Palapa is a sweet and spicy Filipino condiment made of finely chopped Filipino shallots (sakurab), chopped ginger (luya pagirison), turmeric (kalawag), and chili labuyo (luya tiduk).
It originates from the Maranao people of Lanao del Sur; it is an important cultural symbol of the Maranao people and is a ubiquitous accompaniment to every meal.
The ingredients are mixed together and briefly cooked.
In the past, two versions were made: the raw one (just the mixture of the three ingredients + salt, then stored in the refrigerator) and the cooked one, perfect also with scrambled eggs, fried fish, or as an addition to soy sauce.
Raw palapa can also be consumed as a salad dressing.
Stored in sealed jars (garapon) after cooking, it can be used as an ingredient in certain dishes – particularly in piaparan.
Piaparan is a Filipino dish consisting of meat (usually chicken Piaparan a Manok) or seafood cooked in a coconut milk-based broth with grated coconut and various vegetables, spiced with palapa. Piaparan means “grated coconut” in Maranao and is a type of ginataa, which is a dish cooked with gâta, or coconut milk:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Filipino
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 sakurab (or green onions)
- to taste fresh ginger
- 2 chilies (red and/or green)
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste vegetable oil
- 2.2 lbs chicken (drumsticks or chicken breast cut)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 tomato
- to taste turmeric powder
- 0.7 oz coconut
- 1 chili
- 1.8 oz coconut flour
- 2 cups ml water
Steps
Prepare the palapa: chop the shallots with ginger and chili, add the turmeric.
In a pan, sauté the garlic in oil and add the palapa. Cook for 15 minutes.
For the coconut milk: cook the flour in water for 30 minutes, blend the mixture and refrigerate for 3/4 hours before using.
For the piaparan a manok: in a pot, add chopped garlic, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes, and half of the palapa.
After a few minutes, add the chicken, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the turmeric and coconut milk. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Set the chicken aside.
Add the other half of the palapa, the grated coconut, and the chili to the coconut milk mixture.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve by pouring the coconut milk mixture over the chicken and accompanying it with rice.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What does Maranao mean?
Maranao means “people of the lake,” and it is a term used for a group of Muslims in the Philippines who originally live in the southern part of the country.
What is sakurab?
These are native shallots found in the province of Lanao. They are sold in bundles (about 500 g per bundle, depending on size).
Depending on the weight and size, each bundle costs around Php 20.00 to 30.00.
They can be substituted with green onions.
