replacing the ham with luncheon meat, and/or replacing the crunchy singkamas (Jícama) with small cauliflower flowers cooked ‘al dente’ (cooked through but still tender and crisp). A much larger recipe variation is replacing the ham with shrimps or small prawns and their juices; I personally find that this changes the whole flavor of the meal, but some people prefer the richer, saltier, seafood flavor over the traditionally sweet sipo eggs flavor.

For the recipe shown here, the only variation I use to the traditional methods taught by my mother is the use of some frozen or tinned vegetables for ease of preparation. Of course you are free to use all fresh vegetables if you have additional preparation time available.

Happily, all ingredients used to make my Filipino recipe for Kapampangan Sipo Eggs are available world wide, so you can cook and enjoy this authentic Filipino food wherever you are.

Ingredients

• ½ Kg ham or luncheon meat (chopped to small 1 cm cubes)
• 30 quail eggs (fresh best, but canned can also be used if well drained)
• 1 medium size yellow Onion (white onion can also be used), fine sliced
• 1 medium sized singkamas (Jícama) chopped into small cubes (same size as ham)
• 1 Kg frozen mixed veg (carrots, green peas and corn), small chopped
• 3 cloves fresh garlic (crushed or fine chopped)
• 1 can nestle cream
• 1 small can evaporated milk
• A good nub of butter (for frying)

Preparation

If using fresh quail eggs, wash and place them in a saucepan of cold water. Add a little salt and place over a high heat until the water boils. When the water boils, turn the heat down and allow the water to simmer for around 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, remove the eggs and set aside.

Take the frozen mixed veg, wash through in warm water and leave to drain in a sieve or colander until needed. 

Take a large pan (preferably a wok) and place over a high heat. Add in the butter and garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds to diffuse the garlic flavor through the melted butter. 

Add the sliced onions to the pan, and stir for 30 seconds before turning down the heat to medium and cooking until the onions become opaque (transparent).

With the pan still on medium heat, add in the ham cubes and stir in for 5 minutes.

Add in the mixed frozen vegetables (or pre cooked veg) and stir for 5 minutes

Add in the singkamas (Jícama) stir in for another 5 minutes and reduce heat to medium-low.

Stir in the evaporated milk until its just starts to boil (bubble), then stir in the nestles cream until it just starts to boil (bubble).

Shell, and add in the quail eggs, mix for 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

Serve hot – masarap

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