Homecook Sinigang Na Malaga

If there is one dish that Ilocano usually cook, its sinigang. Living mostly in coastal areas, the abundance of fishes just make it one of the favorite main ingredient of the soury soup base dish. And malaga fish is one at the top of the list of the fishes considered for sinigang.

Malaga is an indigenous fish commonly found in the river where the saltwater and freshwater meet. The right salinity of the water makes this flat and mean fish grow suited to what it needs.

How to cook Sinigang Na Malaga

What you need:

3 kg malaga fish

1 bundle of kangkong (horse radish) young leaves

5 pieces non-hot chili

3 okra (lady finger fruit)

Gabi, mashed

1 cup juiced tamarind

3 pieces tomatoes

Onions

Patis (fish sauce)

Seasoning

5 pieces shrimps

2 pieces string beans

PROCEDURE

1.       Boil water

2.       Put mashed gabi and then tomatoes

3.       Put other vegetables like the string beans and cook for a half minute

4.       Put okra and then malaga fish and cook for 2 minutes

5.       Put all other ingredients for 3 to 5 minutes

6.       Serve

Dinakdakan

Dinakdakan is an Ilocano food usually tender meat that was initially run in fireto ooze the oil and then slice in thin part and added with the very important ingredient... the brain.

It's not any part of the pork's meat, it should be from the neck to head. Cleaned thoroughly, half-cooked and the partly run to the fire or charcoal.

When in desired size it will put in bowl and just added with desired season to taste, a little bit of salt, pepper to make it spicy, vinegar to suite the taste and lastly the most important ingredient (but optional) the brain of the pork.

Its common the dish is served during special occasions of Ilocano like birthday, weddings christening and special days like fiesta, Christmas, new year among others.

Actually, dinakdakan should only be for pulutan, its the good partner for beer and gin but as ilocano love the dish it is now being serve at special gatherings.

Though the mashed brain is optional but is is one that define the dinakdakan. Vinegar and salt alone can make the dish. But when that special ingredient is added it become extraordinary.

Healthier Noodles With Vegetable Twist

miki

            Have you ever heard of “mikilungay” and “mikikalabasa” and “mikiampalaya”?

            In Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, Nemia  Sinabal is making not just a twist of noodles but it is making healthier and nutritional. Well, it’s simply adding the nutrition of vegetables like malunggay (moringga) and the kalabasa (squash) and ampalaya (bitter gourd) in her noodles through her Nimia’s Miki.

            No preservatives. Healthier packed with the nutrition value coming from these vegetables. This is not a noodles, its super-noodles.

Special Crispy Opia

So crispy and so crunchy, have you ever thought that a kind of our favorite hopia would be like this. This why many people—in local and even abroad – are so crazy to have this Special Krispy Hopia.

Actually, this krispy snack food made from the Ilocano “bellaay” or powdered rice have been here and cooked by the old folks long time ago particularly in Pandayan, San Juan, Ilocos Sur. Not until Engr. Arlene Singson ventured and made this available for the people longing for the taste of the rice crispy snack.

Jenny Priala, one of the cook of Lemar’s Food Product said the main ingredient is made from the bellaay combining the regular rice and the glutinous rice. Added with the sesame seed and a little bit of sugar, the crispy Krispy become a favorite.

How To Make Ata-Ata Dish

ATA-ATA dish

Ata-ata is an Ilocano food made from very lean meat of either cow or carabao. For common Ilocano meat eaters this is first class meat dish especially when added with the so called "papait".

The meat is thoroughly cleaned and is cut into desired sizes, sometimes is smaller cube sizes. Yes sir the meat will not be cook but just let the vinegar or calamansi to sterilize and mint the meat.

Add some ingredients like chopped white onions, pepper, ginger and other seasoning that you want to add.

Papait is signature to Ilocano ata-ata dish because of the bitter-sweet taste of the meat.

Of course, though considered to a good food in every meal but the best serving of ata-ata is with favorite wine or beer.

Leddeg, The Freshwater Snail

Ilocano call it as "leddeg"-- the freshwater edible snail commonly found in freshwater area like ponds, lakes and ricefields. Darker in color and have longer tails compared to other escargot like the golden variety.

Season to gather them starts when the raining season comes. Usually thriving in shallow water with muddy soil people gather them by their hands.

The gathered snails are not directly cook as it need to be cleaned and detoxified by letting them live in a pan with clean water.

Cooking the snails can be fried, in fresh coconut milk and the Ilocano way which is "dinengdeng".

Dinengdeng usually have lots of water added with ginger, onions and local vegetables like string beans, squash blooms, white turnip fruits among others.

Taste can be sweet to the tongue of Ilocano. Well, the taste could be differ from other people. This is good for lunch and dinner.

How To Make The Best Kilawen

Ilocano food, Kilawen

Kilawen is an Ilocano favourite recipe served from a raw/half cooked meat of goat, cow, pork and fish. Usually it has lots of onions, onion leaves, pepper, ginger and other spices. The meat is cooked not by fire but through the acidity of organic vinegar or juice extract of citrus fruits like calamansi.

But speaking of kilawen, it’s most kin is goat’s milk.

String Beans Salad

string beans salad by ilocosboy

Speaking of healthy foods, vegetable still the best.
Here is one dish for you... string beans salad.

How to prepare:
Simply half cooked the string beans with salt and favorite seasoning.
Put in the bowl and add the necessary ingredients that includes sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, ginger or pepper to make it little chili, pour a little of your choice vinegar and serve it.

Simply just like that.  Enjoy your salad string beans or as we call it sitaw or utong in Ilocano.