Pinangat is a filipino dish which originated in Bicol region, the land of chilies, coconut and gabi. Although more popularly for Manilenos this is called Laing. Pinangat is a nice blend of gabi leaves tied with coconut leaves and simmered in coconut cream. Try this bicol version and you will love this!

Ingredients:

about 7 to 10 fresh gabi leaves (depending on the number of your guests count 1 to 2 leaves per person)

*never wash your leaves just wipe them to clean them

about one kilo of sliced gabi leaves, stalks and gabi root

about half a kilo of ground pork

1 tablesoon of bagoong (shrimp paste)

1 big onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic pounded

some chilies

1 cup of coconut milk

half a cup of coconut cream (kakang gata)

Procedure:

In a bowl mix well your ground pork, bagoong, chopped onion, garlic, chilies and sliced gabi leaves, stalks and gabi. Pour a quarter of your coconut milk. Get one leaf and put about 2 to 3 tablespoons of your mixture in the middle of the leaf. Close the leaf outwards going inwards to be able to come up with a small package like. Tie them with coconut leaves or simply kitchen threads we use for cooking (tying chicken legs when roasting chicken, etc). Put in a deep casserole your small gabi packages. Pour your coconut milk and let it simmer slowly over medium fire. Add your coconut cream and let it continue simmering. It is done when you sauce becomes thick and coconut oil starts to come out.

Related posts:

1. Laing
2. Kuhol sa gata (Snails in coconut milk)
3. Chicken Curry

I have learned this laing version to our Bicolano neighbor. I assure you this is the real thing.

Ingredients:

half a kilo of Gabi leaves (if they are too fresh you need to dry them up after tearing them)

half a kilo of gabi stems (take off the skin with the aid of knife)

* Saying goes to avoid scratching any part of your body while preparing this dish if you don’t want your laing to be itchy in your mouth.

milk from 2 coconut (if you cannot find fresh coconut you can replace it with one pack of coconut milk and one pack of coconut cream)

2 dried fish (you can use bisugo or labahita) you can also use dilis if you want

1/4 kilo pork belly cut in cube

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 onion sliced

1 tbsp of grated ginger

salt & pepper

2 siling haba (jalapeno)

3-4 siling labuyo (chili)

*this Laing version is more for a day to day meal. You can add seafood like crab or prawns if its for a special gathering.

Procedure:

I assure cooking this dish is very easy and simple. You will spend more time preparing the ingredients. Start by removing the skin of your gabi stems then cut them about 2 to three inches in length. Next get the gabi leaves. NEVER wash them. Use a clean sponge instead to clean the leaves of any dirt or insect that might be attached to it. Next tear them as you would tear a paper. Not too big nor too small. Put all the leaves together with the cut stem and dry them outside. Be sure you don’t cook laing during rainy season

As soon as your gabi leaves have dried up and wilted we can start cooking them now. Get a big casserole, it needs to be thick enough because this is a slow cooking dish. Out of fire assemble the ingredients on the casserole; starting with the pork belly, then put the garlic, onion and ginger. Then cover this with the gabi stem, then the gabi leaves. Pour the coconut milk and cream (if you are using freshly squeezed coconut milk put everything). Lastly put the dried fish on the top and cover the casserole. Put the casserole on fire and cook slowly for about an hour over low fire. Once you smelled that coconut milk has dried up and the scent of coconut oil is strong. Turn off the fire. Get the dried fish which is now soft and cooked, and start mincing them with your hand. Put back the fish meat (just the meat you can throw the head and fish bones) and add the siling haba and cut siling labuyo. Stir your laing from bottom to top delicately. Stir them well until all the ingredients are well distributed. Cover it again. Laing gets better as day passed by. So better to eat them the next day. That is if you have a fridge you can keep it. Or else invite your neighbor to eat it with you.

Related posts:

1. Pinangat
2. Ginataang Kalabasa
3. Ginataang Tulingan