The Happy Home Cook: “Almost Binignit”, a Vegan Cebuano Dessert Stew
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Binignit (Photo by Lorna Lardizabal Dietz)
Why is it called Binignit?
Quoted from Cebu Daily News: “It has something to do with ‘init’ or the word that means ‘hot.’ Indeed, Binignit is piping hot when removed from the fire. When it is ladled into your bowl and you excitedly scoop and you bring the scoop up to your mouth… Init!”
I had never cooked Binignit in the US. Since my Balboa Street merchants didn’t stock any platanos, ube, and taro, I had to work with the only ingredients in my pantry: Yellow Cavendish bananas, sweet potatoes, canned jackfruit in syrup, and frozen mochi balls.
When I served Auntie Leona her dessert, she was pleased with the result especially since she couldn’t tell I was missing some essential ingredients. I had substituted ube with ube extract.
This “Almost Binignit” is for those homesick Visayans and Mindanaoans in the American kitchen or anywhere in the world where winter exists.
Mangaon ta! (Let’s eat!)
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups jackfruit, shredded into julienne strips (from a 20 oz. can of jackfruit in syrup; I used Dragonfly)
1-1/3 cups jackfruit syrup (the syrup from one can, for flavor and sweetening)
2 cups yellow Cavendish bananas, cut into 3/4-inch rounds (mix the bananas with jackfruit syrup to stop the bananas from browning)
2 sweet potatoes (approximately 4-1/4 cups), cut into 1/2- inch cubes
2 cans coconut milk (each can is 1-3/4 cups) or 3-1/2 cups coconut milk
2 cups water (mixed with leftover coconut milk from the cans)
3/4 cup Coco Sugar (or dark brown sugar or Muscovado)
2-1/2 cups frozen mochi balls (or frozen glutinous/sticky rice balls, bilo, landang, cooked large tapioca pearls)
1 tsp. ube flavor
Procedure
1. Heat two cups of water in a large stock pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes. Cover pan. Stir occasionally. Cook until almost tender, not mushy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk to the mixture. Cook over medium heat until tiny bubbles form, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the pieces of jackfruit. Don’t allow the coconut milk to boil over or else it will curdle.
4. After about five minutes, add the bananas in jackfruit syrup. Cook for about two minutes.
5. Lower your stove’s heat to medium-low. Add 3/4 cup coco sugar. Mix well.
6. After two minutes, add frozen mochi balls. Cook for about three minutes or until soft.
7. Add ube extract to the mixture. The dessert stew turns into a deep purple color at this point.
8. Turn up the heat to medium. Lightly boil the mixture for about five minutes. Taste your Binignit at this point and adjust the sugar to your taste.
9. Optional: To thicken the dessert stew, add 2 tbsps. of cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water to make a slurry. Add this to the saucepan and stir until the mixture thickens and turns slightly glossy. Do not cook past one minute after acquiring its glossy look. Another alternative is to add 1/2 cup of cooked small tapioca pearls.
10. To serve: Add a pinch of star anise powder on top of your dessert bowl (or soup bowl) and mix in.
11. Serve piping hot or cold. Serves 8.
NOTES:
“Almost Binignit” refrigerates well for a week or more. You can microwave an individual serving dish for about 1-1/2 minutes.
Read all about the original Binignit here. https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/203639/binignit
About the author: Lorna Lardizabal Dietz gained practical baking and cooking know-how when her family-owned Sally’s Bake Shop opened for business when she was 10 years old. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Hotel & Restaurant Administration in Diliman, Quezon City. More at http://about.me/radiantview.
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