Traditionally, when a Bicolano says “gulay” or cooked vegetable, they most likely meant “cooked in coconut”.
The variation would be on what kind of vegetable and the add ons used to cook it with.
There has always been a moringa tree in our backyard growing up. Whenever the mood strikes, we will have moringa for lunch or dinner. This will be a serious decision on the part of the cook because cooking moringa takes commitment. It is readily available in our backyard, but preparing it takes hours.
After cutting the stalks down from the tree, we will be gathered around the kitchen and given our share of stalks to prepare. That meant removing all of the stalks, from the biggest one, to the smallest one, leaving only a piece of leaf for cooking. Older cooks and kitchen hands have their own style of preparing them; reaping the big stalks out first, then meticulously going each and every little stalk from the bunch, until all you’re left with are green leaves, still fresh hopefully and not mangled beyond recognition.
This was a good training for patience for us kids.
To cook:
Grill chicken breast over medium fire until cooked. Let cool and tear into small pieces.
On a big pan, put in “bagoong”, crushed garlic, and the chicken and chili (optional). Mash chili in small amount of salt.
Add the coconut milk and cook over medium heat. Keep stirring until it boils.
Add the beans and let it boil till the beans are cooked.
Add the moringa leaves and let boil for a few minutes, do not stir.
When the leaves have been cooked, stir to distribute the sauce.
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