Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Filipino Dinengdeng Vegetable Soup
菲律賓魚露雜菜湯
Recipe overview
Dinengdeng seasons its broth with fermented fish sauce and adds squash, bitter melon, eggplant, okra, long beans and moringa leaves by cooking time.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g, cut into 3 cm pieces squash
- 250 g, cut into 3 cm pieces eggplant
- 150 g, stems trimmed okra
- 150 g, cut into 5 cm lengths long beans
- 150 g, seeded and cut 1 cm thick bitter melon
- 50 g moringa leaves
- 200 g, divided into 4 pieces cooked grilled milkfish
- 15 g, crushed ginger
- 1.2 litres water
Soup seasoning
- 3 tbsp fermented fish sauce (bagoong isda)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
02
Tools
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- spoon
- fine sieve
- measuring jug
- large saucepan with lid
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- large soup bowl
- food thermometer
- small bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Cut squash and bitter melon
First use the chef's knife on the cutting board to cut squash 300 g into 3 cm pieces; seed bitter melon 150 g and cut 1 cm thick, keeping them separate.
Step 2
Cut remaining vegetables
Next cut eggplant 250 g into 3 cm pieces and long beans 150 g into 5 cm lengths; trim only the stems from okra 150 g and arrange separately.
Step 3
Prepare fish and leaves
Use the spoon to divide cooked grilled milkfish 200 g into 4 pieces and remove visible large bones; strip coarse stems from moringa leaves 50 g and crush ginger 15 g.
Step 4
Strain the bagoong
Pour fermented fish sauce 3 tbsp through the fine sieve into a small bowl, removing fish bones and coarse solids while retaining about 3 tbsp liquid.
Step 5
Boil ginger broth
Put water 1.2 litres and crushed ginger 15 g in the large saucepan; cover and heat on high about 6 minutes to a full boil.
Step 6
Cook squash first
Once boiling add squash 300 g and strained fish sauce 3 tbsp; stir once with the wooden spoon, cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Add bitter melon
Next add bitter melon 150 g to the same saucepan and cook uncovered over medium heat for 3 minutes until the edges begin turning translucent.
Step 8
Add beans and eggplant
Add long beans 150 g followed by eggplant 250 g; press them into the broth with the wooden spoon, cover and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes.
Step 9
Add okra
Then add okra 150 g and cook uncovered over medium heat for 3 minutes until bright green and easily pierced with the chef's-knife tip.
Step 10
Warm the cooked fish
Only when vegetables are nearly done slide in cooked grilled milkfish 4 pieces; heat over low for at least 3 minutes and confirm the centre reheats to at least 75°C with a food thermometer without stirring it apart.
Step 11
Add moringa leaves
Last add moringa leaves 50 g and black pepper 1/4 tsp; press gently into the broth with the wooden spoon and cook on low for 1 minute until wilted.
Step 12
Check and serve
Before turning off heat confirm squash cuts with the spoon, eggplant is soft but intact and fish is hot; rest 1 minute, then ladle into the large soup bowl.
Common mistakes
- Adding every vegetable together overcooks leaves while squash stays hard.
- Unstrained bagoong may leave fish bones or coarse solids.
- Adding cooked fish early and stirring hard breaks it apart.
- Cooking moringa leaves too long dulls their colour and makes them bitter.
Tips
Arrange vegetables separately and add squash, bitter melon, beans and eggplant, okra, cooked fish, then moringa leaves. Bagoong saltiness varies, so taste at the end.
