When adding the coconut milk, make sure not to add too much water to the grated or ground coconut meat. Regarding the origin of the name “Bicol Express’, I just saw a show on Philippine TV about bicol express. Use water & spices sparingly at first and add more later if needed. yummm… di ko maluto dito kase mahirap mag hanap ng ingredients pag uwi ko nalang mag luluto nun hayy!! :), thanks to the bicolano readers for the clarification. Bikolboy and Elmoro got it right on target. Serve hot. Never did it originate from Bicol. If you want a Bicol Express that is just comfortably spicy, use less chilies. Guess it’s a metter of what we grew up with and had gotten used to. where can i buy bicol express in a jar here in Manila?… I prefer mine w/out bagoong. it’s great so long as the spiciness is just right and the coconut milk is thick enough. You simmer this but you should continue to stir so the coconut milk will not curdle. My husband asked me to add broccoli and it tasted great. i am marrying an indian vegetarian and i am tring to find out ways to modify our filipino vegetable dishes for him to try. Old folks simply call it “Gulay na Lada”. I could have simply done that. Maarte => artistic; full of artistry. I just wanna ask if the canned coconut milk will work with this dish? keep up the goodwill!!! i tried this when my boss cooked for one of our office shindigs and it’s yummy….. di mo na mapapansin na napadami na kain mo ksi ung anghang and sweetness ng pineapple naghalo na…. Pwede sigurong pure vegetarian or budgetarian (nagtipid) dahil walang pork na sahog. It also makes it prettier when plating it . So, Bicol Express was the name used for fun when asked about this exotic food from a local train bound for Bicol in early 60″?s with markings of Bicol Express. masiramon…… Then voila, you have an exotic dish. !Ms connie & GODBLESS!! yup! nag lalaway tuloy ako, specialty ko ang bicol express..i tried adding carrots & pumpkins ang sarap. bicol express! ciao! Am also from Bicol (Sorsogon) and we make bicol express just the way he describes it–no sauteing.. and its true that its not called Bicol Express in the Bicol province, just simply “lada” and we always cook it with bagoong. The best bagoong-alamang for Bicol Express sa ginataan na langka crabs ang masarap na sahog diyan with lemon grass. Pls. Every family in Bicol must have its own version of traditional dishes. hello connie, thanks for this recipe. Add finger chili and cook for another 10 minutes. No spam. It is a popular and classic Filipino dish where pork is simmered in a combination of shrimp paste, chili peppers, and coconut milk.. Bicol express comes in many variations such as fish, chicken, and vegetarian. Bicol express is a delicious spicy pork stew that's rich with coconut milk. Their cooking is quite different from the rest of Bicol, it is somewhat exotic. here. Very rich. I’m still wondering if bagoong (shrimp) and coconut milk are really good combinations. Slit the chilies in the first batch vertically, scrape off the seeds and membranes then slice into thin rings. I might add, if you will, that this thing you people called Bikol Express is for the weak-hearted. (shoulder or belly), cut into one-inch cubes, (or two shallots), peeled and thinly sliced, (see how to extract coconut cream / milk or substitute powdered or canned). Allowing the tofu dry will prevent you from getting burns because tofu can sometimes be watery. There is really something about the combination of tomatoes and coriander which adds a twist to any dish. hi. the sweet tangy taste of the pineapple syrup and meat would counter act the spicyness of the chili. ah food,it triggers happy memories of home. The answer was so simple I wondered why I never made the connection before — scrape off the seeds and membranes of some of the chilies. bicol express has long been concocted for centuries in albay, especially in the first district where scalding-hot peppers make up the main ingredient of every vegetable dish. for those who post comments, please make sure that you check your facts well before engaging in a myth-spreading scheme. Our mom usually cook the dish base from our family recipe in legaspi city every special occation. IT IS BASICALLY GINULAY NA ORIG (PORK) AND IT CAN BE DONE WITH CHICKEN. Hi, Ms. Connie! i love this w/ lugaw or linanot na masabaw. Divide the chilies into two batches. Optionally, you can wait until the edges start to brown a little. Season with fish sauce. The idea is to use a generous amount of chilies without making the dish inedible. Am not a bagoong fan either, Gina. and pressing the grated coconut..so, one day, i decided to make it our family business.now, our family recipe is available in 235 grams glass jar in our local supermarkets here…for people on the go…ika nga ng tita ko”kung gusto nyo kumain ng masarap, paghirapan nyo” same true in preparing the dish…so eat up and spice up your meal!!! with lots of fresh “balaw” of course and “ladang darakula”. Actually I love anything with gata at room temperature over hot rice. i cooked it with the same old fashioned way but i added “SIGARILYAS” vegies to nuetralize with the hot flavor of chile (d green one) or filipino called it as siling haba. Add salt and season with pepper and more salt to taste. Hi marian. :) Hope it turns out well. Our “LINTIK SA ANGHANG ANG SARAP” invention. The best thing about this dish is that it is made from simple ingredients, easy to prepare, and yet command such a delicious taste. Stir. i’m sure that the die hard traditionalists will say that bicol express without bagoong is not bicol express at all but then who cares what they say, eh? !..by the way i lyk this site than any other site na na puntahan ko…madali kasing intindihin,madling lutuin pero masarap kainin,oh di bah?? Trosp, I guess bagoong isn’t for everyone. Hi! GULAY IN BICOL USUALLY MEANS COCONUT MILK PLUS WHATEVER WITH HOT PEPPER (LADA). hi again, hope you’ll have a great summer, anna, it’s spicy enough without sambal. Thanks!…. It is called Dinuguan na Manok. I am a mom of a 23-month old and I try my best to expose her to nutritious meals as much as possible. But I can’t guarantee results since I’ve never tried that. Oh, this sounds so yummy right now (9:00 am-PDT) :wink:…the combination of coconut milk and sili. So the coconut milk’s color becomes brownish. Please try “An nag lana-lana” and you will be amazed of the taste. After all, cooking with “gata” defines us as it is truly a regular ingredient in our cooking. I’m curious. Season with MAGGI® MAGIC SARAP®. Adding too much water will make your coconut milk too thin and we want the Bicol Express to be creamy, not too soupy or watery. After slicing the tofu into cubes, make sure to tap it dry using a clean kitchen cloth. IN ALBAY AS MENTIONED, ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE BOILED TOGETHER IN CONCENTRATED COCONUT MILK (LESS WATERY, CREAMIER). Consider me an Ilocana holding a very soft spot in my heart for this Bicolano dish (and lahat ng may gata)!!! cooked with shrimp and young coconut and coconut cream. Story goes that not long ago, a lady was cooking this dish rich in coconut milk and adorned with chilies that people would go to her stall come lunch time, since it was her own invention she didn’t had a name for it, one day her brother who was with with her, heard the train bound for Bicol rush by, told her siter “Yan ang itawag mo dyan, Bicol Express.”. It is cooked by putting all the ingredients together in a wok – including the coconut milk, pork, urabang(the Bicol version of bagoong alamang where the shrimps are a little bigger), garlic, onion, pepper. I agree w/Trosp that it steals the real flavour of the dish. we only called it gulay na gabi or gaway w/c my mom would whip w/ either tinapa, sardines or whatever is available when she was not able to go to the market. Enter your email address. The original name of the famous Bicol Express is LINATIK. 45 Min. I tried cooking it again for friends but doubled the quantity of meat, it didn’t turn out as good coz it was not as dry as my first attempt. siram. this one is really good ms connie, i cooked bicol express for dinner and boy oh boy! Gee, I wrote about that in If you want your chilies mildly hot instead of very hot — how could I not remember? “I’m still wondering if bagoong (shrimp) and coconut milk are really good combinations.”. I am hoping this will open up the minds of filipinos that the original still being called LINATIK. :-P. By the way, I’m taking inspiration from your “chicken pie”.