Laing: Taro Leaves Cooked in Coconut Milk

What is Laing ?

Taro Leaves cooked in Coconut Milk!

Laing is a dish indigenous to the Bicol province. Rich and creamy, it's made from dried taro or gabi leaves and coconut milk. 

In the Philippines, we would buy fresh gabi leaves, separate the leaves from the stalks and dry the leaves under the sun for a couple of hours before we can use them.

Drying takes out the uncomfortable palate texture or kati the taro leaves give when you eat them.

The most practical and convenient way to go about this is to buy the packaged dried taro leaves. Available in Asian markets, they're ready to use and just reconstituted with the coconut milk during cooking.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

    * Dried Taro Leaves
    * Pork loin or shoulders
    * Coconut Milk
    * Long Chili Peppers

IN THE PANTRY:

    * Garlic
    * Onion
    * Salt
    * Ginger
    * Sauteed Shrimp Paste(Bagoong Alamang)
    * Cooking Oil

WHAT ARE THE NEEDED INGREDIENTS?

    * 4 cups Dried Taro Leaves
    * 1/2 pound Pork loin or shoulders, boiled and cut in strips
    * 2 cans Coconut Milk
    * 1 piece Long Chili Peppers, cut in strips
    * 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
    * 1 medium Onion, chopped
    * 1 teaspoon Salt
    * 1 thumbsize Ginger, cut in strips
    * 2 tablespoons Sauteed Shrimp Paste(Bagoong Alamang)
    * 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil for sauteing

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes

COOKING TIME : 20 minutes

1 Saute the garlic, onion and ginger in cooking oil. Add the pork and cook for 2 minutes.

2 Add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.

3 Cook until the taro leaves have fully absorbed the coconut milk and almost rendering fat.

4 Serve with rice.

COOK'S TIPS

    * For those who don't like eating a chunk of ginger can just shred it instead of cutting in strips.
    * When buying coconut milk for cooking a savory dish, look for one with 0(zero) sugar content on its Nutrition label. You would not like the hint of sweetness for savory dishes.
    * You can use peeled shrimps with this dish if you want. Add them during the last couple minutes of cooking so it doesn't get rubbery and tough.

MY RATINGS:
I for once visited Bicol Region in the Philippines! They introduced to me this food and I like it.  It was my first time to eat but I heard this menu several times. For this I give a 92 score.. Exotic yet yummy!

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