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Kulawo facts for kids

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Kulawo
Alternative names Minanok
Course Main course, side dish
Place of origin Philippines
Serving temperature Warm
Main ingredients Coconut milk, banana blossom/eggplant, red onion, salt, black pepper, vinegar
Variations kulawong talong, kulawong puso ng saging

Kulawo is a special Filipino salad. It is made with either finely chopped banana blossoms or grilled eggplants. What makes Kulawo unique is its coconut milk, which gets a smoky flavor from toasted coconut meat.

This dish is very old, created in the Philippines long before the Spanish arrived. It comes from the provinces of Laguna and Quezon. Kulawo is a type of kilawin (a dish cooked in vinegar) and ginataan (a dish cooked in coconut milk). It is completely vegan and has a distinct smoky taste. People often compare its flavor to smoked meat or fish.

Making Kulawo: A Special Salad

The original way to make kulawo uses banana blossoms. First, they are cut into small pieces or thin strips. Then, they are mixed with salt for a few minutes. After that, they are squeezed dry and washed to remove any bitter sap.

Next, grated coconut is placed in a container with hot coals. These coals usually come from burning coconut husks. The coconut is toasted until it turns brown and smells a bit smoky. Today, some people might toast the coconut briefly in an oven instead.

Once toasted, the grated coconut is separated from the coals. It is then moistened with vinegar and allowed to cool down. After cooling, it is squeezed to get out the coconut milk. This milk now has a wonderful smoky flavor!

The smoky coconut milk is then gently heated with vinegar. This is usually coconut or cane vinegar. Red onions, salt, and black pepper are also added. Other spices like garlic, ginger, shallots, fish sauce, and chili peppers can be added too. It's important to heat the coconut milk slowly and not let it boil. This stops it from curdling, which means it won't separate. Finally, the banana blossoms are added and cooked until they are soft.

A newer way to make kulawo uses eggplant. Eggplants were brought to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. For this version, the eggplant is grilled until it's soft. Then, its skin is peeled off, and the eggplant is mashed.

Kulawo's Different Styles

The kulawong puso ng saging (the banana blossom version) is sometimes called minanok. This name literally means "done like chicken." It's called this because its texture is similar to shredded chicken. But don't worry, it doesn't actually contain any meat!

Some versions of kulawo made in other areas might add cooked meat. For example, some add pork belly (called liempo). However, adding meat is not part of the traditional kulawo recipe.

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