Laing Recipe (Filipino Taro leaves in Coconut Milk)
Authentic Filipino laing, featuring tender dried taro leaves cooked in rich coconut milk infused with lemongrass and bird’s eye chilies. This comforting Filipino recipe is made completely vegan and gluten-free so everyone you know and love can enjoy it together without harming a single creature or tummy.
Servings: 5 cups
Calories: 232kcal
Cost: $7
Equipment
- Cleaver
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- 4 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated or minced
- 2 stalks lemongrass fresh inner core only, dry outter leaves discarded
- 2 bird’s eye chilies thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 13.5 oz. Coconut milk full fat
- 2 oz. dried taro leaves
To Garnish:
- 2 bird’s eye chilies optional
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons red onion or shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook until it becomes translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Bash the lemongrass with the side of a heavy knife or cleaver. This will help it to release its oils and flavors into the Laing.
- Add the bashed stalks of lemongrass, bird’s eye chilies, rice vinegar, vegetarian oyster sauce and salt, stirring to combine with the other ingredients.
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and add the dried taro leaves. Cover the pan and let the leaves steam for 8-10 minutes, until the taro leaves are tender, but not mushy and have absorbed most of the liquid.
- Transfer the contents of the pan into an attractive serving dish and garnish with additional chili peppers, cilantro leaves and minced red onion or fried shallots, if desired.
Video
Notes
🌿 Quality Taro Only:
Choose taro leaves that aren’t dusty, disintegrating, or brittle as these are signs of old age. Avoid leaves that are dark and overly pliable, as they might have been exposed to moisture and could be unsafe to eat.
🌶️ Spice It Right:
Bird’s eye chilies can vary in heat. Taste and adjust the amount to your preference, remembering you can always add more heat later, but you can’t easily tone it down once it’s too spicy.
🔥 Slow and Low Simmer:
Simmer the coconut milk gently over low heat after adding the taro leaves. This slow cooking allows the leaves to absorb the flavors and prevents the coconut milk from curdling.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 891IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg