Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Filipino Taro Leaves in Coconut Milk
菲律賓椰香芋葉
Recipe overview
Dried taro leaves are slowly cooked with coconut milk, shrimp paste and aromatics until fully soft. Never taste taro leaves raw; cook them thoroughly until no coarse texture remains.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 120 g dried taro leaves
- 800 ml Coconut milk
- 1 piece onion
- 5 clove garlic
- 30 g ginger
- 2 piece chilli
Sauce
- 250 ml water
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- pot
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- serving plate
- timer
03
Steps
Step 1
Inspect taro leaves
Remove hard stems or foreign matter from the dried taro leaves; keep them dry.
Step 2
Prepare aromatics
Slice the onion, mince the garlic, cut ginger into matchsticks and slice both chillies.
Step 3
Sauté aromatics
Heat two tablespoons oil and sauté onion, garlic, ginger and chilli for three minutes.
Step 4
Fry shrimp paste
Add two tablespoons shrimp paste and fry for one minute until evenly dispersed.
Step 5
Add coconut milk
Pour in 800 ml coconut milk and 250 ml water and stir gently.
Step 6
Simmer coconut base
Keep the coconut base at a gentle simmer for five minutes.
Step 7
Add dried leaves
Lay all dried taro leaves loosely over the coconut base; do not stir yet.
Step 8
Cover and soften
Cover and cook on low for twenty minutes so steam gradually softens the leaves.
Step 9
Press leaves down
Uncover and gently press the softened leaves below the coconut liquid.
Step 10
Stir evenly
When every leaf is moistened, fold gently from the edge until evenly mixed.
Step 11
Cook until fully soft
Simmer twenty minutes more until every leaf is fully soft with no dry or coarse pieces.
Step 12
Reduce and serve
Add half a teaspoon salt and simmer five minutes until thick, then serve.
Common mistakes
- Changing the step order can cause uneven doneness and texture.
- Excessive heat or too little time can dry the sauce or leave food undercooked.
- Using unwashed tools for raw and cooked food increases cross-contamination risk.
Tips
Measure all ingredients by group before starting.
Taste near the end and adjust salt gradually.
