Pili nuts are not very common. They are native to maritime Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and Northern Australia, but the only country right now that commercially cultivates them is the Philippines.[1] The young shoots and the fruit pulp are edible. The shoots are used in salads, and the pulp is eaten after it is boiled and seasoned.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of raw pili nuts
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Preparing the Pili Nuts

  1. 1
    Boil water in a saucepan. Bring the water to a full boil.[2]
  2. 2
    Add the Pili nuts to the boiling water.[3]
    • When the skin of the Pili nuts starts to peel off, stop the cooking process.
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  3. 3
    Remove all of the Pili from the water.
  4. 4
    Remove the skins from the nuts.[4]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Cooking the Pili Nuts

  1. 1
    Add vegetable oil to a clean saucepan.
  2. 2
    Add the Pili nuts.
  3. 3
    Fry the Pili nuts. Be sure to constantly stir the nuts while frying.
  4. 4
    Add sugar when the Pili nuts are golden brown.
  5. 5
    Caramelize the sugar. Allow the caramelized sugar to coat the nuts.[5]
  6. 6
    Remove the Pili nuts from the heat. Be sure they're coated in the caramelized sugar evenly and thoroughly!
  7. 7
    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What are the nutrients found in pili nut candy?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Nutritionally, pili include high amounts of manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and healthy fats.
  • Question
    Can I use brown sugar?
    LaraKnowsHow
    LaraKnowsHow
    Community Answer
    Yes, brown sugar will work fine. Just be aware that the taste might be slightly different but not so much that it's really noticeable.
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Warnings

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 49,354 times.
22 votes - 94%
Co-authors: 10
Updated: November 11, 2019
Views: 49,354
Categories: Philippine Dishes
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