Winged Beans in Spicy Canned Tuna (Ginisang Sigarilyas sa Tuna)

Sigarilyas: The Overlooked Vegetable

Sigarilyas, also known to Ilocanos as parlang or pallang, is not the most common vegetable you’ll find in Filipino kitchens. It’s sometimes added to pinakbet but rarely given the spotlight as a main dish. Today, let’s put sigarilyas front and center with a flavorful and nutritious recipe: Ginisang Sigarilyas sa Tuna (Winged Beans in Spicy Canned Tuna).

What Are Winged Beans?

The winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is also called goa bean, four-angled bean, dragon bean, or Manila bean. It thrives in hot, humid climates across South and Southeast Asia, with its origins believed to be from New Guinea.

What makes winged beans remarkable is their versatility—all parts of the plant are edible.

• Leaves can be eaten like spinach.

• Flowers can be used in salads.

• Tubers can be eaten raw or cooked.

• Seeds are used like soybeans.

Farmers appreciate the crop for its disease resistance and nutrient richness, while health-conscious eaters love it for being a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients for Winged Beans in Spicy Canned Tuna

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 250 grams winged beans (sigarilyas), diced

• 180 grams spicy canned tuna

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 7–10 garlic cloves

• 1 medium-sized red onion

Ingredients for Winged Beans in Spicy Canned Tuna

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 250 grams winged beans (sigarilyas), diced

• 180 grams spicy canned tuna

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 7–10 garlic cloves

• 1 medium-sized red onion

A Simple Yet Nutritious Dish

This recipe proves that sigarilyas doesn’t have to play second fiddle in Filipino cuisine. By pairing it with spicy tuna, you get a dish that’s:

• Nutritious – packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

• Easy to cook – requires minimal prep and ingredients.

• Delicious – combining the crunch of winged beans with the flavor of spicy tuna.

…sigarilyas at mani!

Sigarilyas and Bahay Kubo

So the next time you hear the folk song “Bahay Kubo” and its line “Sigarilyas at mani…”, remember this simple but satisfying dish. It’s proof that sigarilyas is not only part of a song—it’s a healthy vegetable worth featuring on your dining table.