baradibud a tugi, lesser yam vegetable stew

Buridibod a tugi (click photo to enlarge)

Yet another buridibod or root vegetable stew, and this time we'll use tugi (lesser yam, Dioscorea esculenta Lour.). Tugi may not be usually used as a buridibod root ingredient as common as the usual camote or taro or ube. But it's equally good, I always make one when I chance upon some tugi in the local market. Tugi, for some, is only meant to be boiled or magettaan (cooked in coconut milk) and eaten simply as is, for a carbo snack. But for me, it's an indispensable ingredient for yet another hearty veggie Ilokano dish

Tugi (click photo to enlarge).

To go with the tugi for this buridibod, I opted for "native" pallang (winged beans), "native" kalunay (spinach, amaranth), and katuday flower.

Tugi, pallang, kalunay, katuday (click photo to enlarge).

Cook it as you would cook a buridibod, boil the tugi first until tender, and then put in the greens. Do not overcook the veggies. Here I added in some pre-fried shrimps to enhance flavor and aroma.

Tugi baradibod (click photo to enlarge).

The rest of the tugi, of course, I boiled it for merienda. Perfect with black coffee. Or an ice-cold soda, if that's what you're addicted into ;-).

Boiled tugi (click photo to enlarge).

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