Sigarilyas stay crisp in gising-gising, gabi leaves turn soft in laing — both in the same coconut-chili-bagoong base. Might as well put them together.
Adding sigarilyas (winged beans) to a pot of simmering laing (dried taro leaves) sounds odd at first. Both gising-gising and laing are Bicolano dishes that use the same coconut-chili-bagoong base, but combining them isn't traditional. Still, the logic holds up. The soft gabi leaves, the crisp winged beans, the creamy sauce with the umami-salty kick from the bagoong. It just works!
Gising-gising and laing are practically the same dish with different vegetables. They both use coconut milk, chilis, and bagoong alamang. They come from the same region and the same flavor tradition. The only real difference is texture: laing is soft and slow-cooked, gising-gising has vegetables that still have bite. Combining them just means building one base and adding both components. The gabi leaves braise low and slow until all the gatis (that itchy feeling from raw taro leaves) cooks out and the sauce thickens. Then the sigarilyas go in at the end, just long enough to cook through without turning mushy. The result is the richness of laing and the freshness of gising-gising in one pot, unified by the same coconut-chili-bagoong base they already share.
Prepare sigarilyas and laing leaves: Remove dried parts of the sigarilyas. Slice into ¼ inch pieces. Set aside. Sort through the laing leaves and remove hard parts and stems.
Cook aromatics: Heat pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of neutral oil. Cook onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Brown ground pork: Increase heat to medium high and add ground pork and cook until brown.
Make sauce: Reduce heat to medium low and add coconut milk, bagoong, patis, siling pansigang, and dilis. Cook until well combined.
Simmer Laing: Reduce heat to low and add the laing leaves in an even layer, pressing gently to soak in the liquid. Pour the remaining coconut cream over the leaves and cover. Do not stir – stirring too early can spread the gatis (itchiness). Let simmer undisturbed until the coconut milk has reduced by about half and the leaves have softened, about 30-40 minutes. At this point, gently tap the sides to submerge any dry leaves and add water if needed. Continue cooking until the leaves are completely tender and no longer have any itchiness, and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, another 40-60 minutes.
Add sigarilyas: Add sigarilyas on top and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Season and serve: Fold the laing and sigarilyas and taste for seasoning. Adjust with more patis or salt to taste. Garnish with sliced siling labuyo if desired and serve hot.
