11/30/2010

langka/jackfruit and pallang/winged bean dinengdeng

Langka (or anangka; jackfruit) is one of my favorite fruits, not just when it's ripe but most especially when the fruit is yet young and tender which is usually used/prepared as a "vegetable." Young jackfruit as a vegetable is not exclusively Ilokano as it is prepared and cooked in a variety of ways in the Philippines. Bicolanos love to cook it in coconut milk and chilis just like Bicol Express. In the Visayas, it is boiled with pork hocks or knuckles and kardis (kadios, pigeon pea). And it's great with sinigang be it meat (pork, beef) or fish. Ilokanos add it in their pinablad (boiled balatong, utong, pusi and other dried beans). It's also simply sautéed in oil with pork or chicken. And of course, as a dinengdeng with (or without) other veggies. I also love boiled langka as a salad, with KBL (kamatis-bugguong-lasona). I particularly prefer a solo dinengdeng a langka, stewed dry in bugguong and with kamatis (tamatis, tomato). I also stew it with young salamagi (tamarind) fruit whenever available.


One vegetable I love to pair with langka is pallang (winged bean). They'll be a great combination for a dinengdeng especially when lightly soured with kamatis or salamagi. Pallang as a solo dinengdeng soured with salamagi is also a favorite.

A "native" pallang.
Another variety (hybrid) of pallang called "puraw a pallang" ("white pallang")

And here's my dinengdeng a langka ken pallang. I cooked it somewhat dry with just a little but very tasty and delicious broth. The immature seeds of langka is sweet (the mature seed of the ripe fruit, meanwhile, is also edible and makes a great merienda when boiled, it tastes nutty like peanut):



Great with steamed rice suffused with a little cooking/palm oil!

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