Hey there! Let me tell you about what i did the other day. I was super excited because i decided to cook something really special for my family's dinner. I made this awesome Dinengdeng with Moringa Pods. You know, Dinengdeng is one of our go-to dishes, especially when it's loaded with fresh veggies and has that little kick from "bagoong" that's fermented fish paste. But this time i thought "Hey, let's throw in some moringa pods!" Just to make it a bit different and you know extra healthy.
Early that morning i hit up the market. I really wanted everything to be super fresh. Walking around, seeing all the colorful veggies i just pictured how good our dinner was gonna be. I picked out the nicest eggplants big bitter gourds long string beans and of course those round tender moringa pods. Got some chilies for a little spice, and tomatoes for that nice sour touch and color in the soup. Oh!! and i definitely did not forget our favorite fish bagoong. That stuff just makes Dinengdeng taste amazing!
When i got back home i jumped straight into getting everything ready. First up washing and chopping all the veggies. I started with the eggplant gave it a good wash and cut it into big pieces. Then the bitter gourd i sliced it a bit and soaked it in salty water for a few minutes. That trick helps take away some of the bitterness. The string beans i cut them about two inches long. The cabbage i just cut into four big chunks. The chili peppers i left them whole so it would not be too hot and the tomatoes i just cut them in half.
The moringa pods were the easiest just a quick wash. I left them whole because I thought they had look nicer that way in the dish. While i was prepping all these veggies i could already smell how fresh everything was. It made me feel like the food would taste extra good because i was putting a lot of love into it.
Once all the veggies were lined up and ready i started cooking. I grabbed a big pot and filled it with enough water. I actually decided to use some pre-boiled beef bones the ones that still had a bit of meat on them just to make the soup richer. You probably saw that beef in the pictures right? I boiled those bones first until they were really tender and all that beefy goodness came out. After that i tossed in the tomatoes and the chili peppers. Let it simmer for a few more minutes.
Next it was time for the veggies that take longer to cook. So i put in the moringa pods first. They need a bit more time to get soft. A little later i added the eggplant string beans and the bitter gourd. While all those veggies were bubbling away i slowly stirred in the fish bagoong. I kept tasting it, making sure it had just the right amount of salt and flavor. I like it balanced a little salty from the bagoong tiny bit bitter from the ampalaya and sweet from the fresh veggies. The soup was getting really tasty full of beef and vegetable flavors.
For the very last step i added the cabbage. I made sure not to cook it for too long because i wanted it to stay a bit crunchy and keep all its good nutrients. The smell of my Dinengdeng was already filling up the whole house. I knew my family was gonna be super excited for dinner.
When i finally served the Dinengdeng with Moringa Pods i could totally see the joy in my family's eyes. The hot soup the tender beef and all those different healthy veggies just made our dinner amazing. Every spoonful was full of flavor and love. I was so happy because with this simple dish i was able to make my family full and happy. Seriously there's nothing better than food made with love and shared with the people you care about. This was definitely one of the best and most flavorful dinners we have had with that awesome healthy addition of moringa pods!
INGREDIENTS (What you will need)
- Meat/Fish: About 250-300 grams of beef bones (with a little meat) or any grilled fish you like.
- Veggies (mix and match what you have!):
- Eggplant (talong) - 1 or 2 pieces
- Bitter gourd (ampalaya) - 1 small one
- String beans (sitaw) - a small bunch
- Moringa pods (bunga ng malunggay) - 2 to 3 pods
- Cabbage (repolyo) - a quarter of a head
- Tomatoes (kamatis) - 1 to 2 pieces
- Chili peppers (siling haba) - 1 or 2 (optional, if you like it a bit spicy)
- Flavor:
- Bagoong Isda (fermented fish paste) - 2 to 3 tablespoons (adjust based on how salty you like it)
- Water - about 4-6 cups
HOW TO COOK (Easy Steps!)
- Get Meat Ready: If you are using beef boil the beef bones in water until they are super tender. Take out any foam that floats to the top.
- Chop Veggies: Wash and cut all your veggies. For the bitter gourd cut it a bit, then soak it in salty water for a few minutes and rinse it well. This helps take away some of the bitterness.
- Start the Soup: Put your beef and the water in a pot. Once it starts boiling, throw in the halved tomatoes and the whole chilies (if you are using them). Let it simmer for a bit.
- Add Harder Veggies: Now add the moringa pods. They take longer to cook. Let them cook until they start to get soft.
- Add Other Veggies: Then add the eggplant, string beans, and the bitter gourd.
- Flavor It Up: Stir in the bagoong isda. Taste it to see if it's salty enough for you. If not you can add a bit more bagoong or just a little salt.
- Last Veggie: Finally toss in the cabbage. Don't cook it for too long! You want it to still be a little crunchy.
- Serve it hot with plain rice and enjoy your delicious Dinengdeng!