About Malunggay Pods
April 22, 2007 6:26 pm Food and Drink
Filipinos are familiar with malunggay leaves since these are commonly combined in many native dishes all over the Philippines. But very few know that the young pods of the malunggay tree are also good to eat. It’s interesting to note that these are widely used as vegetables in Malaya and India.
In the Philippines, it’s only the llocanos who know how to cook the young pods, they do it their “dinengdeng” way - boiled with bagoong. However, for those who are allergic to high salt, simple sauteing within garlic and onion can also bring out the delicious flavor of the vegetables. Malunggay pods are usually 15 to 30 centimeters long, pendulous, three-angle, and nine-ribbed. The tough skin of the pod is removed, then cut in two-inch lengths, before cooking Inside the pods are three-angled seeds that are winged on the angles.
Just like the malunggay flowers and leaves, the young pods have abundant calcium and iron. They are also high in protein and phosphorous. Malunggay smells like horse-radish. According to the Nutrition Center of the Philippines, it contains “horse iodine” - an extraordinary iron compound not found in other leafy vegetables, which builds red blood cells and prevents anemia.
[tag]malunggay[/tag]
