Ulkoy

Ingredients

The shrimp

• 300 gsmall whole shrimp
• raw, heads and shells on
• very small, 2 to 3 cm
• rinsed and drained
• or 300 g peeled small prawns

The vegetables

• 400 gsquash or pumpkin
• grated coarsely
• or 400 g sweet potato
• 1onion, sliced thinly
• 2spring onions, chopped
• a handful of bean sprouts
• optional

The batter

• 150 gplain flour
• 50 gcornflour
• or rice flour
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• half a teaspoon black pepper
• 1egg
• about 150 ml cold water
• or a little more

For frying

• 600 mlvegetable oil
• or enough for 3 cm depth

To serve

• a vinegar dipping sauce
• vinegar, garlic and chilli
• or soy sauce with calamansi
• or lime wedges
• steamed rice, optional

Directions

1. Grate it coarsely rather than finely. Slice the onion thinly rather than chopping. Thin slices distribute more evenly. Add bean sprouts if you have them. A thin batter gives soggy fritters. Toss the grated squash with a little salt. Leave it ten minutes in a colander. Reduce the added salt if you do this. Whisk the flour and cornflour together.
2. Add the baking powder, salt and pepper. Make a well and add the beaten egg. Add cold water gradually while whisking. Cold water gives a crisper result. Whisk it until smooth with no lumps. The batter should be quite thick. Add the grated squash and onion.
3. Add the spring onion and bean sprouts. Fold the shrimp in last of all. Fold rather than stir, to keep them whole. The mixture should be packed with solids. Fill it no more than one third full. Never leave hot oil unattended at all. Keep a well fitting lid within reach. If it catches fire, turn off the heat.
4. Heat it to one hundred and eighty degrees. It should sizzle and rise immediately. Spoon the mixture onto a greased saucer. Flatten it out into a rough disc. Slide it carefully into the hot oil.
5. Fry three or four at a time only. Do not crowd the pan at any point. Fry them for about three minutes a side. Turn them once with a slotted spoon. They should be deep golden and crisp. Break the first one open to check. The centre should be cooked, not wet. Adjust the timing after that check.
6. Lift them out and drain on a rack. A rack keeps them far crisper than paper. Sprinkle a little salt while still hot. Let the oil recover between batches. Mix vinegar with crushed garlic and chilli.
7. Add a pinch of salt and some pepper. Let it stand for ten minutes to infuse. Serve the fritters hot and immediately. They soften within about fifteen minutes.

Technique

• The shrimp must be small — two or three centimetres — because they go in whole and are eaten whole, heads and shells included. Small shells fry to a crisp shatter and add flavour and crunch; larger shells stay tough and sharp. Use small ones or peel larger ones, which makes a perfectly good but less interesting fritter.
• Shrimp are a major shellfish allergen and there is no version of this without them. Tell guests.
• There should be more vegetable than batter. The batter binds rather than encases, and too much of it gives a doughy fritter — the most common failure here.
• Grated squash releases water that thins the batter as it sits. Either work quickly after grating, or salt it, drain it and squeeze it out first and cut back the salt in the batter.
• Grate coarsely, not finely. Coarse strands give the fritter structure; fine grating turns to mush.
• Cornflour or rice flour alongside the plain flour is what makes them crisp, and cold or iced water helps further.
• Deep-frying rules apply: fill the pan no more than a third, never leave it unattended, keep a lid within reach, and never throw water on burning oil.
• The vinegar dipping sauce is essential rather than optional. Its sourness is what cuts the fried richness.
• Ulkoy comes from Filipino ukoy, brought by the substantial Filipino workforce in Palau. That sits on top of Spanish, German, Japanese and American administration, each of which left food traces — Japanese words survive in the language, and Palau became independent only in 1994.

Substitutions

• Peeled small prawns replace whole shrimp, giving a good fritter without the shell crunch.
• Sweet potato replaces squash or pumpkin and is used interchangeably.
• Rice flour replaces cornflour for crispness; either works.
• Lime replaces calamansi in the dipping sauce.
• Bean sprouts, grated carrot or shredded cabbage can all be added for extra crunch.
• A vegetable-only version without shrimp is possible and is a different dish, but it is safe for a shellfish-allergic guest, which the original is not.

Variations

• Filipino ukoy is the direct ancestor, often made with grated green papaya or sweet potato.
• A version shaped on a saucer gives neat even discs; dropped by the spoonful gives craggier, crisper edges. Both are made.
• Some cooks add grated carrot, which sweetens the fritter and colours it.
• Related shrimp fritters are made across Southeast Asia and the Pacific under many names.
• A larger single fritter, cut into wedges to share, is made for parties.
• Some stalls serve them with a sweet chilli sauce rather than the sharp vinegar one.

History

A Palauan snack showing Filipino influence in its batter, sold at roadside stalls and served at family parties.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ulkoy?

Ulkoy is a snack from Palau: crisp fritters of grated squash and whole small shrimp, fried and eaten by hand. A Palauan snack showing Filipino influence in its batter, sold at roadside stalls and served at family parties.

How long does Ulkoy take to make?

Ulkoy takes 25 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 16 fritters. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Ulkoy?

Yes, within limits. Peeled small prawns replace whole shrimp, giving a good fritter without the shell crunch. Sweet potato replaces squash or pumpkin and is used interchangeably. Rice flour replaces cornflour for crispness; either works. Lime replaces calamansi in the dipping sauce. Bean sprouts, grated carrot or shredded cabbage can all be added for extra crunch. A vegetable-only version without shrimp is possible and is a different dish, but it is safe for a shellfish-allergic guest, which the original is not.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ulkoy?

Grate it coarsely rather than finely. Slice the onion thinly rather than chopping. Thin slices distribute more evenly. Add bean sprouts if you have them. A thin batter gives soggy fritters. Toss the grated squash with a little salt. Leave it ten minutes in a colander. Reduce the added salt if you do this. Whisk the flour and cornflour together.