Lutong Filipino

Author: LutongFilipino

  • Adobo Sa Gata

    Adobo Sa Gata

    Adobo sa Gata is one of the Filipino dishes that had many going. If you plan on eating something rich and creamy for lunch or on special occasions then this recipe is definitely for you. It has spices and of course coconut milk that give this dish rich and creamy taste apart from the fact that the ingredients mentioned are famous in the region of Bicol. The Bicolano touch is indeed tasty and make this dish extremely palatable.

    The traditional adobo dish in the Philippines is just tweaked so that it will have a unique taste. If you want it to have a fuller and greatly satisfying taste, you can use native chicken as its primary ingredient in addition to the spices, chilies and gata (coconut milk).

    Adobo sa gata is one of the best dishes ever created and despite of being just the tweak of the original adobo recipe – this dish has been passed down throughout generations and has earned its right as an all-time favorite food not only when celebrating feasts or special occasions but even during ordinary family days. Depending on your preferences, you can use a variety of chilies and spices such as jalapeno, siling labuyo (bird’s eye chili), habanero or serrano to give it a spicy taste.

    Being a traditional dish among Filipinos, different regions would use a variety of ingredients to make it taste better or perhaps more unique. But regardless of what spices you will add, you cannot discount the fact that its preparation is relatively easy even for an inexperienced adobo cook.

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  • Chicken Tinola

    Chicken Tinola

    Are you feeling ill or down in the dumps? Looking for the good old chicken noodle soup to revitalize your body? Well, the Philippines has its own version of chicken soup, known to all Filipino as Tinolang Manok. It is a famous Filipino comfort food that is simple to prepare, soothing and delicious.

    Tinolang Manok or simply called “Tinola” in Tagalog and Cebuano is a chicken ginger stew soup mixed with “siling labuyo” (chili pepper leaves) and green or unripe papaya. It is also called “nilayaan” or “la uya” in Ilocano, which literally means “ginger.” The ginger and the chili pepper leaves make for its distinct flavor.

    Customarily, the dish is prepared by sautéing the garlic, ginger and onion, followed by the “manok” (chicken) and then flavored with fish sauce. It is recommended to cook the mixture about 4-5 minutes to allow all the flavor of the ginger, fish sauce and chicken to blend well. Chicken broth is added and finished by adding chili pepper leaves and green papaya. “Native” or free range chickens are the best chicken to use and the green papaya facilitates in tenderizing the meat of the native chicken. This dish can be an appetizer or the main entree and best paired with rice.

    Other common variants of the dish makes use of the chayote squash as a substitute for the unripe papaya; instead of using the chili pepper leaves, others may use malunggay (moringa) leaves or spinach, especially when living abroad; and to an extreme case, others use seafood or pork instead of using chicken.

    Truly, Tinolang Manok has made its place in many Filipino household as one of its well-loved dishes.

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  • Sinigang Na Bangus

    Sinigang Na Bangus

    Sinigang na bangus is one of the favorite dishes in the Philippines. The sour taste makes it even more appetizing and appealing even to people who have tasted it for the first time. It involves different types of ingredients including mustard greens, tomato and even long green peppers. It actually depends on your preferred taste and the available ingredients in your area. Sinigang na bangus is a type of sour soup and it utilizes different types of souring agent, which may include Kamias or bilimbi.

    The recipe is pretty straight and direct. Within 30 minutes, the soup is going to be ready to be served. It will only require boiling of all ingredients, which makes it easier for you to prepare the dish. Since it requires no sautéing, the soup will not be oily and is healthy once you think of it.

    Bangus is just one of the varied fishes that you can use in sinigang. There are other variety of fishes that you can use such as tilapia and other types that are deemed appropriate for the soup. The soup is also similar to sinigang na baboy (pork), hipon (shrimp) and beef; and the way it is cooked is also the same only this time that the bangus is added towards the end of boiling so that its fibers will not get mushy or too soft.

    So, if you are fond of Filipino dishes and you wanted a uniquely different taste then sinigang na bangus is one of the recommended dishes on your first few attempts at cooking or feasting on Filipino dishes.

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  • Menudo

    Menudo

    If you are looking for Filipino comfort food then Menudo should be on top of your list. There are a lot of people in the Philippines who cannot last a month without preparing and cooking the dish at least once. Sounds familiar? Cook one now!

    Nonetheless, the dish is pretty easy to prepare and cook despite the absence of experience. There are still others who would get addicted to the dish, which would likely become their obsession. The dish is often served during special occasions such as fiestas and rare gatherings of family and friends. However, there is no need for you to wait for a special occasion or feast in order to prepare and cook one.

    The process is simple and the ingredients are relatively easy to acquire. There are also different variations of this dish but we will be focusing on pork menudo this time. The different variations are just proof that this is one of the favorite dishes. Other menudo recipes would include hotdogs, peas, dried raisins and some others depending on your preferences.

    One great advantage of menudo is that you can try out other ingredients along with its primary ingredients. In most cases, this is regional – where other locations would have different ideas when it comes to ingredients. However, different variations do not mean one is better or one would taste totally different from the other. It just represents the preferred taste in one province.

    Menudo has the same name with the Mexican dish – only it is not prepared with tripe but instead with liver and pork slices.

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  • Pork Adobo

    Pork Adobo

    When it comes to cooking and food in the Philippines, the Filipinos are well-known for a signature recipe that permeates through every household and barrios in the whole country. This recipe involves two words: Pork and Adobo.

    Pork Adobo, or as the locals call it “Adobong Baboy”, is an all-time favorite Filipino dish that is cherished, beloved and can be enjoyed by anyone. The word “Adobo” is a Spanish word which signifies a special type of cooking. It basically involves the meat being marinated in herbs or spices and then stewed. The Filipino Adobo is different from its Spanish counterpart in that the Spanish Adobo involves paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar.

    The dish is usually cooked and prepared with the meat (pork) marinated in soy sauce, garlic and vinegar. It is then boiled or browned in oil and then simmered in its marinade. You can have variations in your cooking as you can put or add ingredients such as bay leaves, peppercorns, and other seasonings of your choice.

    The fun thing about the dish is that you don’t have to be exact and specific for the recipe to be perfect. As long as you have the basic ingredients and the right method of cooking, you can create your own customized and style of adobo that fits your taste. It is best served hot with steamed rice.

    The Filipino pork adobo is a dish enjoyed by foreigners and locals alike as one of their favorite Filipino common household dishes and the locals pride it as a dish unique to the Philippine culture.

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  • Pork Sinigang

    Pork Sinigang

    Pork Sinigang is a native cuisine in the Philippines – particularly known for its sour taste. If you want to taste one famous cuisine among locals then this must be one of the first cuisines you must try. 

    Traditionally, sinigang is tamarind-based but calamansi, unripe mango, guava and bilimbi may also be used as souring agent. There are also seasoning powder available in the market that may be used as an alternative if natural sources prove to be challenging to find but if you already have the natural sources on your backyard be our guest!

    If pork is to be used, the main parts included in the soup are pork neck bones, spare ribs, pork belly and even baby back ribs. The bony parts of the pig are usually preferred by many when cooking this dish.

    The meat is usually stewed along with spices such as onions and tomatoes as well as its souring agent – tamarind for example. However, other ingredients may also be added to further enhance the taste such as okra, gabi, kangkong, eggplant, sitaw and labanos. These ingredients are often added to create another version of the traditional sinigang.

     

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  • Lumpia

    Lumpia

    Lumpia is one of the dishes in the Philippines – rich in historical background. It is almost similar to the fried spring rolls in Southeast Asia and is named according to the Chinese term “lunpia,” which is another term for popiah – the popular spring roll.

    The dish can either be fresh or fried. In the Philippines, the fresh lumpia is more of a snack while the fried lumpiang shanghai is best served with rice or as a viand. The dish settled both in Indonesia and Philippines after being brought from China.

    This meat-laden dish in the Philippines has a filling complete of ground pork or beef, carrots, potato, minced onion and other spices along with beaten egg. Some Filipinos use green peas or raisins in addition to the standard ingredients. It is commonly served with its unique sweet and sour sauce, which add flavor to the – already delicious dish. Nonetheless, dipping it on ketchup would be enough to make you crave for more.

    This dish is popularly served in special gatherings like fiestas and celebrations in the same way that Pancit Canton is served during these occasions. A celebration without lumpiang shanghai would be incomplete in the same way that your visit in the Philippines or learning how to cook Filipino dishes would be incomplete without it.

    So, if you are looking for a food that is not too heavy on the stomach but delicious nonetheless, lumpiang shanghai can give you that flavor and spice you’ve always wanted and desired.

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  • Pancit Canton

    Pancit Canton

    Do you have an inclination to eat noodle dishes and loving every moment of it? Well, Pancit Canton is a Filipino version of a noodle dish. It is one of the traditional cuisines served not only when there are occasions to celebrate but also during ordinary family gathering.

    From a historical viewpoint, Pancit Canton was introduced by the Chinese and has since then become part of traditional Filipino dishes. There are several types of noodles available in the market today. In fact, it is very common among fine restaurants and even in local restaurants.

    Did you know that Pancit Canton is never absent in birthday occasions? It is because basing on tradition – Pancit Canton can give long life. Apart from this interesting symbolism, it is one of the first delicacies you must taste whether you are just visiting the country or want to cook Filipino dishes on your own.

    The dish make use of several ingredients including pork or chicken meat, shrimp, sausage and vegetables like cabbage. The finished dish is colorful and festive – plus it can give carbohydrate loading.

    You can cook Pancit Canton at your very own home and serve it during ordinary meal time or on afternoon picnic or snacks. When it comes to this dish, the sky is the limit to the ingredients you can add. Some people even sprinkle powdered pepper to add some spicy flavor. You can use your imagination on what you would like to add – especially ones that will effectively enhance the dish.

    So, the next time you want to cook something delicious and can give you a carbohydrate load, try Pancit Canton – you won’t regret that you did.

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  • Chop Suey

    Chop Suey

    Craving for a vegetable dish? Or are you looking for a nutritious, cheap, easy to prepare and of course delicious food? Then look no further, because here’s a dish that would surely satisfy your hunger and makes you wanting for more. It’s Chop suey.

    Chop suey literally “assorted pieces” in traditional Chinese is a dish that becomes a prominent part of American Chinese, Filipino and other Asian cuisine. It is a mixture of meat (pork, chicken, beef or shrimps) and shredded vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and bell peppers bound in a starch-thickened sauce. Others even added mushrooms and quail eggs, mixing all the flavors together. It is even labeled as a “savory mess” according to one translation.

    It is commonly believed that this dish is invented by Chinese Americans, however anthropologist E.N. Anderson conclude that it originates from a Chinese cuisine known as “tsap seui” (miscellaneous leftovers), which was first prepared from various leftovers. It had its roots in Toisan, a county in Guangdong Province, where many of the early Chinese immigrants to the US came from. Vegetable farmers from Toisan would stir-fry the thinning and shoots of unsold vegetable approximately ten varieties of vegetables in a dish. Nevertheless, a long list of often conflicting stories on the origin of this dish would emerge and according to the words of a food historian, Alan Davidson, it is typical of popular foods and “a prime example of culinary mythology.”

    It has been one of the main dishes of Filipino homes because of its cost-effective, easiness in preparation and nutritive value. It is high in calories and fat that would satisfy one’s satiety and provide the body with much needed nutrients. However, despite of its high caloric level, this dish can be altered like using chicken instead of pork, adding more vegetables and using less oil. That is why it is perfect as a light meal or even as a diet.

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  • Turon

    Turon

    If you are in search for a delicious Filipino dessert, Turon (otherwise known as Sweet Banana Rolls) would be one of the foods that you must try. The wrapper used in this dessert is similar to the ones used in making Lumpia. Did you know that “turon” comes from “Turron de Banana,” which is a Spanish word?

    Yes, this delicious dessert in the Philippines is not only a food but one with an interesting historical background, as well.

    The best ingredient to use is “saba.” It is prepared on spring roll wrappers before it will be deeply fried along with sugar glaze. There are a variety of filling that you can add as palatable ingredient including – cheddar cheese, coconut, sweet potato, mango and even “ube.”

    Philippine streets would not be complete with “turon” as one of the street food snacks that people can indulge into. It is sometimes sold with camote cue and banana cue. In many homes, it is also served as dessert after a meal or can be brought to a picnic as snack.

    In many instances, “turon” is flavored with jackfruit to give it an authentic taste and aroma that would make it hard to resist. It is best to eat this delicacy after freshly cooked so that you can savor its taste. However, the sugar glaze can preserve its crispiness so you can still enjoy the food long after it has been cooked.

    But be careful – the filling of “turon” could be hot so you might want to wait out until it has cooled down a bit before basking on the glory of eating this heavenly dessert.

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