How to Make Kilawin na Pugita: A Filipino-Inspired Appetizer

I am a chef on a luxury world cruise liner. I love to cook and write recipes that are inspired by foods from all over the world.

Kilawin is the term for a raw seafood dish in the Philippines. You could say it is like a Filipino version of the famous ceviche of South America. However, kilawin doesn't always refer to seafood that's completely raw. In the northern part of the Philippines, for example, the term commonly refers to lightly blanched or grilled meat.

Pugita is the Tagalog word for octopus. Kilawin na pugita, therefore, is lightly blanched (or grilled) octopus.

I would like to share my simple recipe for how to make this dish. It is commonly served as an appetizer, but it can also be part of the main meal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilogram pugita (octopus), thinly sliced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 small tomatoes, sliced
• Water, as needed
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of vinegar
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Utensils

For Preparing:

• 1 medium bowl
• 1 large plate
• chopping board
• knife

For Cooking:

• pot
• tongs

Cook Time

Instructions

1. Boil water in a pot.
2. Add octopus, vinegar, and salt. Cook for at least 10 minutes, or until octopus is slightly tender.
3. Remove octopus from the boiling water immediately. Set aside to let it cool.
4. Prepare the ginger, onions, and tomatoes. Set aside.
5. Slice the octopus into small pieces. Place it in a bowl.
6. For the bowl with the octopus, add the ginger, onions, and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients.

Kilawin na Pugita Step-by-Step Procedure

Tips and Techniques

• Serve this dish as an appetizer or as a part of the main meal.
• Pair this dish with your favorite alcoholic drink.
• Drizzle a spicy vinegar to spice up the flavor.
• Add chopped chilies for a little kick.
• Adjust the amount of the vegetables if desired.
• Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the octopus. The smaller the octopus, the shorter the cooking time.
• In a larger octopus, the tenderness of the various parts (e.g., tentacles vs. body) may vary.

Other Pulutan (Beer Match Foods) Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Wings With Two-Ingredient Sauce
  Do you love chicken wings? Check out this simple recipe for making classic buffalo chicken wings at home.
• How to Cook Pork Sisig: A Filipino-Inspired Pulutan
  Pork sisig is a famous Kapampangan dish from the Philippines. The spicy and sour flavors make it a perfect beer-match appetizer, or pulutan.

© 2019 Travel Chef

Comments

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on February 13, 2019:

Hey, Dred cuam, you are welcomed. Some persons get horrifed when they heard that from me. But I am glad you have great knowledge and insight into what you are doing. Ah ah ah! eh, eh, eh! Have a nice time.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 13, 2019:

Hi Miebakagh,

Yeah, it is! hahaha

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on February 12, 2019:

Hey, Dred cuam, you got it. But does not it actually look like a worm in a description? Thanks, and good day.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 12, 2019:

Hello Miebakagh,

Oh, you mean the vein/intestine? Yeah I know that, it's usually taken off for peeled shrimp. Anyway, I thought you are referring to an actual worm.

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on February 12, 2019:

Hello, Dred cuam, if you dissect a fresh giant shrimp length-wise, you'llsee the form. Thanks.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 11, 2019:

HI Miebakagh,

Seriously with the worms? So far, I haven't seen anything like that.

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on February 11, 2019:

Hello, Dred cuan, I agreed with you. Not every person can eat all plates of seafood like the Octopus. Some even dread a big shrimp, because of the big worms in them. Good day.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 10, 2019:

Hello Eric,

In our place, not everyone eats octopus because of its toughness. So they're not able to sell this all the time. But I myself, I love eating both! Especially when battered with some cold drinks. lol

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 10, 2019:

Hello Mary,

Yes, size may affect the octopus. The video above shows smaller octopus so the cooking time is lesser than the typical 30 to 45 minutes. Last new year, we had a 9 kilos octopus far bigger than the one in the video. So the tenderness of each part of an octopus may vary for the bigger one. Tentacles call for a longer time, while the other parts require different cooking time. I also think the age of the octopus will affect their softness too. Therefore, baby octopus requires lesser time to cook. I hope I was able to answer the question. Thank you!

Eric Dierker from Spring Valley, CA. U.S.A. on February 09, 2019:

Very cool. I just assumed everyone ate Calamari and Octopus. Such delightful foods. I will use this to vary my uses.

Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on February 08, 2019:

I have cooked octopus twice and I thought it has to be cooked longer. I want to try the 10 minutes. Do you think it is based on size? One youtube video said to cook it for 45 minutes. I am not really sure. Ihave not yet tried 10 minutes so I will try it. Love the spices you used.

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on February 08, 2019:

Hello, Dred cuan, I was offline due to a family commitment. Burials, weddings, meeting with fellow pension colleagues, and so on. But from now, I will be twice a week online. Thanks for weighing in, and have a nice day.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 08, 2019:

Hello Miebakagh,

Where have you been my friend? It's been a while huh!

That's new information to me, thank you for sharing. So Pugita, Ome, and Octopus are all the same. Have a wonderful day!

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on February 07, 2019:

Hello, Dred cuan, the Octopus is called "Ome" in my Ijay language. Your recipe can serve as a balanced meal for weight watchers,as it includes natural vegetable ingredients like onions, presh tomatoes, and fresh peppers, and ginger. Thanks for sharing, and good day.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on February 07, 2019:

Hi Liz,

Not everybody is aware that octopus can be eaten because of its intimidating look. But yeah, it is possible. I hope you can try in the future.

Liz Westwood from UK on February 07, 2019:

I would not know where to start cooking octopus. This is a good idea.