This is what I mostly look forward to on a Sunday: waking up late, watching movies, and enjoying the "lutong-bahay" meals.
This Sunday, I sautéed mussels, or "Ginisang Tahong," as we call them in the Philippines. I also had dried Dilis, also known as "Buwad Bolinao," which served as my "pampagana" for this meal.
Though there are different ways of cooking the Tahong, I wanted to savor its freshness in its soup. So I decided to have it as "ginisang tahong".
To prepare the "ginisang tahong", first all the needed ingredients should be gathered which are as follows:
Mussel ("tahong")
Onion ("bombay")
Garlic ("ahos")
Ginger ("luy-a")
Lemon grass ("tanglad")
Bell Pepper ("atsal")
Salt
Now, with all those ingredients, you can already start preparing the "ginisang tahong".
Here's my cooking guide for you:
1.) Wash the mussels thoroughly under running water.
2.) Put oil in the pan.
3.) In the pan, combine the garlic, onion, and ginger. Then sauté.
4.) Add the remaining ingredients, lemon grass and bell pepper, and continue to sauté.
5.) Add the mussel ("tahong") afterwards, then mix it with all those ingredients. Sauté it for 1-2 mins.
6.) Add water based on your reference and the mussels you have. For this meal, I had a 1 kilo mussel and the water volume I had for my preparation was 2-3 cups.
7.) Season with salt to taste. Cover the pan and bring it to a boiling point.
8.) Once it boils already, check the mussels and you will see that all of them, or if not most of them, have opened their shells already. Then it's good to be served already.
Then for the dried dilis, I just simply fried them. For you to enjoy it the most, make sure you have vinegar or "sukang pinakurat" on your table, which will be your sauce for the "buwad bolinao".
With all those preparations mentioned above, do not forget to prepare a good amount of cooked rice, especially if you are a rice eater like me. hahaha
Every household may have their own way of preparing their meals. They may have their own cooking and preparation styles. Those mentioned above are based on how my family prepares them on our table. It does not apply to everyone, but I hope you had a good read of my article and probably had noted some tips you can consider if you prepare "ginisang tahong" in your respective homes.
Now, how about you? How did you spend your Sunday?
Did you also enjoy your home-cooked meals?