What is Inabraw or Dinengdeng?

Dinengdeng (also called inabraw) is a dish of the Ilocano people of the Philippines, similar to pinakbet. It is classified as a bagoong soup based dish. Unlike pinakbet, dinengdeng contains fewer vegetables and contains more bagoong soup base.The dish contains the following vegetables: jute leaves, the pods and leaves of the marunggay, the leaves and fruits of bitter melon, the calabaza squash and blossoms, alakon blossoms, amaranth leaves, sweet potato tubers and leaves, gourds (like kabatiti and tabungaw), string beans and shoots, talinum, chayote squash and shoots, chili peppers, sabunganay (banana blossoms), corn, West-Indian pea blossoms, tangkoy (winter melon), eggplant, okra, winged beans, parda beans, lima beans, various mushrooms like oyster mushrooms, whole taro, cassava tubers, purple yams, and wild potatoes. Some add fried or roasted fish or other meats, usually leftovers, to the dish.

I Am Craving for Dinengdeng

I have been craving for this dish and I don't want to cook it without the veggies that goes with it; so I just need to wait till I get to the Philippines this summer. My mother can cook it for me...the Ilocano style. I like it with Patani, sigarilyas, bataw, and other veggies below. Good thing every once in awhile, two of my friends bring this dish every time we have a Filipino gatherings. They know I love this dish and so I eat a lot and take home some, too after the gathering is over.

Ilocano - Dinengdeng (Inabraw)

Ingredient:

1 milk fish (bangus); fried or grilled
1 cup string beans; cut into 2" long
6 pieces okra
1 cup squash; cut in cubes
squash young leaves and flowers
1 big ampalaya; cut in 2” rectangular lengths
1 onion; sliced
2 large tomatoes; sliced
1 cup jute leaves (saluyot)
1 root ginger; crushed
Bagoong isda
3 cups water

Cooking Instructions:

In a casserole, bring water to boil. Add onion, ginger, and tomatoes. Let stand for 3 minutes. Season with bagoong and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove the scum that rises on top of the liquid and then drop the milkfish. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add vegetables. Cook until vegetables are done. Adjust seasoning according to taste. Serve hot!

Tips:

You can use other kind of fish like tilapia or shellfish. You can also use or add other vegetables like sweet potato and malunggay fruits.

Some put sigarilyas, patani at bataw, too!