Asian In America

Paksing Demonyu is Capampangan (of the Pampanga province) that translates to “the Devil’s Vinegar Stew”. In my attempt to provide you options for the Lenten season, I found a devilishly delicious vegetable mix that was hard to resist.

 

 

Sinfully simple to make, this “paksiw” (a vinegar stew) is similar to the same type of Filipino dish that has fish as it’s main ingredient. Instead, this one is an all-vegetarian dish and I’m sure will delight all you vegans !

It takes only a few minutes to cook. Once ready, the vinegar-ginger aroma is very inviting. Even better, this demonically divine dish tastes yummier the day after, with a tangy, sweet-soury flavor.

This dish has a unique origin. I found it in the recently published  Capampangan cookbook “Atching Lillian’s Heirloom Recipes”, a collection of family recipes by author, Lillian Mercado-Lising Borromeo, from the province of Pampanga, Philippines.

In her cookbook, Atching Lillian (“atching” means older sister) tells us how during Good Friday of the Lenten season, her mother used to warn the children that the “devil was roaming around the world creating mischief.” 

 

 

This brought to mind an old folk tale as told by Lillian’s grandmother about the devil, a farmer and a dish….the origin of this delightful vegetable vinegar stew.

 (Excerpt of an old folk tale from the cookbook)

“Once upon a time there lived a poor family. One day, the farmer caught some small fishes which he took home for his wife to cook “paksing asan” (fish in vinegar stew). As the dish simmered in the pot, the Devil, who was out to make trouble for the family, ate all the fish, and substituted vegetables, and added sugar to the stew. Instead of being angry at the loss of the fish, the farmer congratulated his wife saying this was the best dish she ever cooked.”

 

PAKSING DEMONYU (o Paksing Gule) – Vegetable Atchara

*From the cookbook “Atching Lillian’s Heirloom Recipes” by Lillian Mercado-Lising Borromeo

Ingredients:

200 g. eggplants ( or ¾ cup)

200 g. kangkong (swamp cabbage) *- {or ¾ cup}

200 g. ampalaya (bitter melon), sliced and seeded – {3/4 cup}

1 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup vinegar

1 Tablespoon salt

50 g. “larang pamaksi” (Spanish pepper)* – {2 Tablespoons}

50 g. sliced “sibuyas tagalug” ( red onions) – {2 Tablespoons}

25 g. ginger, peeled and sliced (1 Tablespoon)

25 g. garlic (1 Tablespoon)

Procedure:

Boil mixture of vinegar, wate ,sugar and all liquid ingredients. Put the vegetables. Cook two minutes. Correct seasonings to taste.  Serve.

NOTES from the Atching Lillian’s cookbook: “Paksi” is usually a soursoup of fish cooked in vinegar, usually with, ginger and sometimes with pepper, ampalaya (bitter melon) and eggplant. “Paksiw” is the Tagalog word, which means the same.

COOK’S COMMENTS : *Substitute fresh spinach for swamp cabbage if it’s more convenient. Find the other Asian vegetables : ampalaya (bitter melon), kangkong (swamp cabbage) from Asian groceries.

Also, the Spanish peppers referred to are the small chili peppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I visited Atching Lillian Borromeo at her lovely ancestral home in Mexico, Pampanga (about 50 miles from Manila, the capital of the Philippines). She regaled me with heirloom recipes, stories of how her cookbook got published and charmed me with her down to earth, generous ways. Go visit her if you ever go to the Philippines via the PAMPANGA CULINARY HERITAGE TOURS of Poch Jorolan , (email) poch168@gmail.com .

For more stories of my visit to Atching Lillian, see “PRIDE IN OUR PAST” in my 2^nd blog, Queen’s Notebook.