| Pastil | |
| Alternate Name: | pastel, patil, patel, patir, pater, paster |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Region: | Maguindanao |
| Course: | Main dish |
| Main Ingredient: | white rice, glutinous rice, shredded beef/chicken/fish |
| Similar Dish: | binalot, piyoso & nasi dagang |
Pastil is a Filipino packed rice dish made with steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves with dry shredded beef, chicken, or fish. It originates from the Maguindanao people and is a popular, cheap breakfast meal in Mindanao, especially among Muslim Filipinos. Pastil is also known as patil, patel, patir, or pater in Maranao; and paster in Iranun.
The meat or fish component of the dish is known as the kagikit. It is usually shredded beef or chicken. The meat is cooked similarly to adobo (but without the vinegar). It is first boiled until tender, then allowed to cool before shredding them into little strips. Garlic and onions are sautéed in a pan and the shredded meat is added after the onions turn transparent. Soy sauce (or oyster sauce), black pepper, and salt to taste are added and allowed to simmer until they evaporate. Palapa or chili pastes are also traditionally added since Muslim Filipino dishes are almost always spicy.[1] [2] Shredded grilled fish can also be used; usually katipa (walking catfish) or dalag (common snakehead) mixed with coconut meat.[3] Pastil is halal food, and thus pork is never used.[4] Such non-halal variations of pastil are called by other names, such as binalot, to prevent confusion and to preserve the pastil tradition.
The white rice is mixed with a little bit of glutinous rice so it can maintain its shape. The mixture is steamed normally. The banana leaves are wilted over an open flame to make them pliable, then the inside surfaces are slathered with oil. The rice is then placed on the leaves shaped as a thick cylinder with a strip of the meat filling extending along the length of the rice or covering one side of the rice. The leaf is then wrapped around the mixture with the ends tucked inside.[5] [6] The Maranao version of the dish, pater, is usually made with turmeric-infused rice (kuning) which gives it a bright yellow color.[4]
Pastil is traditionally served with vegetables soaked in vinegar as a side dish, like cucumber or togue (mung bean sprouts), to neutralize the saltiness of the kagikit. A hard-boiled egg may also be included to complement the meal. It is usually eaten with coffee or sikulate (hot chocolate) for breakfast or merienda.[7] Pastil are commonly sold by restaurants and street vendors in Muslim communities in Mindanao and throughout the islands, for example, General Santos hosts several restaurants serving this with side dishes. It is also sold as a cheap snack or breakfast on the go in Metro Manila's Muslim areas like Maharlika Village in Taguig and Quiapo in Manila. In Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Northern Mindanao, restaurants or food stalls that specialize in the Maranao version of pastil (pater) are called "pateran".[4]
Halal pastil is the pride of Mindanao. It carved a long lasting legacy as a humble main dish of Ali-Ali Pastil restaurant, owned by 2019 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards National Winner Eduardo Azores’ in Koronadal City.[8]
Pastil resembles northern Filipino wrapped meat dishes like binalot, but it diverges by incorporating shredded meat or fish fillings instead of conventional meat options. [9] [10] "Binalot" is occasionally used as a general term encompassing dishes using banana leaves for packaging, or those inspired by Pastil, yet prepared in distinct ways or lacking Halal certification.