Laswa
Laswa
Hearty Vegetable Stew
I think Laswa is a good example of what Ilonggo cuisine is all about. It is simple to prepare and the ingredients has to be fresh. My Lolo (grandfather) used to have a vegetable garden in his backyard and on some days my Lola (grandmother) would go there and pick whatever vegetable is in season and make it into a stew.
The flavor of Laswa is clean and sweet from the different vegetables you add to it. There is really no standard vegetables that you can use, but I would suggest that Okra should be there because it gives body to the stew and squash for added sweetness and color and whatever vegetables that are in season. I use shrimp as my soup base but you can use chicken stock or pork if you prefer, some use dried fish as a soup base too. This stew is a great side dish for grilled or fried food to counter balance the richness of the meat.
The crucial part of making Laswa is understanding the cooking point of the vegetables, there has to be a hierarchy when adding the vegetables to the stock. That is why this dish is best prepared at home, I don’t like eating this dish at turo-turo restaurants since they are continually getting heated up and thus the vegetables get overcooked.
Panakot (Ingredients)
- 1 tbsp Hibe (dried shrimp)
- 1 cup of Shrimp (head on)
- 2 cups Squash
- 5 pcs Okra
- 1 cup String Beans
- Spinach (I prefer Chinese spinach if you find some)
- Chicken stock or Rice washings
- Salt
- Dried Scallops (optional but I have some I brought back from Hong kong and it’s great with soups or stews)
Paagi (Procedure)
– Bring the soup stock to a boil (This is crucial before adding the vegetables, you want everything to cook fast to preserve the texture, taste and the color of the vegetables)
– Add the dried Shrimp let it sit there for a minute or two
– Add the fresh Shrimp
– Once the fresh Shrimp turns pinkish, add the okra then after a minute or two add the squash. (Depending on what squash you use the cooking point may differ, I use butternut squash and they cook fast)
– When the previous vegetables start to slightly be fork tender, add the string beans
– Add salt to taste
– turn off the heat then add your leafy vegetables, they will get cooked by the residual heat so it won’t get overcooked.
Serve Immediately