Greetings Foodies Bee Hive!
When I was young there's this very simple dish which soup is very tasty that whenever I eat it I always get very full. It is so simple you can cook it with only tomatoes, onions, garlic, and salt (adding green leaves of your choice is great but optional).
The dish is called "Kinamatisang Dukyang/Tulya" which can be found on a freshwater body of water especially on lakes and rivers. It is called "Kinamatisan" because its main ingredient aside from the freshwater clams is tomatoes (Kamatis). Kamatis is the Tagalog term of Tomato. Tulya is a Tagalog term and Dukyang is an Ilokano term.
Here's a thing, for about two decades I was only able to eat this dish about two or three times because freshwater clams are not commonly sold in the market. Add up the fact that when I am living in the city and I am suspicious as to where it originates (if I am not mistaken I have only seen freshwater clams being sold twice in the fifteen years that I lived in the city).
And when I finally get home to my hometown one of the foods on top of my bucket is "Kinamatisang Tulya/Dukyang". Since my hometown has its own lake where freshwater fish and clams can be found it is only a matter of days before I get to eat "Kinmatisang Tulya/Dukyang" again.
And voila, within a week of my arrival in my hometown one of my closest cousins who's fishing on my lake almost every day visited me and gifted me a bucket full of freshwater clams. Giving something to our cousins that just arrived whom we've not met for a very long time is a tradition that has been passed from generation to generation (which strengthens our bonds). And the best thing about this tradition is "anything that has been given is FREE".
This dish is very suitable for cold weather which is commonly served at lunch or dinner.
So, without further ado, here's how I cook this very nutritious dish.
- Freshwater clams (Dukyang/Tulya)
- Tomatoes
- Ginger
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt
- Cooking oil
- Water spinach (optional)
- Finger pepper (optional)
Peel and slice the ginger
Peel and slice the onions
Peel and slice the garlic
Wash the freshwater clams (to wash the freshwater clams you need to rub them against each other to remove the much and some loose skin of the shells. As for me, I tend to repeat rubbing the freshwater clams against each other until I see that the water that I am using to clean the clams is not turning dark because of mud).
Slice the tomatoes into half
1. Sautee the onion, garlic, and ginger in cooking oil until you smell their aroma
2. Add the sliced tomatoes
3. Add some water, salt and let it boil
4. Once it boils add the freshwater clams, wait for all the clams to open up, once all the clams open up you can now add all the optional ingredients then boil for another one and it is done.
That's it, it is done.
TRIVIA: Dukyang/Tulya can also be cook as "Tinola". Tinola is also one of the most popular dishes in my country. Tinolang Tulya/Dukyang is also very simple to cook you just remove the tomato and voila you've got a "Tinolang Dukyang/Tulya" which is equally delicious as "kinamatisan tulya/dukyang".
I am a Computer Engineer, blogger, farmer, father, and husband. I love countryside living, nature, farming (rice/vegetables), and has two decades of experience as an I.T. professional
