Laing na Gabi

A creamy Bicol-style taro leaf dish simmered in coconut milk with ginger, garlic, and chili. This version skips bagoong and dried fish so it stays plant-based.

Estimated cost: ₱76–₱90

Prep 10 min · Total 45 min · Serves 1

Nutrition per serving: 378 kcal · 7.3 g protein · 22.4 g carbs · 29.2 g fat

Ingredients

• 30g dried taro leaves
• 120ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 20g siling haba
• 2 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 tsp, minced ginger
• to taste salt
• 1/4 cup water

Steps

1. Check the dried taro leaves and remove any hard stems; do not rinse if the leaves are already clean and packaged, as wet leaves can become gritty.
2. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add cooking oil, then sauté garlic and ginger for 45–60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
3. Pour in coconut milk and water, season lightly with salt, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Add the dried taro leaves without stirring aggressively; press them down with a spoon so they absorb the coconut milk.
5. Cover and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. The leaves should darken, soften, and stop looking dry.
6. Add siling haba and continue simmering uncovered for 8–10 minutes until the sauce is thick, oily at the edges, and coats the leaves.
7. Taste and adjust salt. Rest for 5 minutes before serving so the coconut sauce settles.

Prices are estimates based on Department of Agriculture price monitoring. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central, FNRI).