Filipino Shrimp Fritters (Ukoy or Okoy)

Ukoy or Okoy Recipe is a delicious dish that is very popular in the Philippines, it is an easy to cook and very flavorful Filipino appetizer. Ukoy is prepared with whole small shrimps with head and shell on, mixed in flour, cornstarch and egg batter and deep fried until crispy. Other places in the Philippines has created their own variation of Okoy or Ukoy. Some instead of using sweet potato as the main ingredient others use squash, papaya or togue. Ukoy is even more delicious if you accompany it with vinegar dipping sauce.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  medium-sized shrimp, heads and skin removed (use the whole shrimp if you have small ones )
• 1  cup  thinly sliced sweet potatoes (Kamote ) or 1  cup  grated sweet potato (Kamote )
• 1⁄4 cup  thinly sliced carrots or 1⁄4 cup  grated carrot
• 1⁄8 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
• 1  egg, beaten
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 1  tablespoon fish sauce
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  dash fresh ground black pepper
• 1  cup  oil, for frying
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 cup white vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  patis or 2  tablespoons fish sauce
• 2  birds eye chilies, chopped

Directions

1. Mix together in a bowl the flour, corn starch, egg, garlic, water, fish sauce and pepper. Mix it very well and make sure it’s free from lumps and set aside.
2. Wash and peel the sweet potato and carrots then grate it but in you do not have a grater, slice thinly as you can. Then slice the green onions.
3. Add the sweet potato, green onions, carrots and shrimp into the batter mixture and mix well.
4. In a frying pan, heat oil just enough to deep fry 2 fritters at a time. Using a slotted spoon, scoop Vege-shrimp batter allowing excess batter to drip off and place in a pan like mini pancakes, frying each side until crispy and lightly brown.
5. Once cooked, drain each Ukoy fritters on a paper towel to get rid excess oil.
6. Prepare the vinegar dip by mixing the last 7 ingredients and mix well, transfer in small bowl and serve warm.