Utan ug Buwad

Utan ug Buwad, Utan Bisaya is simple assortments of vegetable dish boiled and simmer in plain water, season only with salt and topped with buwad (dried fish). These dish is a native of Visayas Region. It is similar to dinengdeng of the Ilocos Region or bulanglang of Tagalog Region. See my previous post on dinengdeng. Amongst the assortment of vegetables of utan Bisaya, malungay is an essential leafy vegetable ingredient, it gives a peculiar aroma and flavor of the dish. While the okra provides a slightly creamy characteristic, the squash and gabi give texture to the broth.

Ingredients:

3 medium size buwad (dried fish),
1 bundle malunggay leaves, removed from stem
2 c. kalabasa, cut into wedges
1 bundle sitaw, cut into 2” length
1 c. labong, sliced or cut into strip, parboiled
3 medium size gabi, cut into wedges
1 bundle okra, cut into wedges
3 small size talong, cut into wedges
1 bundle alugbati (if available)
1 small bundle spring onions, chopped
salt

Cooking procedure:

Soak dried fish in water to reduce the saltiness. Drain and fry, wipe off excess oil, set aside. Wash thoroughly all vegetables. In a large pot, boil water and add gabi, kalabasa and labong, cook until gabi and kalabasa are firm tender. Add sitaw, okra and talong continue simmering until just cooked. Add dried fish, season with salt to taste. Add malunggay, spring onion and alugbati, cook until leafy vegetables are just cooked. Serve immediately.