Laing,
Taro Leaves
Locally called gabi,
Cooked in coconut milk...
A regular gift
that we get from our Bicolano relatives,
sometimes with meat,
sometimes with shrimps,
but spicy and hot
like the Bicolano temperament.
While growing up, our parents had to force us to eat
this green-grey vegetable dish...
Now that I am vegetarian,
today's trip to my grandma's hometown,
became a culinary adventure...
So, I went to the market
to buy me some taro leaves,
Fifteen pesons for a semi-dried taro plant
Twenty pesos for the coconut milk,
Some onions and garlic,
Taro or Gabi is so cheap and abundant,
but all the other vegetables
are insanely expensive
in my grandma's coastal town...
Had the coconut grated,
then pressed,
brought my ingredients home....
It is so easy to prepare Laing,
this time just pure vegetarian Laing,
no meat nor shrimps,
just the gabi plant,
from the roots, to the stalks, to the leaves,
cooked in coconut milk,
threw in some ginger, onions, garlic and salt....
And yes, it is delicious...
Maray na aldaw sa indong gabus!
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| coconut grater |
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| cooconut milk presser |
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| a very interesting presser |
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| the entire gabi plant can be shredded and cooked |
