What's for dinner: Dinengdeng/Inabraw (Veggie Stew)

Bahay kubo, kahit munti,
ang halaman duon ay sari-sari.
Singkamas at talong,
Sigarilyas at mani.
Sitaw, bataw, patani.
Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa.
At saka meron pa,
Labanos, mustasa.
Sibuyas, kamatis,
Bawang at luya.
Sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.

This is a classic (ever most famous) Filipino folk song. It's about a small humbled hut with lots of
veggie plants around. Anyway, I was singing this because of the menu I am going to talk about today is about an Ilocano vegetable stew known as Dinengdeng (also called Inabraw by others).

Dinengdeng (Bagoong based Vegetable stew)

Dinengdeng is a staple in every Ilocano home (my home). It may be the main dish to go with rice (innapuy in ilocano) or as a side dish with other meat/fish dishes like adobo, grilled or fried fish, pork chop, etc. Dinengdeng
is a bagoong, or bugguong in ilocano (salted/fermented bonnet mouth fish or the shiokara), soup based vegetable stew.

  Its content is of your liking but most common ingredients are as follows:

String beans and Sigarilyas

Calabaza or Squash

Alukon / Birch flower

Sigarilyas

Saluyot leaves / Jute

Okra

Bagoong isda / Anchovy

String beans, Kalabasa (squash), Squash leaves, Squash flower /blossom, Okra, Malunggay fruit, Malunggay (Moringa) leaves, Ampalaya fruit (bitter gourd), Ampalaya leaves, Eggplant, Kamote tops, Alukon/Bungon/Himbaba-o (Birch flower or floret), Patani (kidney beans or lima beans), Patola (Luffa or sponge gourd), Saluyot leaves (Jute, Egyptian spinach o bush okra), Bamboo shoots, Papaya, Sitcharo (parda beans), Kamote (Sweet potato), Sigarilyas (winged seguidillas beans), Talinum, and kadios (pigeon peas). It is different from Pinakbet or Pakbet. Some of the ingredients of Dinengdeng may be used in Pakbet. Its difference is that it's not as soupy as Dinengdeng. Anyways, enough with the talk and lets go gather our ingredients and do the cooking.



Dinengdeng

Ingredients:
5 pcs. Okra cut in halves
3-5 pcs. String bean, cut into 3 inch long
1 bunch of Saluyot leaves/Jute
1 small round eggplant cut in halves
1 tomato cut into quarters
1 small onion chopped into quarters and 1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch Alukon (Birch flower)
1-2 cups of Squash/Calabaza (cut into cubes)
 5 pcs sigarilyas/winged seguidillas beans cut into 2 inch
1 small kamote/sweet potato
Bagoong Isda/Fish sauce (aka Anchovy sauce)
1 pc Knorr Fish or Shrimp cubes

Procedure:
1. Boil at least 2-3 cups of water in casserole. When it starts to boil add Bagoong isda or Fish sacue. Let it simmer for 2 mins then add in the onion, garlic and tomatoes and Knorr cube of your choice. Let simmer.
2. Put the Calabaza and Kamote. Cook for 2 minutes then add in the eggplant.
3. Let the eggplant cook for 1-2 mins. then add in the sigarilyas, string beans and okra.
4.When the sigarilyas is starting to look cooked add the Alukon/birch flower and Saluyot leave. Let simmer for a mins. then turn of the heat.
5. Do not cover so that the veggies will not be over cooked.
6. Serve with hot rice. Enjoy!

Hmmm.... this is best paired with rice and smoked or fried fish. 

You can also pair it with inihaw na bangus (grilled milkfish), inihaw na hito (grilled catfish), adobong baboy (pork adobo), pritong tuyo (salted dried fish), inihaw na pusit (grilled large squid), pritong dilis (fried dried Anchovy) or any meat or fish dish that does not include any sauce.

Any suggestions or comments? Scroll and write down your comments. Will be glad to read them all.