Malunggay

The only place I have seen malunggay fruits being sold are in Nueva Ecija markets and in the Baguio market right across the fish section where the dinengdeng vegetables can be found.  They shoud also be in the Villasis, Pangasinan market along McArthur Highway.  I don’t know if it can be found in Farmer’s Market

hi connie,

i have an ilocano godfather who introduced us to yummy ilocano food, and that’s where i first tasted the malunggay fruit. they’re also being sold frozen here at the oriental stores, so i am sure you can also find it in your supermarkets. it was usually served by itself, i am not sure how it is cooked though, maybe boiled like peanuts? there is also this seaweed salad that’s made of tiny grape-like seaweed that i’ve never found here, or eaten anywhere else outside of my godfather’s house (he passed away long before i ever got interested in doing any cooking). do you know what this particular seaweed is called?

more power to you and hope you get around to doing that cookbook soon. this website is such an invaluable resource for pinoys overseas.

Hi Connie,

I have tried malunggay fruit when i was in Manila that was 10 years ago or so and its really nice.

My ilokana friend cooked malunggay fruits at hinaluan ng bagoong ang sarap talaga.

i love bunga ng malunggay in pinakbet.  as far as i know, pinakbet is cooked with pork and alamang, bulanglang is also with alamang plus inihaw na bangus (small ones, grilled whole, not dinaing type) and diningding is cooked with bagoong (we use bagoong balayan, minus the fish, just the sauce).  although we seldom have diningding coz masyadong malansa yung bagoong even after cooking.  The veggies used for pinakbet and bulanglang are basically the same, the only difference is the “sahog” and my favorite is the bunga ng malunggay.  Before cooking it, you have to peel it just a little, kasi makapal ang balat nya (dont split it in half, just cut into 2 inches maybe)

if you’re going to buy sa market, just make sure yung bata pa ang piliin mo kasi yung magulang na matigas kahit lutuin.

Maricel, all out of town markets. I heard that the malunggay fruit wilts fast so if we chance upon it on some trip, they will be wilted by the time we get to Antipolo…???

teklapong, the cookbook is done. just reshooting some of the photos. problem is… super barat mga publishers dito. grabe.

gena, would you know what the dish is called? I’m allergic to bagoong but my husband loves it.

brenda, what is the length of a young malunggay fruit? hard to judge from the distance of the tree.

Malungay fruit is a very common vegetable in the Ilocos region. Here in Canada you get them in chinese stores and indian stores.  East indians love this vegetable. It is ususally de-rind or pelled by cutting the outer covering with a sharp knife and what is left are the pods with meaty flesh. You can sautee this with ground pork or beef with garlic, onion and tomato. When my mom was here last summer, she planted some malunggay seed in a pot and now it is about five feet tall. it is still inside the house as it is winter now. I hope it will survive until the spring when I can take it out in the patio. My Mom is now in Antipolo wintering. I hope she will be back here in the summer.

con,

its the same length with the others, but the young ones are more soft to the touch, pag pinisil mo, hindi matigas and you can diffirentiate from the pysical appearance kasi mas greenish ang young ones.  yung mga magulang na, more dark in appearance tsaka matigas.  try mo sa marikina market although these are seldom sold in the market.  and if ever sa out of town ka makabili, it will still be good when you get to antipolo, it really doesnt wilt that fast.

This was on my must-have list when I was there last month! I was so excited to have some again, I forgot to take photos! lol! Happy New Year.

Hi Connie,

Sorry, i can’t remember what the dish called,that was my first and last taste…

Im from Nueva Ecija. Nung bata pa ko i would remember we would always include bunga ng malunggay sa pakbet, maybe because we have a tree sa backyard namin hehe. Anyway, dont get the sobrang mura or bata pa dahil wala yun laman pag niluto, eto un mga payat saka malambot. Wag din yun sobrang matanda naman at matigas po yun masyado.

I dont think madali mag-wilt dahil i remember minsan pipitas kami say, today, yung matitira iluluto pa ulit bukas.

Length naman is around 12-16inches yata.

Rudy, the seeds your mom planted are the ones from inside the pod? Cause if they are, I think I’ll go find on whose property that tree grows and ask for a few pods to plant in out backyard. I really, really love malunggay. And the idea of having those leaves available for the picking, all year round, is just wonderful.

thanks, brenda. marikina is much nearer.

JMOM, happy new year too!

Gena, ah ok. Well, if you happen to see your friend again…

Mayette, so pag pinisil dapat may laman na makakapa… thanks.

connie, be careful medyo mahirap balatan yan. if you buy in the wet market, pabalatan mo na.where i buy it, naka plastic na at balat na. it’s good with calabasa,small eggplant and suahe shrimps plus bagoong isda. visayan version ng dinengdeng.

Hi Miss Connie! I’m 22 years old and I’ve been an avid reader of your blogs, most especially pinoycook (well, now it’s pinoyfoodtalk.com and sassyfoodie ). I’ve been cooking your dishes for almost a year now and your recipes inspired me to cook.  We used to rely on home delivery services from fast food joints since my mom (who is a single parent) cannot cook everyday because of her work. I remembered that I used to cook dinner even before I do my homework during my colllege days.  Since I had recently graduated already and had gotten a job for almost two months now, I only cook on weekends (at least five dishes to last for a week).  I would like to thank you for your delicious recipes that made my family eat healthier foods. 

Anyway, about the malunggay fruit, my Ilokano grandmother used it for inabraw/inabrao. It is similar to pinakbet but it is a little more malansa because of the bagoong isda used for the dish. She also called it ‘kayurin mo irog’ because when cooked, you can use your spoon to scrape the meat off the fruit (including the seeds). I never actually saw them sold in supermarkets or wet markets and I think we were only able to eat them because our neighbor owned a malunggay tree.  Ever since we moved from Muntinlupa to Para–aque, I never had the chance to eat the fruit again.  I hope you will be able to taste the fruit soon because it is a perfect ingredient for Ilokano dishes. 

Thank you once again for your wonderful recipes and I can’t wait for your book! 

taj, ah binabalatan pa ba kahit mura?

Hi there Jaecel. Your comment is very inspiring. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying cooking and you actually cook for your family. This is what makes food blogging so great.

Re the malunggay, am hunting for my neighbor hehehe i’ll ask for some from his malunggay tree. simpler than hopping from one market to another.

Hi Connie,

I’m Ilocano.  You’re right, malunggay pods are usually put in dinegdeng, even pinakbet.  They have to be peeled as the skin is tough.  Sometimes, we throw in some kamote chunks and segadilyas too.  It’s been a while though, and am salivating at the thought of a GI (genuine Ilocano) pakbet!  Miss my mom!

to answer your question to taj, yes binabalatan din kahit mura pa.  hiwain mo sa isang dulo, then using a knife, kuha ka ng balat from the top hilahin mo pababa hangang matapos lahat ng sides the bunga. medyo ninipis na sya. then just cut it into 1.5 - 2 inches, just like sitaw.

hayyyy naku…. ginugutom na ako…. sarap nyan sa pinakbet!

hi connie,

If Pasig was nearer to Antipolo, I’d gladly bring you a potted malunggay.

Hello!

We have lots of malunggay trees which my lola has planted. Passers-by would usually get a branch or two and my lola would scold this people. You can’t blame the old lady; she works hard for her beloved malunggay.

The leaves are used in the typical tinola although my erpat likes to use them in kinunot, a native Bicolano dish of pagi in coconut milk and the obligatory sili. I haven’t tasted it yet because I do not like the smell of boiling pagi and the fact that it’s endangered (or is it?) is not tempting me to taste the dish at all. Anyway, Bicolanos are fond of this dish. You might want to try it.

Anyway, there was a time when my lola became kinda “obsessed” with the fruit. She did not actually use them in any recipe but she had them dried and then the seeds she took like regular tablets. It’s supposed to make you strong, if I’m not mistaken.

I also saw the fruit being sold in an Indian market in one of those Discovery Travel and Living shows… I’m wondering how they call it…

Kudos (again) for your blog as well! Been reading for quite some time now. My ermat is now a reader as well, hehe.

yes connie, after you peel that green skin with a knife the inside is a lighter shade of green. well kahit mura parang di pa rin masyado edible ang balat, you’ll see pag nahawakan mo na.

Hello!!

I live in Pasig, Metro Manila and I’m wondering where I can get seeds? Thank you!

Manila Seedling Bank in QC.