Try this easy okoy kalabasa recipe for the best Filipino squash fritters. Made with kalabasa or kabocha squash, squash okoy is delicious even without shrimp or meat.
(Check out this delicious recipe collection for more pumpkin and squash recipes. It has everything from breakfast to dinner to dessert.)
If you love squash you will love okoy (sometimes ukoy) or Filipino squash fritters. Definitely a delicious break from the usual soup and pie.
Unlike the more popular lumpia and turon, okoy is simply dipped in batter and fried, not wrapped.
This is my uncle’s tried-and-tested okoy kalabasa recipe. In Nueva Ecija where he’s from, okoy is also called karamba and yes, this dish will make you want to dance!
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love kalabasa fritters
- Easy to make. You just need to combine the ingredients, fry, and enjoy!
- No meat. It doesn’t have meat but it’s still so tasty and filling.
- Customizable. Good news is, you can add meat, shrimp and other authentic okoy ingredients if you like. Simply add to the batter, adjust your spices to taste, and fry until the meat is cooked through.
(If you love Pinoy okoy, you’ll enjoy air fryer fried squash too!)
How to make okoy kalabasa
This okoy kalabasa recipe without shrimp is simple and straightforward to make.
Ingredients of okoy kalabasa
This simple okoy kalabasa recipe also uses simple ingredients like flour, cornstarch, egg and spices. You can find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
A few things to note:
- Fish sauce (patis) — you can find fish sauce in Asian stores and on Amazon. Most people don’t like it because it smells fishy (thus the name) but it’s really one of the key ingredients in Asian cooking. You know that flavor you just can’t put your finger on? Most likely fish sauce! If it’s not available, you can just increase the salt to taste.
- Kabocha squash — also called a Japanese pumpkin. Ideally, you’ll want to use kabocha for the most authentic okoy kalabasa but if you can’t find one, substitute with a similarly sweet-tasting squash.
Step-by-step photos
In a medium bowl, prep the okoy batter by stirring flour, cornstarch, egg, water, fish sauce, minced garlic, salt and pepper until smooth.
Add kabocha squash, carrots and green onions. Stir until well combined.
Put about a cup of oil (or enough oil to submerge the fritters) in a large skillet and once it’s hot enough, scoop about a heaping ¼ cup okoy batter into the oil, flatten slightly and fry on medium heat until the bottom turns a light golden brown. Flip and fry until the other side is golden brown too.
Put the fried fritters on a tray lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve immediately.
The secret to perfect okoy
Easy, right? Here are more tips for perfect okoy kalabasa every time.
- Cut your vegetables into same-size pieces. This helps them cook evenly.
- Deep fry your fritters for the crispiest texture. And make sure your oil is hot enough before you start cooking.
- Don’t crowd your pan. If your skillet is large enough, you can fry 2 fritters at a time. I wouldn’t go more than 2 though.
- Drain the excess oil from the cooked okoy so they don’t get soggy. You can use a strainer or place the okoy on a paper towel.
- Okoy is best enjoyed immediately. If you have leftovers, pop into an oven toaster to get back some of that crispiness.
Recipe FAQs
Kabocha squash is squat and sweet and the kind of squash most common in the Philippines. It’s called kalabasa in Filipino (pronounced exactly as it’s spelled).
Some people also call it a Japanese pumpkin, but here in North America it’s most commonly known as kabocha.
Read more about it here.
Okoy is usually enjoyed as a snack (merienda). You can find it sold as a street food, too.
Many Filipinos eat it with rice or as a side dish as well.
Filipinos dip okoy in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, red chili, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. There’s really no recipe for the dipping sauce as everything is done to taste.
My shortcut dipping sauce for lazy days: mix vinegar, soy sauce and sriracha.
The sweet, salty, crunchy vegetable okoy pairs extremely well with the sour, salty and chili sauce.
It’s best to enjoy okoy freshly cooked.
I don’t recommend freezing the batter as the vegetables will ice and once they thaw, the batter becomes too watery.
A better option might be to freeze the fritters themselves. Then just pop them quickly in the oven to make them crispy again.
More delicious Filipino recipes
Filipino cuisine is delicious and unlike no other. Here are other unique recipes you can try:
We love making this simple okoy recipe kalabasa. Easy to make, even easier to eat! We usually double the recipe so people can grab seconds.
It’s simple, vegetarian, delicious! Hope you enjoy it too.
Did you make this kalabasa okoy recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
Okoy Kalabasa Recipe (Kabocha Squash Fritters)
Ingredients
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup cold water
- 1 tbsp fish sauce see notes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup julienned kabocha squash
- ¼ cup julienned carrots
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- oil for frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir flour, cornstarch, egg, water, fish sauce, minced garlic, salt and pepper until smooth.½ cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup cold water, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper
- Add kabocha squash, carrots and green onions. Stir until well combined.1 cup julienned kabocha squash, ¼ cup julienned carrots, ¼ cup sliced green onions
- Put about a cup of oil (or enough oil to submerge the fritters) in a large skillet and once it's hot enough, scoop about a heaping ¼ cup okoy batter into the oil, flatten slightly and fry on medium heat until the bottom turns a light golden brown.oil
- Flip and fry until the other side is golden brown too.
- Put the fried fritters on a tray lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- This recipe yields 6 fritters for me, though it will depend on how big or small you make them.
- You can find fish sauce in Asian stores. Most people don’t like it because it smells fishy (thus the name) but it’s really one of the key ingredients in Asian cooking. You can opt to skip it though – just increase the salt to taste
- If your skillet is large enough, you can fry 2 fritters at a time. I wouldn’t go more than 2 though.
- The fritters tend to get soggy the longer they sit so best to serve immediately.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Monica
My husband loved this. We have so many kabocha squash from our garden and I had to look for a recipe to make with it and found this. Can you freeze the batter? And fry later? I did the vinegar, soy sauce, and siracha sauce mixture and that was a great pair for the fritter.
Jolina
Hi Monica! Glad you guys like them. I haven’t tried freezing the batter so not sure. It might be a better option to freeze the fritters themselves. Then just pop them quickly in the oven to make them crispy again. If you freeze the batter, I’m afraid the vegetables would ice and your batter would become watery.
Bea
Tried this and loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Jolina
Glad you liked them Bea!
Marg
This recipe looks super yummy and I will try it tonight. However, I am getting away from fried food. Is there a way I can cook this in the oven and still make it crispy? Thank you for sharing recipe.
Jolina
Hi Marg. Totally get avoiding fried food. As an alternative we usually bake on a rack (i.e. put a rack on a baking sheet to get the food crispy on all sides) unfortunately we’ve never tried it on these fritters so I’m not sure if it will cook through. Worth a shot though. Maybe you can start with a small batch and see? Would love to know how it goes!
Dan
I have a friend from Japan who recently introduced me to these. Thanks for the recipe.
Jolina
Nice! I think Kabocha is the same kind of squash they use as tempura 🙂
Jolina
Thanks Ana! Red’s the cook and I’m the baker but she is also my prep assistant a lot of times haha. Good thing she enjoys being in the kitchen too (and hey, she gets first dibs on the goodies so no complaints eh?)
Stef
Ooh, the squash is my favorite part of pinakbet, so these look so interesting to me! Will have to try!
Jolina
OMG I haven’t had pinakbet in a very long time!! And yes, that’s my favourite part of pinakbet too 🙂 Hope you like these fritters Stef!
Jackie
My fmaily loves okoy though we usually put shrimp and a little bit of pork on it. This is a nice all-veggie option.