My mother is Filipino, and I was lucky enough to eat some wonderful Filipino food growing up. Sadly, Filipino cuisine doesn't seem to have much of a following outside of its native country. Even online, it's almost impossible to find authentic Filipino recipes. That's part of the reason why I've sworn to put as many genuine Filipino recipes as possible into this blog, as taught to me by my family.
I think the reason Filipino food doesn't have a big following is because, overall, it's not fancy, nor does it require exotic spices or cooking techniques. It's not usually something you'd serve at a formal dinner party. It's a shame, because Filipino food is delicious, satisfying, and usually quite healthy.
This vegetable stew is typical of many Filipino foods. It's a mix of readily available garden ingredients and a small amount of meat, cooked simply, yet resulting in outstanding flavor. It made an almost daily appearance on my grandmother's table, if only as a side dish. My mother used to make this stew at least once a week when our garden was at its most productive. Ingredients of this dish aren't set in stone: if it's available and growing in the garden, it went in. Eggplant, peppers, summer squash, beans, tomatoes.....it was all good. Often, the vegetables were picked while still small and added to the pot whole.
As often as we make dinengdeng, we never tire of eating it. We can eat bowl after bowl and still crave more. Even my non-Filipino husband eagerly digs into every batch of dinengdeng, no matter how often I make it. My mom says it's because the human body knows what's good for it. And it's true that this dish is very healthy as well as addictive.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork, diced into 1/2-inch pieces. Don't use super-lean pork, it doesn't stew well. Country-style pork ribs or pork butt is ideal.
2 tblsp. vegetable or canola oil.
1 onion, diced.
6 cloves garlic, minced.
1 can diced tomatoes, or 3-4 diced fresh tomatoes.
1 lb. whole okra. Frozen is fine, but thaw before using.
One butternut squash, 1-2 lbs, peeled, seeded and diced.
1 lb eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces. The long Chinese or Asian eggplant is best, and can be used without peeling or salting. If using the larger Italian eggplant, peel it first and liberally salt the pieces to draw out the bitterness. Let the salted eggplant sit for at least 20 minutes, then rinse before cooking.
1 lb green beans. Whole green beans are best. Frozen is fine, but be sure to thaw them first.
3 banana peppers, left whole.
2 tblsp. Fish sauce. It's used in many South Asian cuisines, and is pretty easy to find nowdays.
Water (optional)
Salt, to taste. Don't be surprised if you use more salt than expected...the veggies tend to really absorb it.
Put a large 6-8 qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions, garlic and pork. Saute until the pork is well-browned, maybe 15-25 minutes. Don't panic if bits of pork stick to the bottom of the pan. That's actually desirable and will help add flavor.
Once the pork is browned, add the diced tomatoes and some water, if extra liquid is needed. You want about 1-2 inches of liquid in the pot. Add the fish sauce and some salt, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Next, you add the vegetables. The vegetables need to be added in layers, according to how fast they cook. First, the diced butternut squash. Stir it in to the simmering pork mixture. The peppers go on top, followed by the eggplant, the okra, and finally the green beans. Do NOT stir! Cover the pot, and turn the heat up to medium. Don't worry if the vegetables rise higher than the lid...happens to me all the time! It'll cook down. Let everything simmer for 20 minutes. Occasionally stick your spoon through the layers and scrape the bottom to prevent sticking, but try not to disturb the layers.
After 20 minutes, stir the entire pot to mix the veggies. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until all the veggies are tender, and taste for seasonings. Serve over a bed of hot white rice.
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