Sizzling sambal squid

 Serving a zesty Sambal dish on a sizzling plate

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte 

Chef Miguel Cabel Moreno of Palm Grill did a cooking demo of a few Tausug dishes at the Palenque section of Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City. Simply dubbed "Colors of Mindanao," the cook-and-sample show afforded attendees a unique preview of ZamBaSulTa (Zamboanga, Basilan,  Sulu,  and Tawi-Tawi) region's sumptuous staples.

The Sambal dish, with its link to the archipelago of Indonesia, is prepared in two versions - the cooked and uncooked. For this recipe, we opted for the cooked version.

"The Tausugs are the only Filipino tribe that uses burnt grated coconut when cooking their dishes. My mom inspired me to open a Southern Mindanaoan restaurant. She cooks the best version of Pianggang Manok. And that's how Palm Grill came to be," shared Chef Miggy, who was born and raised in Julu, Sulu.

Ingredients:

- Sambal (Yellow Pamapa)

Brown sugar

Garlic

White onions

Ripe tomatoes

Ginger & turmeric

Red chili

Vegetable oil

Dried shrimps

Lemon

- Cooking instructions

1) Saute the dried shrimps 'til toasted.

2) Add the garlic, onions, ginger, sugar, and turmeric.

3) Smash the ripe tomatoes into the sautéed mixture. The number of tomatoes would depend upon the amount of sauce you want.

4) Sprinkle paprika to the sautéed condiments and add chili to your desired spice level.

5) Squeeze lemon juice. Roll the lemon on all sides well before squeezing to maximize the amount of juice it generates. The secret to cooking samba perfectly is watching when the natural oils come out. Set aside.

"Saute the ssquidmeat (rings and slices) for a few seconds 'til it changes in color. Too much cooking will make it tough. Toss the sauteed squid slices into the sambal sauce. This recipe is presented in a sizzling plate. And we cook it with coconut milk, ginger, shallots, garlic, and pepper. The yellow turmeric will give it color, and atchuete will intensify the hue. It could be fish, too, instead of squid," advised Chef Miggy.

Instead of a sizzling plate, you can serve your sambal as rice topping.