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Bulanglang
Bulanglang: Batangas country vegetable stew of squash, okra, string beans and greens in rice-washing water
Bulanglang is the plain, light vegetable soup of Batangas and the Tagalog provinces, made in farmhouses at lunchtime from whatever is in the garden: squash, okra, string beans, eggplant and a handful of malunggay or sweet potato leaves. Instead of stock it uses hugas bigas, the cloudy water from washing rice, which gives the broth a soft, milky body. It is often eaten with grilled fish and a dip of bagoong; this version stays vegan and is served with a soy-and-calamansi dip. The usual mistake is boiling everything together from the start, which leaves mushy squash and raw-tasting okra; add the vegetables in order of firmness. Chef's tip: save the second rice wash, not the first, for the cleanest, creamiest broth.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 cups rice-washing water (hugas bigas)from rinsing rice
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 tomatoesquartered
- 1 tbsp fresh gingersliced
- 10 ½ oz kabocha squashpeeled, 3 cm chunks
- 5 ½ oz string beans (sitaw)5 cm pieces
- 1 eggplantsliced 2 cm
- 8 okratrimmed
- 2 handfuls malunggay, spinach or sweet potato leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the dip
- 1 tbsp calamansi or lime juice (optional)
- 1 tbsp tamari (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pour 5 cups rice-washing water (hugas bigas) into a pot with 1 onion, 2 tomatoes and 1 tbsp fresh ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
7 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz kabocha squash and simmer for 6 minutes until it starts to soften at the edges.
6 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz string beans (sitaw) and 1 eggplant and simmer for 4 minutes.
4 minStep 4: Add 8 okra and simmer for 3 minutes, until the okra is bright green and tender but not slimy and the squash is soft right through.
3 minStep 5: Turn off the heat, stir in 2 handfuls malunggay, spinach or sweet potato leaves so they wilt in the hot broth, and season with 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
1 minStep 6: Mix 1 tbsp calamansi or lime juice and 1 tbsp tamari for the dip and serve with the soup and rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bulanglang take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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