In our household, it’s rare for the vegetables to be the highlight of a lunch or dinner. For the most part, the greens and beans are there to support whatever meat we’re having and they just serve as an excuse for a healthy meal. Same with fruits, which we normally eat after meals (except tomatoes, eggplants, and other deceptive ones).
So I was amazed when I read on a forum on Reddit that some people use cotton fruit or santol in a dish. Santol is perfect with salt, sometimes eaten as street food like mangoes and turnips with bagoong. But I haven’t pictured it in a hot dish eaten with rice.
If you’re planning to deviate from your usual food, try cooking a meal with this simple (but seasonal) fruit.
Gulay na Santol
Also known as Sinantolan, this dish is made of grated santol cooked in alamang or shrimp paste and coconut milk. It’s particularly known in Laguna and Bicol region as appetizer or side dish. If you want it spicy (a la Bicol Express), just add chopped siling labuyo or red chili together with alamang and grated santol.
Paksiw na Galunggong sa Santol
In this dish, santol is an additive to paksiw to enhance the vinegary and sour flavor. Here’s the recipe. But if you’re not in the mood to eat fish, you can substitute beef. Check the recipe for the Sinigang na Baka sa Santol here.
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