• Description

Vernacular Names: labu

Parts utilized as vegetable and availability: fruits

Cultivated/Foraged: planted

Habitat: homegarden

Availability: available 4 months

Other uses: High blood

Dishes:sautéed, ginataan, law-uy

Law-uy

(Mixed Vegetables Stew)
Brgy. Molo-polo, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur

Ingredients

• 1 cup squash or kalabasa, cubed (Cucurbita moschata)
• 1 pc medium eggplant or talong, cubed (Solanum melongena)
• 1 pc small sponge gourd or sikwa/patola (Luffa cylindrica)
• 3-4 pcs okra, halved with a diagonal cut (Abelmoschus esculentus)
• 1 cup malabar spinach leaves or agbati (Basella alba)
Alternatives:
1 cup Tinangkong sweetpotato tops or talbos ng Tinangkong (Ipomoea batatas var Tinangkong)
1 cup horseradish or malunggay leaves (Moringa oleifera)
• ½ - 1 cup mushrooms or kabute
• 2 pcs medium tomatoes or kamatis, sliced
• 1 pc medium head shallot or sibuyas bombay, chopped
• 1 thumb ginger or luya, crushed
• 1 stalk lemongrass or tanglad, crushed or scored
• Salt

Procedure

1. Fill pot with water and add tanglad, luya and sibuyas bombay. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
2. Add kalabasa and talong. Bring to a boil and simmer for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the sikwa, kamatis, kabute and okra and cook for about 2-3 minutes, just until limp.
4. Add salt and mix.
5. Turn off heat and add alugbati (or malunggay or Tinangkong) leaves. Stir to mix. The residual heat will be enough to cook the leafy greens.