Ilocano Vegetable, Kalunay

Kalunay is not so popular vegetable in the country. It is also called kulitis in other regions but this vegetable that commonly grow in the backyard and rice fields of Ilocandia is one of the favorite vegetable during the season. 

It has green color but flipside is purple. The roots is white and usually included in the dish because it said it has more nutrients with it. Though it can grow as high as two feet but the best age of harvesting the vegetable is during its young age-- about 2 to three inches including the roots.



Ilocanos commonly cook this in dinengdeng dish as one of local vegetable that includes saluyot, kardis, eggplant, squash blossom, kumpitis among others. 

But recipe include blanching and saute it with meat or sardines, but the best dish could be in dinengdeng.

English term known as spleen amaranth and it said to be a medicinal vegetable too.