Alimango Con Sotanghon (Mud Crab with Glass Noodles)

It has been a while since I last chanced upon mud crabs or “alimango” in the Philippine language, from the roadside kiosks we are regularly visiting along the coastal towns of southern Sri Lanka to obtain our group’s weekly supply of fish and other seafood. It seems the nearby vast mangrove forest that has always been lush and green (how I wish this could happen in the Philippines) was quite generous that day that it provided the local fisherman with a truly fine catch; a mixed bag composed of the tasty decapods crustaceans along with some pretty large prawns, pan-sized mangrove snapper, delectable eels and other exciting brackish water fishes.

Being a passionate outdoorsman and a perennial angler, the sight of the catch was simply awesome to me. It represents an abundance of nature and existence of a very healthy mangrove environment. From the looks of the catch, I could assume that it was harvested from a sustainable level of stock in a well flourishing ecosystem where marine water and freshwater collide. While I am also excited about the other fishes, the mud crabs instantaneously transported me into the realm of dish concoction moments. :-)

Mud crab or mangrove crab and sometimes called black crab is an economically important crab species found in the estuaries and mangroves of Asia, Australia and Africa. In the key cities of the Philippines, most Southeast Asian countries, and Northern states of Australia, it is generally priced above other seafood within the general public. Lucky for us Filipinos living here in southern Sri Lanka for it is reasonably priced around here although not widely available.

Commonly, the shell colour of mud crabs varies from a deep, mottled green to very dark brown to almost black. They are generally cooked with their hard shells on, usually steamed, stewed, fried and in soups. However, when they moult their shells, they can be served as soft shell crab seafood delicacy. Many Asian people, including myself, consider them to be among the tastiest of all crab species. The Philippines and other South Asian countries have a huge appetite and thus a very high demand of the said crab species.

Pancit Puti (Thin Rice Noodles Cooked in Savory Broth)

If you are working or have worked in the Makati City (Philippines) area, there is a good chance that you have eaten the unique “pancit puti” popularized by one of the restaurants there specializing in fried (“guisado”) noodles and offering phone deliveries to offices, residences and business establishments. Their distinct “pancit puti” proved delicious and eventually became a hit to residents and employees in and around the city’s commercial district and nearby villages.

During my short stint in our company’s Philippine Branch office in Legaspi Village, Makati, I had, on many occasions, eaten the said “pancit puti” dish along with other “pancit” offerings such as “bihon”, “palabok” and “malabon”, particularly during birthday treats of co-employees. Even on the day my turn came to treat everyone, I also settled for “pancit puti” along with some other Filipino snack delicacies.

Of course, it is a common knowledge that the popular Filipino fried noodles called “pancit” (also spelled “pansit”), be it made with the generic “bihon” (thin rice noodles) or the other kinds such as “miki” (fresh egg noodles), “canton” (dried egg noodles) and “sotanghon” (mung beans noodles or glass noodles) or any combination thereof (either “miki-bihon” or “sotanghon-miki”), is cooked or sautéed with the salty, earthy and brownish flavouring condiment called soy sauce or soya sauce. This is one of the reasons why almost all “pancit” are light brown to yellow-orange in colour even when a naturally white coloured noodles such as “bihon” and the clear or transparent (when cooked) “sotanghon” is used.

Like in “adobong puti”, the difference lies on the non-usage of the deeply coloured and umami-rich soy sauce in the dish resulting to a rather pale or somewhat whitish (“puti” in Filipino language) noodle dish. Hence the name “pancit puti” is adopted which literally means white noodles in the English language.

Chami Recipe A La Lalaine - The Pride of Lucena, Quezon

When living (or working if you like) abroad, the most common inquiry you will receive from other Filipinos (“kababayan”) you will meet for the first time is the province you came from. It’s but natural of course. It is actually your first question to others as well. The question “From what province are you?” or as casually supplied in the local language “Anong probinsya ka (or mo)?” is the usual start of a usually warm conversation. You may be wondering why I have to mention this when the question is so ordinary, rather insignificant and probably won’t even require some brain processing to know the answer. Well, to most Filipinos it is, but to me it is something that always makes me think and smile.

Most of my childhood friends knew me as a full-blooded “Batangueno”, having spent most of my childhood days and critical formative years in Padre Garcia, Batangas where my father, 5 of my siblings and most of our relatives (from my father’s side) were born. My other friends whom I met during and after college and at the time I’m already working regard me as a true “Tarlaqueno”, having continuously live in Tarlac City, Tarlac with the whole family since I was a 6th grader. But that’s not all. My birth certificate has an important bit of information that will add more to that. I was born in San Antonio, Quezon, the town of my mother, her siblings and most of our relatives from her side making me a legitimate “Quezonian”.

Going back to the question “What province I came from?”, I bet you now have an idea why such a simple query would switch my brain into work mode and almost subsequently elicits a smile on my face. Yes, it may be a little complicated, but I came from all of the above. You could envy me for this. I consider myself as an amalgamation of several groups of awesome people; a Quezonian, a Batangueno and a Tarlaqueno all at the same time. I hailed from three great provinces, all of which I am truly proud of.

Ginisang Alimasag sa Patola at Miswa (Sauteed Blue Crabs with Gourds & Noodles)

It has been a while since I last posted something on the delectable blue crabs or sea crabs or to be precise the blue swimming crabs of Asia known as “alimasag” in the Philippines. While we usually have them for our Saturday seafood dinner, we always cook them steamed, an easy crab recipe which I have already featured here, so there is no special reason for me to do a re-posting. As suggested by a colleague-friend, this weekend it’s different. Instead of just steaming the blue manna crabs, we agreed to sauté them with ridge gourds and wheat flour noodles.

Since I have already provided some information about the blue swimming crabs in my previous posts where I cooked them, steamed, “ginataan” or cooked in coconut milk, “torta” or fried like frittata and a very similar type of preparation sautéed with “sotanghon” or glass noodles, I will just share some background facts about the other two major components of this tasty dish – the ridge gourd and the “miswa” or wheat flour noodles.

Gourd or “patola” as called in the Philippine language belongs to the tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus “Luffa”. The fruit of at least two species and typically called “luffa” or “loofah” or “lufah” is grown and harvested while still young and tender (before maturity) and eaten as green vegetable. The type I will use here is called ridge gourd and the other type (among the two species) is the smooth or cylindrical variety.

While it can only be cooked and incorporated into various dishes while still young, gourds are also allowed to ripe and dry when then it can be made into the popular plant sponge called “loofah”. It can be obtained after processing where everything but the network of fibers called xylem is removed. It is then marketed and used as bath and kitchen sponges. Due to its inherent natural properties, it is widely patronized as a hand and body scrub.

Loming Lipa - Pancit Lomi (Fresh Egg Noodles in Thick Soup)

This is the real thing. OK..OK…..let me rephrase it....this is the closer you can get to the real “loming lipa” and to some extent to the famous “loming Ma Mun Luk” where it has a big resemblance. The said two styles of cooking “pancit lomi” are probably the best I have tasted. After regularly being exposed to and had actually eaten bowls and bowls of “loming lipa”, in Lipa City, Batangas (Philippines) and neighboring cities and municipalities, I developed a fascination with the rather simple and ordinary noodle dish particularly the way it is prepared a la “loming lipa”. Since then, it has been my long term objective to learn cooking the sticky and yummy noodle soup right in the comfort of my own little kitchen which I successfully achieved some years back.

As a backgrounder, “pancit lomi” or simply “lomi” is a Chinese-Filipino noodle dish made with a thick variety of fresh egg noodles of about 5 mm or half a centimeter in diameter (probably the biggest fresh egg noodles available in the Philippine market) sautéed with small pieces of pork or chicken meat, liver and select vegetables, added with tasty broth and then thickened by cassava flour and beaten eggs. Several toppings are added prior to serving such as fried “kikiam” (que kiam), as I mentioned in my previous post, meat balls, pork liver and slices of hard boil eggs.

Bihongke or Sotanghon Soup (Bean Thread or Glass Noodle Soup)

If the term “bihongke” does not ring a bell to you, chances are you are not from the Southern Tagalog Region of the Philippines. There, most especially in the beautiful province of Batangas, “bihongke” refers to the soothing Filipino noodle dish, popularly called “sotanghon soup” elsewhere in the country. I do not have an idea, yet, how the funny name came about considering that the soupy dish uses “sotanghon” noodles and not “bihon” (thin rice noodle) which is usually cooked as “Pancit Bihon”, an all-time favorite stir-fried/sautéed dry (“guisado”) noodle dish among Filipinos.

As a backgrounder, “sotanghon” is the Filipino term for the bean thread noodles, sometimes referred to as cellophane noodles or glass noodles, made from mung beans or “mungo”. It is a thin, transparent, smooth and slick type of noodles popular in the Philippines as well as in other Asian countries. Aside from cooking it into a wonderful soup, it can be sautéed with crab and spices like in my "Alimasag Con Sotanghon" post and of course, as “pancit” on its own, or in combination with “miki” or egg noodles like in my “Sotanghon–Miki Guisado” post. While “sotanghon” is a noodle, don’t be surprised to find them inside most Asian spring rolls.

“Sotanghon” soup is my ultimate comfort food among noodle dishes. The soup is good for breakfast, snack or “merienda” and perfect during midnight snack when you have to stay or work really late. During rainy days or even when the weather is just cool and windy, it tastes and satisfies even better. Truly among the best food to take if you want to feel good.

For me, the key ingredients for the dish are good quality “sotanghon”, tasty mushroom (shiitake/Chinese black mushroom or wood ear), flavorful chicken and lots of garlic. The addition of some vegetables will further enhance the taste of the broth and thus will complete the dish.

To prepare, we need 1 pack of “sotanghon” noodles (250 grams), soaked in water until slightly soft, cut to manageable lengths and then drained and about a cup of dried wood ear mushroom (shiitake is much better), soaked in water until rehydrated, then roughly chopped and drained.

We also need about half of a medium-sized chicken, about 500 grams, washed and drained then boiled in water until just tender. The meat will then be flaked to small pieces discarding the bones. The broth should be strained and set aside.

The rest of the ingredients are as follows: 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced, 2 pcs onions, peeled and chopped, 1 pc carrot, peeled and julienned, 3 tbsp “patis” or fish sauce, 1 tsp salt or to taste, 1 tsp ground pepper, 3 tbsp minced green onions, 2 tbsp “atsuete” or annatto seeds (optional) and about 2 liters chicken broth. If the broth used in boiling the chicken is not enough, just add some chicken stock to complete the required quantity. The noodles will suck up huge quantity of broth so we need to have plenty to attain a really soupy dish.

In a large deep pan (“kawali”) or wok, on medium flame, heat the oil and fry garlic until aromatic, add the onion and continue frying until onion is translucent. Add the carrots and continue sautéing. Add the fish sauce and quickly stir fry to bring out the fragrant. Immediately after, add the wood ear mushroom followed by the chicken flakes and continue cooking. At this point, season it with salt and lots of ground pepper.

Then pour the broth slowly. Let it boil on high heat then continue simmering on low heat. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings. I usually adjust the taste by adding a little more “patis” and ground pepper. Add the noodles and cook for about 3 minutes more, until the noodle is al dente.

You can use “atsuete” or annatto seeds to impart color to the soup. I choose not to use mine anymore as the color contrast of carrots and mushroom already made the soup appealing. (Washing an “atsuete” oil laden dishes is not very fun. :-) ) Avoid over-cooking the dish as the noodle will become soggy.

Transfer in a deep bowl, sprinkle the green onions on top and serve piping hot. I love the soup more if accompanied with “hot pandesal” (popular Filipino bread roll) but since we don’t have it here in Sri Lanka, I have to satisfy myself with toasted sliced bread. :)

You can serve it with a mixture of “calamansi” or lemon juice, fish sauce and some more green onion on the side. We added some toasted garlic on top which makes the soup a real hit. Enjoy! c“,)

Easy Pancit Miki (Stir-Fried Egg Noodles in Soy Sauce)

As I have discussed in my “Sotanghon-Miki Guisado” post, “miki” refers to the type of fresh egg noodles made in the Philippines and widely used in both soupy and stir-fried (“guisado”) noodle dishes of many Filipinos. It can be found in most wet markets and supermarkets in the Philippines and in Asian groceries abroad. It is available in different sizes and shapes, each of which has specific uses. It is basically made from all-purpose flour, eggs, salt, water and some oil, just like any other fresh egg noodles of other Asian countries. Chinese egg noodles however use wheat instead of the all-purpose flour.

The ingredients are mixed well so that it forms stiff dough. The dough is rolled out and cut into strips of varying widths, depending on the type of egg noodle being made. As a general rule, egg noodles are quite long, since length symbolizes longevity and good luck. Fresh egg noodles are often coiled to save space. They are refrigerated and must normally be used within several days otherwise they will go bad. Fresh egg noodles are fast cooking, requiring around 5 minutes only of cooking as a general rule. The noodles are often cooked until they are still slightly chewy.

Pancit, in the Philippine context, commonly refers to stir-fried noodle dish either “pancit bihon” (thin rice noodles), “sotanghon” (glass or mung bean noodles) and “miki” (fresh egg noodles) or any combination thereof like my previous “sotaghon-miki” post. For today’s feature, I prepared a stir-fried “pancit miki”; whilst it is less popular as compared to “pancit bihon” or “sotanghon”, it also maintains a wide range of followers among Filipinos.

To prepare it, we shall need about 500 grams medium round “miki” or fresh egg noodles, washed 2 times to remove excess oil and salt and drained thoroughly.

The other major ingredients are 3 pcs chicken thigh (use of chicken breast is more common but I like thigh better), seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked in about 2 cups water until just tender then cut up to small sizes and 1 cup cooked shrimps, peeled. You can also use pork or chicken meat balls (“bola-bola”) as well as fish or squid balls if you like. Some also prefers pork or chicken liver as addition.

Then, prepare the sautéing and vegetables ingredients: about 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 gloves garlic, peeled and minced, 1 pc onion, chopped, 1 pc carrot, julienned, 1 cup chopped oyster mushroom and 1 tbsp minced celery or coriander. You are free to use cabbages, beans and other vegetables, just don’t put too much of it. For me, I just limit mine to carrots and mushroom.

The sauce ingredients are 2 cups chicken broth from boiling the chicken meat, 4 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp white sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp corn flour or cornstarch, ½ tsp salt or to taste and 1 tsp freshly ground pepper. Just a reminder: check the salt level of your broth and soy sauce as you might not need to put salt at all. In addition, some “miki” are already salty direct from the package so adjustment might need to be made.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to blend.

In a thick pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil and sauté garlic and onion. Add the chopped chicken pieces, julienned carrots then the peeled shrimps and continue sautéing. Add the “miki” noodles, carefully mix with the other ingredients and stir-fried for one more minute or two.

Add the sauce and let the noodles to fully cook while stirring occasionally. The noodles will suck up all the liquid as it cooks. Add the mushroom. Stir to avoid getting burnt at the bottom of the pan as the liquid disappears. Add the celery or coriander and stir once more. Turn off the heat when the liquid is almost gone but noodles are still moist. Transfer to a large platter and immediately serve with bread, spring roll, rice or on its own with juice or soda. :-)

It’s tasty and mouth watering. The combination of the oyster sauce and soy sauce made the dish rich and delicious. This is definitely one of my favorite……….another signature dish of this blog. Try and Enjoy! c “,)

Alimasag Con Sotanghon (Sea Crab with Glass Noodles)

Some people like “alimasag” or sea crab so much. They consider the tasty crustacean a priced food no matter how simple the cooking preparation is, like in the case of plain steamed. Some people like glass noodles or mung bean noodles. For them, the distinct oriental food is truly comforting whether serve fried (“guisado”) or in soup form. Still, there are those who love both. This yummy and really satisfying dish is for them.

With the natural delectable taste of sea crab being combined with the goodness of “sotanghon” or glass noodles, this simple yet wonderful dish is a sure hit. This recipe was roughly taught to me by a Chinese friend who also has fascination with cooking. I adjusted and developed the ingredients to suit my taste and preference. The resulting dish is perfect for me and to some colleagues who tasted the dish when I prepared it before. I believe you will also like it.

To prepare, we need the following major ingredients: about 250 grm “sotanghon” or glass noodles and 2 pcs large fresh “alimasag” or sea crab. Soak the “sotanghon” noodles in warm water for about 5 minutes to soften. Thoroughly cleaned the crab and cut in the middle. Crack the claws (chelae) but keep them attached to the body.

The other ingredients are: 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 pcs thumb size ginger, peeled and julienned, 5 gloves garlic, peeled and minced, ¼ cup minced green onion, 3 cups crab or shrimp broth (you can use chicken broth if you don’t have, I did), 3 tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 3 stalks flat leaf parsley or 1 sml stalk celery, minced.

The cooking procedure is quite simple. In a heavy pan or “wok” heat the oil on medium setting. Add the ginger and stir, then the garlic followed by the green onion and continue sautéing. Increase the heat to high and add the crab pieces. Continue stirring and sautéing until the crab turn bright orange. If your crab has fat inside just like mine, you are assured of a pretty good dish.

Pour the broth, let it boil and continue simmering on medium heat. For the meantime combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix properly. Add this mixture to the pan and let the broth boil once again. Add the softened and drained “sotanghon” noodles and cover.

After a minute or two, uncover and stir everything to properly mix and evenly cook. Continue doing this until the noodle is cooked through and liquid is somewhat dried up. Sprinkle your parsley or celery on top and cook while stirring for one minute more.

Transfer in large platter and serve with steamed rice or eat on its own. There it is, simple, easy and so delicious. Enjoy!! c“,)

Family Dishes During Ordinary Occasions

During ordinary occasions in the family, like month birthday celebrations of the new babies, Charize and Attila or AG, my mom, with the kind assistance of the sisters and Aunties, prepares sumptuous dishes for family members and select guests. Not really special dishes per se but the ones truly enjoyed by everyone during previous occasions. The taste, the mastery of preparation and the overwhelming approval of the guest and family members make the rather simple and usual family dishes, special and grand in the eyes of all of us.

On the last occasions celebrating 7th month and 4th month birthdays of Charize and Attilla respectively, several dishes were prepared by the family. It is more of a “merienda” (snack) meal serves in between lunch and dinner when family members and invited guests will gather and celebrate the events. The foods composed of favorite noodles and pasta dishes, fried chicken and meat spring rolls, some Filipino sweet cakes, desserts and jelly drinks and with some store-bought cakes and soda drinks, the feast is complete.

To showcase some of the family dishes often cook by mom and company during rather ordinary celebrations, let me give you a photo tour once again.

Filipino Pansit Bihon – A family favorite and a constant winner to guests

Fettuccini Carbonara – My sister’s specialty and a treat to those who love creamy pasta dish

Fried Chicken – Another regular entrée in every occasion, simple but sure to delight everyone

Spaghetti – This Filipino sweet-style pasta dish of sister Ines is as popular and loved as the “pansit bihon” of mom (photo is showing the sauce)

Meat Spring Rolls – Sure to salivate everyone and always gone in no time

Chicken Sopas – A rich and tasty soup dish providing the soothing touch to everyone

Chicken Macaroni – A dessert sure to complete the meal

Leche Flan – The undisputed winner of desserts, everyone’s favorite

After indulging in such an abundance of delicious and delectable foods, expect everyone to be happy and satisfied. It will be shown from their big smiles and blissful behavior.

With the kind of satisfaction exhibited in the above image, be surprised not if the food was all eaten up. And upon learning that all the food prepared for their birthdays was all gone, of course the celebrants will be worried and startled.

And it will require a great amount of convincing and funny antics to set them back to happy moods.

And once again allow everyone to have their customary kisses to babies after the gathering. c“,)