The leaves of the marunggay (moringa oleifera) or marunggi, as Ilokanos fondly call it, can be prepared in a variety of ways. Foremost, it is a basic, even vital, ingredient in the inabraw or dinengdeng potpourri of veggie leafy greens, shoots and tops and pods and fruits.
Or, as a solo marunggi broth perfect for a nutritious igup or labay.
I love it also as a leafy topping in my instant pancit mami.
It is also inevitable as a leafy mix in sauteed pinablad (boiled) a balatong (mung beans) and other dried beans/legumes or any other pusi like kardis, patani or parda. It's also a preferred garnishing in tinola a manok if sili or paria leaves are scarce.
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And of course, as a salad or kinilnat as simple as itself, slightly boiled or blanched and dipped in bugguong with some tomato slices or a perres (squeeze) of calamansi. Or dressed, drenched with bugguong.
I love marunggi salad and I want it fast, quick, express that my fancy way of blanching it is that I just dip it whole, stalks with leaves intact, in a boiling water for a minute or two, season it, garnish it, and then enjoy it, as it is, again, with the stalks serving as a convenient "stick" to to hold it to your eager mouth, and consume the sumptous leaves right away with your steamed rice.
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Ahh, the simplicity, the versatility and the Ilocano frugality of it all... What a gastronomic bliss!
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(Originally blogged June 30, 2009)
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