Laing Recipe is probably one of my favorite vegetable dish. It is made of dried taro leaves simmered in coconut cream. You can sometimes mixed it with pork, shrimps or even flaked smoked fish. It is best when cooked with chili and best paired with fried or grilled fish.
Laing is probably a Bicolano dish, judging from how Bicolanos love their coconut cream. I used to hate coconut cream based dishes. I find it too rich. However, when I grew older, for no reason I just fell in love with it. I find that the spicier version of coconut cream based dishes balances the rich flavor of the coconut cream.
The first time I had laing was when I was in college. Our neighbor gave us a cup of it and from then on I fell in love with it. I find that the tastiest version of laing is the one flavored with flaked tinapa or smoked fish. It just impart a nice smoky flavor to laing.
I have no plan of cooking this laing recipe this week. However, while I was strolling the grocery I found these packs of dried taro leaves and an idea pop up. Why not laing for this week. So I grabbed two pack and two cans of coconut cream and this recipe was born.
Oh! It’s only the three of us in our home right now and my dad hates coconut cream based dishes. He would rather eat canned sardines than to have it. So, it’s only me and my mom who’s going to enjoy this.
Tips
My college Bicolana friend brought us to her home in Bicol and she generously gave us several packs of dried taro leaves. That was the first time I cooked it and it was a mess. Our neighbor told me not to mix it frequently. This will make the laing too mushy. Lesson learned that is.
This laing recipe uses pork belly to flavor the dish. Just make sure you fried the pork belly until golden brown to give it a nice flavor. However, flaked tinapa or smoked fish would be a nice alternative. I also added some tablespoons of bagoong alamang to gave it a nice umami flavor. However, feel free to omit it if you are allergic to seafoods.
Most laing recipe don’t add vinegar to their recipe. However, I find that the vinegar somewhat cut the rich flavor of the coconut cream. Don’t worry it won’t taste sour.
For more coconut cream based dishes, check out our Gata Recipes.
Ingredients
| 250 grams | Pork Belly, cut into cubes |
| 1 cup | Water |
| 3 Tablespoons | Olive Oil |
| 3 pieces | Thumb – sized Ginger, cut into strips |
| 8 cloves | Garlic, chopped |
| 1 piece | Onion, chopped |
| 1 Tablespoon | Cooked Alamang |
| 1 Tablespoon | Cooked Spicy Alamang |
| 1 piece | Pork Bouilon Cube |
| 2 cans | 200 grams Coconut Cream |
| 1 cup | Water |
| 1/4 teaspoon | Ground Black Pepper |
| 2 Tablepsoons | Fish Sauce |
| 2 Tablepsoons | White Vinegar |
| 150 grams | Dried Taro Leaves |
| 1 piece | Red Chili |
| Salt to taste |
Procedure
In a pan, combine pork belly and water. Boil and simmer until water runs out and pork fat oozes out from the pork belly. Stir fry the pork belly until golden brown. Place the pork belly on the other side of the pan.
Add olive oil and sauté ginger, garlic and onion. Add alamang and continue sautéing.
Drop the pork bouillon cube and pour the coconut cream, water, ground black pepper, fish sauce and white vinegar.
Add the dried taro leaves. Make sure to submerge everything. Cover the pan and let it simmer until the sauce almost dries out, roughly an hour and a half to two hours. Stir every 30 minutes to avoid burning the bottom. Add the chili and season with salt.
Laing Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 grams Pork Belly, cut into cubes
- 1 cup Water
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 piece Thumb – sized Ginger, cut into strips
- 8 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 piece Onion, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Cooked Alamang
- 1 Tablespoon Cooked Spicy Alamang
- 1 piece Pork Bouillon Cube
- 2 cans 200 grams Coconut Cream
- 1 cup Water
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- 150 grams Dried Taro Leaves
- 1 piece Red Chili
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a pan, combine pork belly and water. Boil and simmer until water runs out and pork fat oozes out from the pork belly. Stir fry the pork belly until golden brown. Place the pork belly on the other side of the pan.
- Add olive oil and sauté ginger, garlic and onion. Add alamang and continue sautéing.
- Drop the pork bouillon cube and pour the coconut cream, water, ground black pepper, fish sauce and white vinegar.
- Add the dried taro leaves. Make sure to submerge everything. Cover the pan and let it simmer until the sauce almost dries out, roughly an hour and a half to two hours. Stir every 30 minutes to avoid burning the bottom. Add the chili and season with salt.
