Comments on: Binalot, a Dish from Bicol

By: coolblue

coolblue — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:55:37 +0000

hi! good to know that a sumptuous bicol dish is getting noticed here. i am from bicol ( baao, cam. sur, to be exact) and we call it “pinangat”, too. your recipe is the albay version ( which means that there are more layers of taro leaves than stuffing). the baao version (or other versions from neighbor towns, i would presume) would have the stuffing composed of the young coconut, shrimps or small crabs (always either of these two; no meat), spices (ginger, onion, garlic), salt , lots of pepper (labuyo). this stuffing are chopped finely (almost ‘pastey’; not chopped roughly) by hand ( in a modern kitchen, the blender will definitely be helpful). a hefty tablespoon full is placed on several layers of taro leaves. after which this is folded to form rectangles/squares held together by a piece of thin twine ( banana leaf strips are used in the province). several layers of these are then placed inside a deep pot and cooked just like a ‘paksiw’. hence, you will need some vinegar for this and more spices. this tastes like heaven either served steaming hot or cold ( following day or so). if you’re already into it, why not cook a coconut cream coming from the first press of several mature coconuts (panggata). i am not sure how this cream is prepared but you pour it on top each pinangat and you see a glimpse of heaven. or maybe i’m just missing home; i can only imagine it for now. visit baao, cam. sur if you’re nearby and ask the people around who sells the best pinangat in the market. but i guess you can only have it by ordering beforehand. it’s a tedious dish to cook, but it is worth it. i remember my mother prepare it when i was a kid and it would take her the whole morning to prepare and cook.

By: ricky

ricky — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:07:10 +0000

hi…kuranog is right…there are no dishes called binalot here…i am from albay…and the dish that you have posted isnt called PINANGAT…but it is a version of INULUKAN…because of the juices of the small crabs called “ULOK” locally…plus the young coconut meat you put in the leaves…and to correct kuranog…PINANGAT is only taro leaves with either bits of pork or dried fish or a combination of both…

By: Mita

Mita — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:56:26 +0000

kuranog, thank you for the feedback. the bicolanas who gave me the name of this dish are from albay…maybe they call it binalot there? you’re right, i think this recipe won’t be spicy enough for a bicolano because i catered it to our (my husband and myself) taste…and we don’t like spicy foods all that much…

By: kuranog

kuranog — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 03:50:45 +0000

im a bikolano but i never heard of a dish called binalot. however the description of ingredients and the way you prepared the dish tells me that you’re talking about what people in naga city call pinangat. your ingredients guarantee something that would be bland (read: not spicy enough) for a bikolano, but that ought to do it

By: Mita

Mita — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:18:39 +0000

ladybug, my sister already asked me to cook this again….had to tell her there’s very little chance I will do a repeat since i can’t even eat this! but my husband REALLY liked it…

By: ladybug

ladybug — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 03:54:12 +0000

Looks delicious but too complicated for me….hehehe. Medyo tamad ako eh. I will wait for the time I can taste this in a restaurant.