Hot and Definitely Spicy: Palapa-Infused Dishes

Being a foodie is more than just about loving food. I am a very picky eater, yet I love the thrill I get in exploring new tastes and flavors. Others love singing and dancing like crazy as their pastime. Me? I would always choose food in a heartbeat.

These few weeks ago, a vLogger friend of mine brought for me a couple of jars of Pater Al-Kuwait palapa from his hometown in Iligan City. This came as a surprise for I spent over two years there for college but not once have I ever encountered this burst-of-flavor in a bottle.

What is Palapa?

Palapa is a Maranao condiment which is a mixture of finely chopped sibujing (oriental scallions), ginger and luya tiduk (bird’s eye chili). These three main components are then combined, pounded and sauteed in vegetable oil. There are two variations — dry or moist — depending on how you want it prepared.

I was hoping to find an article on what best ways to use palapa as an ingredient, I was amazed to have found none. So I thought, why not make my own.

Chicken Halang-Halang

Tasted (and cooked) several versions of this go-to comfort food, but this Chicken Halang-Halang is probably the best tasting I made so far. The addition of palapa has definitely elevated this dish up a notch.

Ingredients

• chicken, diced
• 2 tbsp palapa
• tomatoes, chopped
• red bell pepper, chopped
• garlic, minced
• red onions, chopped
• ginger, chopped
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• chayote, cut into strips
• coconut milk (fresh or powdered, optional)

Procedure

1. Cut the chicken wings into serving size pieces. Pour in soy sauce, toss and set aside.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté garlic, onion, ginger.
3. Together with the marinade and add chicken to the pan.
4. Add water. You may add more later depending on your desired consistency.
5. Add the chayote strips, cover pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until meat and veggies are tender.
6. Add the palapa, and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved. Add water roux for desired thickness.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve extra hot.

Sarciadong Daing

Since we found out that palapa can be good addition to any food cooked in thick sauce or sarciados, I presumed it would complement the dried fish or daing that we got from Bantayan so well.

Here’s my take on Sarciadong Daing with palapa:

Ingredients

• daing or dried fish
• 2 tbsp palapa
• tomatoes, chopped
• garlic, minced
• red onions, chopped
• ginger, chopped
• 2 tbsp sugar
• vinegar
• water

Procedure

1. Fry the dried fish according to desired texture. Set aside.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, saute garlic, onion, ginger.
3. Add water. You may add more later depending on your desired consistency.
4. Add vinegar and sugar.
5. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until desired consistency is achieved
6. Add fried dried fish and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
7. Serve hot.

There you have it. Two easy-to-cook dishes that we managed to make before our two jars of palapa ran out. Think you can add more to this list? Comment down below.

Happy cooking!