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| Alternative names | Minanok |
|---|---|
| Course | Main course,side dish |
| Place of origin | The Philippines |
| Serving temperature | Warm |
| Main ingredients | Coconut milk,banana blossom/eggplant, red onion, salt, black pepper, vinegar |
| Variations | Kulawong talong,kulawong puso ng saging |
Kulawo is aFilipinosalad made with either mincedbanana blossoms (kulawong puso ng saging) or grilledeggplant (kulawong talong) cooked incoconut milk which distinctively is extracted from gratedcoconut meat toasted on live coals. It is a pre-colonial dish originating from the provinces ofLaguna andQuezon.Kulawo is a type ofkilawin andginataan.[1][2] It is fullyvegan and has a unique smoky taste sometimes compared to smoked meat or fish dishes.[3][2][4]
Kulawo uses eitherbanana blossoms or eggplant. When preparing banana blossoms, it they are finely diced orjulienned and mixed with salt for a few minutes and then squeezed dry and washed to remove the bitter sap. With eggplant, the vegetable is first grilled until soft and then peeled and mashed. Then grated coconut is placed in a container with live coals (usually from burningcoconut husks) until the grated coconut is toasted brown and emits a slightly burned odor. In modern versions, coconut may also be toasted briefly in an oven. The toasted and grated coconut is removed from the coals and moistened with vinegar.
It is allowed to cool down and squeezed to extractcoconut milk which has a smoky flavor. The coconut milk is heated slowly with vinegar (usuallycoconut orcane vinegar), red onions, salt, and black pepper. Other spices may be added to taste including garlic, ginger, shallots,fish sauce, andchili peppers. The coconut milk must be heated slowly and not allowed to boil to avoid curdling. The banana blossoms are then added last and cooked until tender.[1][5][2][6]
Kulawong puso ng saging is sometimes known asminanok ("done like chicken"), due to its texture being similar to shreddedchicken. Despite the name, it does not contain any meat.[4]
Some versions add cooked meat likepork belly (liempo), especially in adaptations in other regions. This is non-traditional.[7]
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