pinakbet ingredients

These, typically, are the vegetable ingredients of the famous pinakbet, the basic of which, are tarong (eggplant), paria (bitter melon), kamatis (tomato), okra and the obligatory lasona/sibuyas (onion), bawang (garlic) and laya (ginger). These the basic ingredients of an authentic Ilokano pinakbet. Or may be even reduced to only paria, tarong kamatis, in some cases where no other vegatables are readily available to be picked in the garden when the bugguong broth is already boiling. These are the basic essentials, Ilokano-wise, period. Sweet chili (sili nga aruy-oy) may be an staple but it's only an add on, just like utong or kardis. And please, please, no karabasa (squash fruit), because a real Ilokano pinakbet has no karabasa in it but only in a Tagalog pakbet (which is usually sautéed, bagoong-alamang-flavored, and with broth akin to a soup, etc.). And only "native" round paria is used, not the hybrid longish ones which is not that any bitter at all. Pait (bitterness) after all defines Ilokano palate.

Paria.

Tarong. The longish, slender ones are preferred for pinakbet. Also the small green (white) round ones.

Okra.

Kamatis, lasona, bawang.

With laya.

Some of the other optional ingredients:

Kardis (kadyos, pigeon pea)

Bagas ti kamote (kaong, camote, sweet potato). This is used in an Ilokano pinakbet, instead of karabasa, to sweeten and thicken the broth.

Sili nga aruy-oy.

Bunga ti marunggay.

Bunga ti utong.

Kabatiti.

Patani. 

Pallang (winged bean)

Alukon (Photo by Leilanie Adriano)

Bunga ti Singkamas (Photo from Ilokano Food)

And now, to the pinakbets!

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kilawen a tirong, a picnic by the beach

Tirong is small saltwater fish. It's called bonnet mouth fish and is the ingredient in the popular bugguong (bagoong, fish sauce/paste) called bugguong a tirong. Tirong when fully grown (to its adult size) is called "dalagang bukid" and is great for sinigang and escabeche or simply as fried. And of course, the inevitable kilawen, freshly caught tirong eaten raw with the pristine saltiness and sweetness and succulence of the raw sea.

Kilawen a tirong.

Stopping by at Candon City on our way to a writer's convention in La Union, we decided to rest awhile and while away the thick and humid Ilocos summer heat and take a dip at the Ilocos Sur sea.

We went to a beach at Barangay Calungboyan and there we were lucky enough to come upon some fishermen who just came ashore in a rakit (balsa, bamboo raft) with their sea bounty.

There, the precious tirong, about 3 kilos of it, the only catch so far of the jolly Ilokano mangngalap (fisherman), besides a single pana-pana (sea urchin) and a baby kurita (octopus).

We bought all the tirong, of course, as we are so over-eager to have a taste of its freshness, its inviting deliciousness, its mouth-watering rawness...

We unanimously voted to have it as kilawen. No way should its freshness and succulence be wasted! And so we simply made it with available condiments. We poured vinegar on the tirong and it's done, it's that simple. With some salt and chili by the side.

You have to pick the tirong by hand, have some salt on it and eat it right on, have your mouth and palate some guilty pleasures. Its flesh is sweetish, a little bitter because of its intact entrails, briny with the natural taste of the raw sea. Eat it all, fishhead and fishbone, it's so small you can chew all its goodness.


And but of course, it's more palatable and with drinks, its inevitable partner. We've got a case of Red Horse Litro to down the great kilawen a tirong.

Ah! Goodness gracious, how refreshing and delectable life could be at the seashore. Life's a beach, indeed!

Drinkers. :-)

Calongbuyan Beach
Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

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More kilawen nga ikan:

• Kilawen a bilis, raw sardine/herring
• Kilawen a talibukno
• Kilawen a bilis manen, sardine/herring ceviche
• Kilawen a taburkit/munamon
• Kilawen a pusit/laki

For more Ilokano dishes and others like this kilawen, you can follow Ilokano Food page on Facebook.

Follow also Ilokano Food @ Instagram and subscribe to Ilokano Food YoutTube channel for more photos, videos, and stories about Ilokano food, cooking, cuisine, and culture.

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octopus adobo

Kurita. Octopus. At its freshest state of being, freshly caught and brought out from the sea, kurita is priceless for its sweet succulence. I chanced upon a kurita in the local wet market one Sunday morning. I decided to make it into an adobo a kurita, one of the most common dish made with octopuses and squids.

Wash the kurita thoroughly. Cut it in bite size. Discard the innards, spare some of the ink sac to be used to thicken and "blacken" the adobo.

I cooked it just like like what an adobo should be. But because this is not the usual pork or chicken or beef meat, I had to saute the garlic (browned) and onions (caramelized) first in cooking oil, And then I briefly stir fried the cut kurita, poured in some ink, some soy sauce, some vinegar and some cracked peppers. Cooking kurita should be quick, get it done with a few stirs. Do not overcooked or the kurita becomes like a hard rubber/plastic. Cook it as fast as possible to retain its soft texture and sweetish freshness.

I made mine thicker with more ink. You can moderate thickness or blackness by the amount of ink you put in. I think I made it with more ink as this looks like a dinardaraan (dinuguan, blood stew) than an adobo! Ha-ha!

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dinengdeng once more, because one can live in dinengdeng alone

And here we come again, and what else but to indulge yet again on dinengdengs, I can't help it, really! This is sweet indulgence, and if this is some kind of an addiction, I'm a willing victim, I oblige, me, a bugguong lover.

And here are more of the recent beloved dinengdengs that I lovingly made and faithfully enjoyed:

Pallang, tarong, marunggay, with grilled fish.
(Click on photo for a larger view)

This really is a medley! You have there a unique black utong (string beans), patani (lima/broad beans), kardis (kadios, pigeon pea), and kalunay (local spinach or amaranth). 
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Utong, patani, kardis, marunggay leaves, with grilled bangus.
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Utong, okra, singkamas (jicama) fruit, with grilled fish. Photo from Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte FB Page.
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Utong, kabatiti, with clams. Photo by Leilanie Adriano
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Alukon flowerettes, with dried fish.
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Aba (gabi, taro) stalks, leaves and root stewed with lots of crushed ginger to make it spicier. I added a little cane vinegar to sour it. If available, use fresh young tamarind fruit, or green mango, or pias (kamias).
(Click on photo for a larger view)

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kilawen a pusit/laki, squid ceviche

Laki. Or pusit. Squid. Preferably fresh, it's prepared, cooked, and served in a variety of ways. As a soup with souring agents like tomatoes or pias, stewed, as an adobo, grilled, stuffed, as a kilawen, etc. It's an all-year round sea bounty readily available in your local/public wet market.

We came upon this unusually huge laki being sold in a roadside talipapa
along the Maharlika Highway in Tuguegarao City and we preferred
to buy it singly than some smaller ones. This one weighs one and a half kilos!
(Click photo for a larger view)

To take advantage of its pristine freshness, we decided to make
it into a kilawen (ceviche).  The laki was cut, its head and
entrails (its ink sac preserved) removed and set aside;
its plastic-like "bone" or gladius discarded. 
(Click photo for a larger view)

The laki flesh was scalded with boiling water and then simmered with it for some minutes to slightly cook. It should not be overcooked else the flesh will toughen. It should stay soft and succulent.
(Click photo for a larger view)

Cutting the laki flesh into flat, bite-size strips done. Onions and ginger, next.
(Click photo for a larger view)

Then the calamansi...
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The calamansi is squeezed into, its seeds strained...
(Click photo for a larger view)

... And here's the kilawen a laki or pusit. Thoroughly mixed with the onions, ginger, calamansi juice, and seasoned with some salt (pepper is optional, but chili fermented in vinegar is better). The flesh is so palatable and delicious, succulent and sweet, softly chewy.
(Click photo for a larger view)

Perfect as pulotan (finger food) for drinks.
(Click photo for a larger view)

Meanwhile, the head, tentacles and entrails were cut, with the ink,
 and prepared for a sinigang a pusit. With some tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic.
(Click photo for a larger view)

Saute sliced onions, cracked garlic, some tomatoes. Then add in the sliced laki. Stir fry quickly. Add the squid ink. Stir to evenly mix. Then add some water. Optionally if you it more spicy, add some hot peppers (chili). Boil  and simmer quickly. Season with salt. Put off fire and serve immediately. Do not overcook, or the laki will become tough.
(Click photo for a larger view)

The squid sinigang's savory black soup.
(Click photo for a larger view)

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