LAING - - is the classic Bicolano dish known for deliciously creamy, hot and spicy unique flavor of taro (gabi) leaves and coconut milk. As far as the amount of coconut milk used, laing is authentically cooked with a profuse amount of it, with lots of chilis, cooked till creamy and oily.
I prefer my laing cooked with fresh, rather than dried, taro leaves and stalks. Laing tastes better the day after, so I usually cook a little extra to last till the next day. Laing is so good to have once in a while as an alternate ulam for savory tomato-sauce based dishes of tofu, gluten, and pasta. Laing once a month or once in every two months is very much welcome for me and my family.
But not Bicolanos!! In the Bicol region itself, I heard local folks can have laing almost every day and they never tire of it. I have a Bicolano friend named Benjie who lives with his wife and children in Pasay, Manila. Benjie just has to have laing every week -- Friday is, I think their family's laing day and the children all love and look forward to it too. I have tasted Benjie's laing and it's just so good.
He orders taro leaves from another Bicolano friend whose business is simply supplying taro leaves to Bicolano families in the Nichols Air Base area in Pasay where Benjie and family lives. Wow! that's for me a really admirable and decent livelihood, selling and promoting taro leaves, one of the most nutritious leafy greens grown locally. And it is all based on the Bicolanos' fondness and true love for their native dish laing.
With a low calorie and high fiber content, laing serves as a nutritious complement to a well-balanced diet. It is mainly cooked with taro leaves and taro leaves are a nutritious leafy green similar to spinach and kale commonly grown in tropical regions. Laing is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, folate and calcium as well as disease-fighting antioxidants. Laing is an excellent food for boosting heart health.
Traditionally, laing is cooked with pieces of daing (dried fish) or bagoong (fish paste) added to it. Here is my vegetarian (non-fish) version of laing which is just as deliciously creamy, hot and spicy.
Ingredients:
3 c thin coconut milk
2 c thick coconut milk
1 med onion or leeks
2 cloves garlic or
spring onions
2 Tbsp sliced ginger
4-5 pcs dried seaweeds (nori)
5 cups fresh taro leaves/stalks
4-5 pcs labuyo chilis (more if desired)
salt
Procedure:
1. In a pot, put thin coconut milk, salt, chilis, onion, garlic, or leeks, ginger. Add taro leaves/stalks, cover and let boil on low fire without stirring.
2. When cooked and oily, add thick coconut milk (kakang gata), let simmer for a while until mixture blends. Add shredded pcs of dried seaweeds. Mix well. Remove from heat. Serve
1. In a pot, put thin coconut milk, salt, chilis, onion, garlic, or leeks, ginger. Add taro leaves/stalks, cover and let boil on low fire without stirring.
2. When cooked and oily, add thick coconut milk (kakang gata), let simmer for a while until mixture blends. Add shredded pcs of dried seaweeds. Mix well. Remove from heat. Serve
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