GINISANG SINGKAMAS

Ginisang Singkamas - - It is now summer season and therefore  singkamas season.  It is time again to enjoy this wonderful fruit of the earth. My kitchen will have plenty of singkamas for cooking and snacking.  Singkamas when eaten fresh,  contains a sweet inert carbohydrate which makes it an ideal sweet snack for diabetics. Singkamas is very low in calories and high in fiber. It is  also rich in Vitamin C and contains small amounts of folate, iron, potassium and manganese. Aside from ginisang singkamas, 

                                           Pritong lumpia           

I also cook singkamas as pritong lumpia with mashed tofu.  I cut it in strips then combine with mashed tofu,  black pepper and salt, then roll in lumpia wrapper and fry as pritong lumpia, served with crushed garlic, salt, vinegar and black pepper or chilis. 

                                               Lumpiang sariwa

And then of course, a favorite  Filipino way of preparing singkamas in dishes is in the classic lumpiang sariwa. The crisp and crunchy texture of the singkamas blends well with the other vegetable ingredients. I have my own very special peanut sauce that goes with the fresh lumpia.

Singkamas is a native of Mexico, where they have been eaten for thousands of years. 

                            Ancient Aztec structure, Yucatan, Mexico

Both the ancient Aztec and the ancient Mayan civilizations valued this raw vegetable tuber for its crisp, juicy texture. It has been found at archaeological sites in Peru dating to 3000 BC.  In the 16^th century, Spanish traders introduced singkamas to us here in the Philippines via the galleon trade. And then from here, it spread to Indonesia, China and further on into West Africa.

             Singkamas is known by its Mexican name jicamas 

Singkamas  is commonly known by its Mexican name jicamas from the Nahuatl name xicamatl.  It is also known as Mexican yam, Mexican potato, ahipa, saa got, Chinese potato and sweet turnip.

In Mexico. Jícamas is often paired with chili powder, cilantro, ginger, lemon, lime, orange, red onion, salsa, sesame oil and soy sauce. It is popular in salads, fresh fruit combinations, fruit bars, soups, and other cooked dishes. In Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, it is prepared as salads such as in yusheng and rojak.

In the Philippines, singkamas is usually eaten fresh, sliced  with sawsawan of vinegar, salt, sugar and black pepper.  When I was a growing child, I remember very well this singkamas snack food prepared in this way and that’s what we would be munching on while playing hide and seek.

I remember in elementary school, there was a store right in front of our school gate that sold slices of singkamas with sawsawang salt flavored with bagoong alamang and sili.  And it was always  sold out among the students after school! For me the presence of singkamas was an indication that summer season was near, therefore vacation time was near. 

                                         Anilao, Mabini, Batangas

And therefore a lot of time spent at the beach swimming again in our home province, Anilao, Mabini, Batangas So as soon as I saw singkamas selling at the front store, there was always an excitement there in me. 

                                        Sweet-smelling melon

I can also almost smell the sweet, fragrant smell of melon and pakwan, other fruits of summer too that I would soon be enjoying at my lola’s house in Batangas as soon as school was over.   In those days I remember, huge piles of big round melon and pakwan sold at the market very cheaply. 

 

Here's a simple way I cook ginisang singkamas:

Ingredients:

1/2 c tokwa or tofu (fried, strips)

1 c singkamas (strips)

1/4 c carrots (strips)

1/4 c sitcharo

1/4 c patola (sliced)

1 c cabbage

2 Tbsp leeks or spring onions

(or 3 cloves garlic,2 Tbsp onions)

1 Tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in a little water)

salt, pepper, seasoning

1/2 c crushed peanuts (for topping) 

 

1. Saute leeks or spring onions (or garlic/onion) in oil. Add carrot strips, singkamas strips, sitcharo, patola slices, cabbage, salt, pepper and seasoning. Stir-fry vegetables until done, adding a little cornstarch dissolved in a little water for thickening the sauce.

2. Add fried tokwa or tofu strips Remove from heat. Serve with crushed peanuts (budbod) on top.

                                                  ~0~

For a FREE downloadable copy of GULAY ebook 1, pls check the link: 

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/nonalema



Pls like my page: 

https://www.facebook.com/NonaLema/

PLEASE SHARE: