Paksing Demonyo

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This Paksing Demonyo is a sweet-sour Filipino vegetable dish that is made with vegetables in vinegar stew. It is super easy to cook, delicious, and great for a vegetarian family lunch or dinner!

Love Filipino-style soup? Try my heart-warming Misua Soup, the Classic Sinigang, and the ever-popular Laswa!

paksing demonyo in a white bowl with a stainless serving spoon

What is Paksing Demonyo?

Paksing Demonyo (Devil's Vegetable Stew) is an easy and delicious Kapampangan dish that is made with vegetables stewed in vinegar. Paksing is a Pampango term that means "stewed" while demonyo means "devil".

There is an old folk tale about a poor fisherman that brought home some fresh fish and requested his wife to cook them in vinegar stew with spices for their family's dinner. However, when the wife went somewhere, the devil sneaked in and stole the fish and replaced them with vegetables, and added sugar and chilies. Good thing, the husband still liked it and praised his wife for a very delicious vegetable stew.

Aside from being delicious, this Filipino vegetable dish is quick and simple to make, budget-friendly, and needs a few ingredients only. It is made with healthy vegetables, delicious spices, and packed with flavor which makes a delectable appetizer. This Kapampangan food is definitely worth the try. Take the Kapampangan cuisine into your own home then try and serve this paksing demonyo with steamed rice for lunch and dinner. Enjoy cooking!

Health Benefits of Water Spinach:

Treats constipation
Helps reduce cholesterol
Prevents the risk of cancer
Aids in the treatment of anemia
Prevents hair fall and is great for the scalp
Treatment of jaundice and liver problems
Provides relief from different digestive disorders

Tips and Procedures:

Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar or vinegar to your liking.
To lessen the bitter taste, you may coat the bitter gourd with salt and set it aside for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse it with water before adding to the dish.
You may add other vegetables or spices to this dish like kabocha squash, garlic, sitaw or long green beans, and ground black pepper.
Storage: Place the dish in an airtight container and put it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat before serving.

How to Make Paksing Demonyo:

Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:

water
white vinegar
brown sugar
ginger slices
water spinach stalk, chopped
salt
bitter gourd
eggplant, chopped
red onion
grape tomatoes
chili

In a large pot, add water, white vinegar, brown sugar, and mix until the sugar granules are dissolved, then place on the heat and bring the mixture to a full boil. Add in ginger slices, water spinach stalks, salt, and reduce to simmer for 2 minutes:

ingredients of paksing demonyo cooked in a large pot

Then add in bitter gourd, chopped eggplant, cover the pot with the lid and allow it to simmer for another 3 minutes. Add in red onions, grape tomatoes, chili, and continue simmering for another 2 minutes:

added bitter gourd, chopped eggplant, red onions, grape tomatoes, and chili into the pot

Best served with steamed white rice. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why it is named like such?

Because there is a tale that the demonyo (devil) stole the fish in the paksiw (vinegar stew) of a fisherman and replaced the fish with vegetables which makes this delicious dish.

What is the taste of Paksing Demonyo?

This Filipino vegetable vinegar stew has a sour, bitter, spicy, and sweet taste altogether in one bowl.

What is the difference between water spinach and regular spinach?

Water spinach is not really spinach, nor is it botanically related to spinach. It is a member of the morning glory genus and has long vine-like stems and bell-shaped morning glory-like flowers.