Name: Ginataang Dagmay
Prep time: 30 min
Yield: 5–6
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 100 g dried taro leaves, or 4 cups correctly identified fresh edible taro leaves with tough stems removed; 300 g young taro runners or shoots (takway), peeled and cut into short lengths, optional where correctly identified; 2 cups coconut milk; 1 cup water; 1 cup coconut cream; 1 medium onion, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 thumb ginger, julienned; 2–4 chilies, split; 150 g smoked fish, flaked and checked for bones, optional; 1 tablespoon bagoong or fish sauce, added to taste; Black pepper

Method

Use only correctly identified edible taro leaves and runners. Wear gloves if sensitive, wash carefully, and remove tough or damaged portions.
Combine coconut milk, water, onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, taro leaves, and takway if using in a heavy pot.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partly, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Avoid vigorous stirring and do not taste the taro while it is undercooked.
When the leaves and runners are completely tender, fold in smoked fish if using and check carefully for bones.
Add coconut cream and simmer gently for another 8–10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the leaves are fully cooked.
Season with bagoong or fish sauce and black pepper only after the taro is tender.
Rest the pot uncovered for 5 minutes so the coconut sauce tightens around the tender dagmay leaves and runners, then serve with rice.

Ingredients

Method

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