Laing

Laing is a dish that originated from the part of the Bicol Region, is basically a vegetable dish with coconut milk. Yam or commonly known as gabi leaf is used and long green pepper is used to give it a kick. There are many versions to this, it is up to the availability of the ingredients and basically the budget of the household as to the additional ingredients that would want to make it more special for their family and friends to enjoy. Below is one of the versions:

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 stalks of gabi with leaves

1 piece of medium sized grated coconut

2 tablespoons of bagoong alamang (alamang is from a shrimp family which is very small and cooked; used for seasoning and for dipping)

1 daing (any salted and dried fish)

1 siling berde (a variety of chili, which is light green color; usually used for paksiw)

1 tablespoon of ginger

PROCEDURE:

1. Dry the leaves and stalks of gabi for about 12 hours. Cut it into small pieces.
   
2. Squeeze out the milk from coconut by adding 1 and ½ cups of water.
   
3. Let the coconut boil together with bagoong alamang, daing, siling berde and ginger.
   
4. Add in the gabi leaves and stalks and let it cook until the liquid is almost dry.
   

This dish can last from 2 to 3 days especially when it is almost dry and the liquid left is coconut oil when cooked.