Burong Labanos

Burong Labanos is another Caviteñean side dish like atsara best paired with fried dishes but either you love it or hate it for its smell.

Ingredients:
4-5 pieces radish, sliced lengthwise
mustasa or mustard leaves , optional
hugas bigas
salt

Procedure:
Dry radish in the sun for hours. Wash the Mustard leaves thoroughly. Cut the roots and old leaves. Dry and remove excess water.  Brush the leaves and stem with salt and press it with squeezing motion wherein some of the juices may come out. Place the mustasa leaves and stem in a clean and dry jar with radish slices. Pour hugas bigas mixed with salt to taste. Leave 2 inches of space in the top of the jar without water. Cover the jar tightly and store in a cool and dry place for 3-5 days. Store in refrigerator for longer shelf-life.


Hugas bigas : Boil a cup of rice in 4 cups of water with a dash of salt. When it becomes mushy, cool and strain in cheesecloth.

Atsara

Atsara/Achara/Atchara is a tangy relish that complements barbeque, fried and fish dishes. The sweetness and sourness of the sugar-vinegar mixture depends on the type of vinegar used.

Ingredients: 
1 fresh green papaya, grated
1 carrot, sliced crosswise
1 red capsicum, sliced lengthwise
1 thumb size ginger, sliced crosswise
1 box 42.5g raisins (optional)
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
7/8 cup sugar
1/4 salt
1 tsp salt

Procedure:
Mix 150g (1/4 cup) salt to about 4 cups of grated papaya. Squeeze papaya juice with hands at least 3 times. Rinse 3 times.
Mix the papaya with all the other vegetables in a large bowl. Place this mixture in clean dry jars with lids.
In a small pot, boil vinegar, water, sugar and salt for about 5 minutes. Cool mixture.
Pour vinegar mixture into the jars, making sure the vegetables are completely covered with the mixture.
Keep refrigerated when not in use.

Ensaladang Pipino

This is a very easy and refreshing side dish best paired with grilled or fried dishes.

Ingredients:

cucumber

vinegar

sugar

salt and pepper

Procedure:

Peel and sliced cucumber. Mixed vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper then pour to the cucumbers. Served. 

Nilagang Talong at Bagoong

A very easy to make side dish that for some ulam na.

Ingredients:
medium size eggplants
cooked bagoong alamang

Procedure:
Slice eggplants into half. Boil until cook but make sure its not mushy. Spread bagoong on top.

Tokwa't Baboy

A Filipino dish of fried mixture of pork and tofu with vinegar, onion and soy sauce. It is used as toppings for pancit puso, pancit luglug, arroz caldo or as pulutan paired with cold beer.

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo pork or more (preferably the ear and face part)

4 pieces tokwa (dry tofu)

2 cups cooking oil

1 small head garlic

3 white or red onions

5 whole peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

chopped red sili

Procedure:

Place pork in small casserole and pour enough water to cover the pork. Add 3 pieces or more garlic cloves, 1 whole onion, whole peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil skimming off scum as it rises, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pork broth for the sauce.

In a pan, heat the oil. Fry tokwa until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and cool.

Mince remaining garlic cloves, chop 2 heads onions and siling labuyo.

In a large bowl, prepare the sauce by thoroughly combining the minced onion and garlic, siling labuyo,vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and the reserved pork broth. Slice the pork and the tokwa into 1/2-inch cubes and combine with the sauce.