Tag: ilocano

Superfood: Malunggay

Soup

3922288496_fce29782c8_nMalungay (Tagalog) or maruggay in Ilocano grows profusely in the Philippines.  It is a staple ingredients to many a recipe, especially in soups.

I heard that malunggay has been found to contain abundance of nutrients and that it has now become a posh shake drink for the rich, famous and the pretentious! miao lol. If I had been a goat, I would have devoured maluggay, let’s put it that way!

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Malunggay pod

It is lovely in soup but come on the taste is not that great as a shake or smoothie!  I grew up eating lots of malunggay because it grew everywhere.  I love the elongated fruit that it bears.  It was so tough but delicious cooked as Dinengdeng.  The fibrous pod contains a sweet and fleshy gelatinous substance which is scrape into your lower teeth to get to it.   It was delicious!

I also love malunggay with tulya (clams).  This make super appetising soup.

Below are some more recipe from GMA7

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Superfood: Malunggay

Easy-to-do malunggay recipes

Dubbed the “next superfood” and a “miracle plant” by some, the familiar backyard plant called malunggay continues to garner both local and international attention for its nutritional value.
For every pound, malunggay has seven times more Vitamin C than oranges, three times more potassium that bananas, four times more Vitamin A than carrots, two times more protein and four times more calcium than milk, according to the Moringa Philippines Foundation Inc. (MPFI).

M Burger. The Malunggay Book: Healthy & Easy-to-do Recipes

Its antioxidants are known to prevent several lifestyle-related ailments such as cardiovascular diseases, heart problems, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Everyone, both young and old, should make malunggay part of their regular diet. But how do you make the super vegetable tastier and more attractive to kids and adults alike?
Day Salonga and Mon Urbano’s “The Malunggay Book: Healthy & Easy-to-do Recipes” provides several ways to include malunggay in regular dishes.
M Burger
Make kids healthy without them knowing it. This burger patty is infused with the cooked meat of malunggay pods, giving it a different twist.
Ingredients:
500 grams ground beef loin (80% lean meat with 20% fat)
1 onion, minced
2 cups malunggay leaves, chopped
4 malunggay pods meat, cooked and meat scraped out
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Procedure:
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and make a 4×1-inch-thick patty using a mold or by hand.
2. Grill on high heat one side of burger for about 6 to 8 minutes and the other side until it cooks medium well
3. Serve in burger buns and your choice of vegetables and relishes

Smoked Bangus and M Pesto Fettuccine

Smoked Bangus and M. Pesto Fettuccine

A quarter cup of malunggay pesto might just be the extra ingredient your favorite pesto fettuccine needs. This recipe kicks up its nutritional value as well.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup malunggay pesto (Mix 2 pcs garlic cloves, 2 cups fresh malunggay leaves, 1/2 cup basil, 1/2 cup unsalted and toasted cashew nuts, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup olive oil, and season with salt and pepper – makes 2 cups)
100 grams smoked boneless bangus, flaked
300 grams cooked fettuccine pasta
salt and black pepper
2 pieces cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 tablespoon kesong puti, cubed
Procedure:
1. Saute malunggay pesto and smoked bangus. Toss in fettuccine pasta and season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer on a plate and add cherry tomatoes and kesong puti on top.

Stimulating Smoothie

Stimulating Smoothie

A tastier alternative to nutritional shakes.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh malunggay leaves (can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of malunggay powder)
1 piece banana
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup crushed ice

Procedure:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Set on high speed for 30 seconds.

M Lumpia Wrapper

M Lumpia Wrapper
(makes about 14 wrappers)

Ingredients:
3 pieces of eggs
2 tablespoons of oil
3 teaspoons of malunggay juice
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup of cornstarch

Procedure:
1. In a bowl, mix eggs, oil, malunggay, juice, water, and salt until incorporated, and slowly add cornstarch until very smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour a scoop of batter onto the pan, approximately 1/4 cup. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coasts the surface evenly.
3. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes until bottom is light brown. Loosen with spatula, turn and cook the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Note: Malunggay juice can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of malunggay powder

“The Malunggay Book: Healthy & Easy-to-do Recipes” also includes instructions in making Halaan Malunggay Soup, Chicken Roulade, Ginataang Kuhol with Malunggay, and Banana Malunggay Bread, among others.
—Kim Luces/KG/VC, GMA News

How to Eat Betel Nut the ILOCANO Way in the Philippines!

Blogs FLORA HABITAT Philippines

Whilst walking through Quiapo we came upon an Igorot (native of Kalinga-Apayao) looking woman selling Betel nuts, tobacco leaves etc.

Amongst her wares, she also had tobacco leaves, green leaves called Gawid, Apog (lime ash) and chewing tobacco.(Photo by Peter)

Gawid Leaves and Betel Nuts (Photo by Peter)

These catapulted us immediately to our far-away childhood when my Daddy would let us have a tiny piece of betel nut to chew whilst listening to a horror radio program by Ben David called Gabi Ng Lagim (Night of Horror) just before bed time.

Thinking about it now, My father probably believed in betel nut’s mild tranquillising property that would send four active children well into the land of nod.

Anyway the “proper” way to eat betel nut as told us by the elders of our barrio was to wrap a piece of the nut in a green leaf called gawid, also enclosed with the tiny parcel was a small piece of tobacco. The whole ensemble was shaken liberally with apog (lime/carbon/ash).  Never tasted this offering but seen people chewing it this way and their mouth would turn red.  Whilst chewing, they would spit often making their vicinity stomach churning blood-red and eventually their teeth would turn more black than red.  The apog is what makes the red colouring.

Inside of the betel nut

Inside of the betel nut

Peter bravely chewing on a betel nut

Peter bravely chewing on a betel nut..not a mouse! (Photo by Jean)

Peter the virgin betel nut chewer

Peter the virgin betel nut chewer! (Photo by Jean)

Pinakbet

Uncategorized

Pinakbet or Pakbet is an Ilocano recipe but because it is really delicious the whole Philippines have adopted it as its own.

Pakbet is easy to cook but what makes it really special depends on the bagoong or buggoong (ilocano) – Salted fish that you use.

When we used to live in Marag people from Pagudpod or Ilocos Norte would come to Marag to sell salt and the Buggoong. They usually come with two or three types of Bagoong but the one called Padas was always the winner. It was so delicious that it was a treat to eat it with ripe tomatoes as our main dish with the ubiquitous boiled rice. I can almost taste it now!

If you are to go to Manila, please do try the Pinakbet! It is truly gourmet dining.

Pakbet or Pinakbet Recipe
http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/pakbet.htm

Estimated cooking time: 35 minutes


http://blauearth.com/tag/banga/

Pakbet Ingredients:
1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces
2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces
2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces
5 pieces of okra, cut in two
1 head garlic, minced
2 onions, diced
5 tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced
4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang
3 tablespoons of oil
1 1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Pakbet Cooking Instructions:
In a cooking pan, heat oil and fry the pork until brown, remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
On the same pan, saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.
In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.
Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéed garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add in all the vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done, careful not to overcook.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with plain rice.