Corn cheese

콘치즈
Today’s menu is Korean style corn cheese!
You might have tasted this dish at a Korean restaurant because it’s a common side dish in many places.
Korean restaurants almost always serve some side dishes before they bring out the main dish, and
bubbling corn cheese served on a small cast iron pan is always popular. Once we see the melting cheese
on top of corn, we can’t resist spooning some!
It’s never made from fresh corn, always canned corn, which is already seasoned a bit in a sweet brine.
This means you can make this dish any time of year as long as you have a can of corn at home. It’s easy,
hot, gooey, savory, a little sweet, and corny!
Be sure to squeeze the excess water out of all the ingredients, otherwise the bottom of the corn cheese
will be too wet, like a floating island! I added a few pieces of thin garaetteok rice cake to the corn cheese
in this recipe to make it look so good and give you an idea for a quick and simple breakfast. It also makes
a good side dish for beer and you see corn-cheese in served in many Korean bars as drinking food (anju).
There are 2 ways to finish this dish – one is on the stovetop, and the other is in the oven. Both are good
but in the oven you can use the broiler to make the cheese on top bubbly and a little scorched.
Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients
 1 can of unsalted corn (15¼ ounces, or 432 grams), strained with the excess water
squeezed out
 ¾ cup of chopped onion, red bell pepper (or carrot), and green bell pepper mixed
together
 a pinch of kosher salt
 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
 1/4 cup mayonnaise
 1 tablespoon sugar
 5 to 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
 2 ounces white rice cake, sliced into small pieces

Directions
1. Combine the chopped onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and a pinch of salt in a
bowl and mix them well. Let it sit for 5 minutes before wrapping it all in a cotton cloth and
 squeezing out the excess water.

2. Heat up an oven-safe, heavy skillet or pan and add the butter and corn. Stir and cook
for 2 to 3 minutes until the corn absorbs all the butter. Add the vegetables and stir for 30
seconds. Remove from the heat and cool it down a little.

1. Add the mayonnaise and sugar and mix well. 

To finish it in the oven
1. Heat up a cast iron pan on the stovetop. Add the corn mixture to it, and then add the
cheese on top of the corn and the rice cake on top of the cheese.

2. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the corn is sizzling. Turn
down the heat to low and cook a couple of minutes until the cheese is a little melted.
 Meanwhile preheat the oven broiler.

3. Put the pan into the broiler. I place the pan on the 3rd rack of my oven. Let it cook until all
the the cheese is slightly scorched and the rice cake is well done. Remove from the heat and

serve right away.

To finish it on the stove

1. Add the cheese on top of the corn and the rice cake on top of the cheese.
2. Cover and cook over low heat for 7 or 8 minutes, or until the cheese melts, and serve right
away.

Puto is a Filipino steamed rice cake delicacy normally eaten as snack.  Puto is also, oftentimes,
served to accompany savory dishes like dinuguan (pork blood stew) or pancit  (rice noodle).

The traditional one is made from rice, water, and sugar that is stone-grinded to make the batter or
what we call 'galapong'. It is normally fermented overnight before steaming them. Of course,
everything became easy when rice flour became available.
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But this recipe of Cheese Puto actually does not use rice at all, it uses all-purpose flour instead.  
Yeah I know, I was skeptical about it as well at first but it turned out to be really good, and I would
say I prefer it better than using rice flour because it makes smoother and softer Puto.

WHAT CHEESE TO USE?

I get this question a lot and I know why.  In the Philippines, the common cheese you can get is
packed in foil and boxed and you usually get them from the shelves and not in the fridge section of
a grocery store. The most popular brand is  Kraft Eden cheese and I read that it is the equivalent or
similar to Kraft Velveeta in the US.
I used to buy loads of this cheese and bring them back to Germany. Once there, I remove them
from the boxes and freeze them. They would last for months to a year that way.

For those who do not have access to this kind of processed cheese, I would recommend other
cheeses like Gouda or Cheddar.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

 Avoid using high speed when mixing the batter as this creates more air bubbles that can be
trapped in the batter and will form holes when steamed.
 Place a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel in between steamer racks and the top cover to
avoid water from dripping to the batter. This will result in uneven cooking and disinformed top.
 It is very important to use low heat. Bring the water to a simmer then turn the heat to the
lowest as possible. Just enough to keep the steam forming but do not let the water boil. High
temperatures will result in an uneven rise of the batter instead of forming a perfect dome.

 
 4.85 from 52 votes

PUTO CHEESE

This Puto Cheese recipe uses simple ingredients to make the perfect, delicious Puto. You will never
buy the ready mix Puto ever again.
 Print    Rate
Course: Breakfast,Snack
Cuisine: Asian,Filipino
Keyword: cheese puto,puto,puto cheese
 
Servings: 10
 
Calories: 131kcal
 
Author: Bebs
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:12 minutes
Total Time:17 minutes
INGREDIENTS
US Customary  - Metric

 ▢1 cup flour

 ▢½ cup sugar

 ▢2 teaspoons baking powder

 ▢1 large egg

 ▢½ cup milk - (evaporated or fresh)
  ▢¼ cup water

 ▢1 tablespoon butter - -melted

 ▢1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 ▢¼ cup grated cheese

 ▢strips cheese - - for topping

 ▢butter or oil for brushing the molds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder.

2. Add the milk and egg and mix using a whisk or electric mixer at medium speed only until
batter becomes smooth.
3. Add the water, butter and vanilla extract and mix well for a minute or two. Lastly, add
the grated cheese and fold in slowly using a spatula or spoon.
4. Grease each mold with butter and fill the molds with batter up to ¾ full.
5. Fill the bottom of the steamer with water and bring to a gentle simmer over very low
heat. Place the molds in the steamer basket and steam for about 10 to 12 minutes or
until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove the lid and add a strip of cheese on top of each put. Steam for another minute
or two until cheese melts. Turn off heat and let it rest until slightly cooled down.
7. Remove the cooked Puto Cheese from the molds and transfer to a serving plate.

VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
While mixing the ingredients, avoid using high speed of the mixer or the Puto would rise too much
and become airy.
You may also mix by hand using a whisk but also at moderate speed.
While steaming, I place a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel in between steamer racks and the top
cover to avoid water from dripping to the batter.
Just double (or triple) the recipe to double the yield.
Silicon cupcake molds can also be used.
Nutrition Facts
Puto Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 131Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
 Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 26mg9%
Sodium 57mg2%
Potassium 159mg5%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 0g0%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 130IU3%
Calcium 108mg11%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
For those who are asking about the plastic molds I used to steam these Puto in, I got them from
the Philippines. But you may also use the Silicone muffin molds    like the one below I found on
Amazon. I also use them for making Puto sometimes just like I would use the plastic molds.