Cheesy tikoy lumpia with muscovado wraps the classic sticky rice cake in a crispy lumpia shell with salty cheese and a hint of muscovado sweetness. Here’s how to make it.
Tikoy is a sticky rice cake traditionally given and eaten during Chinese New Year. It's dense, chewy, and very sticky — which makes it tricky to cook on its own. The most common way to prepare it is to dip slices in beaten egg and shallow fry until golden, which gives it a light crust while keeping the inside soft and chewy.
This recipe takes that base idea further. Wrapping tikoy in a lumpia wrapper before frying gives it more structure and a crispier exterior than egg alone. Processed cheese adds a salty contrast to the sweet tikoy, keeping each bite from tasting one-note. A sprinkle of muscovado inside each roll adds a deep, molasses-like sweetness that cuts through the richness without making it cloying.
The freeze step is important: 30 minutes in the freezer firms up the filling so the lumpia doesn't unravel or burst when it hits the hot oil. Don't skip it. When frying, place each piece seam-side down first to seal it shut before the wrapper has a chance to loosen. The egg dip right before frying helps the wrapper brown evenly and adds another layer of crispness to the outside.
If you’ve only ever had tikoy the classic way, this is worth making. The lumpia wrapper and egg dip turn a simple slice of sticky rice cake into something with real crunch, and the cheese and muscovado give it a salty-sweet filling that makes it hard to stop at one.
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