When I woke up this morning, my mom asked me if it’s ok if we have fried tilapia and vegetable for lunch and I said it’s fine. Then, I felt that fried fish and vegetables is so common and we have it almost every week. Kind of boring right? I know it’s healthy but there is still another way to enjoy both worlds, right?
I quickly search the net and found this pesang tilapia recipe. We seldom have pesang isda and it’s a knew way to enjoy fish and vegetables. I quickly told my mom to buy the vegetables for pesang tilapia since she’s on her way to the market.
The recipe’s technique was adapted from Panlasang Pinoy. In his recipe he fried the tilapia which is unusual but it makes sense. Frying the tilapia will give it a solid body which prevents it from disintegrating during the cooking process. We don’t want our fish to be all over the broth so fry your fish. Also, frying the fish gives the broth a whole lot of flavor compared with simply simmering the fish into the broth.
First, pesang tilapia is a dish wherein the fish is simmered into a ginger broth and vegetables are added. The vegetables used are similar to nilagang baka, like Baguio beans, cabbage, potatoes and Petchay Baguio. Come to think of it, it’s like nilaga with the addition of ginger and it became pesa recipe. You can use any kind of fish like mud fish, milk fish etc. Though the common fish used is dalag or mud fish.
Ingredients
4 pieces Small Tilapia, cut into two parts
Salt
Oil for frying
3 Tablesooons Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Grated Ginger
4 cloves Garlic
1 piece Onion
6-8 cups Rice Wash or Water
3 medium sized Potatoes, quartered
20 pieces Baguio Beans, cut into two
1/2 head Cabbage
1/2 head Petchay Baguio
1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper
Patis or Fish Sauce
Black Pepper
Chopped Onion Chives
Procedure
Thoroughly clean the tilapia and season with salt. Marinate for 20 minutes and fry until golden brown. Set aside.
Saute ginger, garlic and onion into the vegetable oil. Add two cups of the rice wash and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fried tilapia, potatoes and the rest of the rice wash. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Add the Baguio beans and simmer for five minutes. Add the cabbage, Petchay Baguio and whole black pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes. Season with fish sauce and black pepper. Garnish with onion chives.
