dinengdeng/buridibod nga ube, purple yam stew with veggies

Ube or ubi, the "real" and popularly known ube (purple yam; being different from that of "puraw nga ube"). I was lucky enough to spot huge pieces of ube roots being sold by industrious folks displaying garden produce and wild leafy greens and roots along the national highway in Iguig, Cagayan (exactly on the Tuguegarao-Iguig boundary arch, on that road going to the Saint Clare Monastery, where vendors usually sell vegetables, wild mushrooms, freshwater fish and shells, edible insects, etc. to the devotees who flock the monastery chapel every Sunday and on holidays). I readily bought a 2-kilogram worth at PhP30 a kilo.

And so with it, I continue my buridibod/baradibod-making escapade (after kamote, tugi, and puraw nga ube):

This is quite large, more that two kilograms actually, but this is medium sized compared to the other roots for sale. I only need this for now, for my ube buridibod of the day (actually this is good for even five buridibud serving/cooking):

Freshly picked vegetables are also on sale so I have pallang, sabong ti karabasa and bilonak (kubay, alugbati) for the buridibod:

The bilonak is so fresh, I set asided half of the bundle for a salad later:

Peeling up the ube and cutting it up into cubes--see how purple, how lavender, how violet it is?

The veggies... and it's ready!

My ube buridibod cooking. As is the "tradition" in dinengdeng-making, I put in the ube when the bugguong broth bubbled, for it to cook first and when it's tender, the veggies to be cooked briefly to retain its "greenery" and crispness--the pallang is somewhat sweet when it's not overcooked:

And here's it again, in its fullness and basicness (no sagpaw this time, just plain ube and veggies). Again, I made the ube gave in its starchy richness to thicken and sweeten the broth and the whole of the dinengdeng/buridibod:

It's so good, I almost ate the dinengdeng solo (alunos), with almost no rice! How about that?

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dinengdeng/buridibod nga ube (puraw), white yam stew with veggies and fried fish

Buridibod/baradibud, still. That unique Ilokano vegetable dish suffused with tubers or roots, specifically yams and that of sweet potato (camote, kamotig, kamotit, or kaong). We've done it with tugi (lesser yam). Now, let's do it with yet another yam, a white yam commonly called "puraw nga ube" in Allacapan, Cagayan (puraw because it's not lavender or violet as in purple yam, which is the popularly known ube [ube itself is the color purple/violet]). Whatever it is (I suspect it's buga, but I'm not keen with these wild Philippine yams), it's one perfect yam for buridibod:

The digging. This yam rooted itself deep down afoot a citrus tree in Brgy Tamboli, Allacapan, Cagayan:

See, it promises a really humongous root, with that slender vine into it, akin to a floating tiny tip of a giant iceberg:

And there it is, the hulk and bulk of a root, our white yam finally dug out for all to see (the smaller one is a separate part):

I contented myself with the smaller root, it will suffice a couple of good buridibods. I paired it with kalunay (native spinach, amaranth, kulitis), pallang, tarong and okra:

Preparing the ingredients to my buridibod. Peeling up, cutting up...

The yam simmering with fried tilapia heads atop to savor and bless it (I put in the quartered yam when the bugguong-flavored broth bubbled, with some sliced onions on the side):

Simmer until the yam is kind of tender, and then put in the veggies, tarong and pallang and okra first and then the kalunay atop. I topped it with another fried tilapia head just for the heck of it:

Cooking of the veggies should be quick, I don't want them wilted and soggy, I want them crisp as ever:

It's simple as that, the buridibod is done. I made it somewhat pulpy, taking advantage of its perfect starch, I mashed some cuts to make the broth thick and therefore rich and creamy. The fried tilapia has done justice for the dinengdeng to be more savory and tasty. Mangantayon! 

(Can't ge enough of puraw nga ube buridibud? Try my kamote buridibod or my tugi buridibod. And wait for my "ube nga ube"--purple yam--buridibod!)

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