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My father planted bato for me in my backyard from the seeds of his own garden. This legume, with beautiful purple florets, grows in abundance in my backyard year after year. It is something which is hard to kill.
I have grown up eating batao since I was young . I remember my mother cooked this then with coconut milk and it was delicious. However, I just cook it as adobo (stir fried with garlic and soy sauce and a bit of vinegar). Most of the times I mix it with other vegetables in a stir fry or pinakbet (one-pot dish with eggplant, pumpkin, okra seasoned garlic and onion and also soy sauce) and also in the vegetarian spring rolls I regularly make.
Many people have batao in their own backyard, too. That's why I have never seen them sold in the market in my place. It's funny one time when I was in Westfield Shoppingtown, one 84-year -old lady was selling batao to me. I told her I also grow them and I just give them away to relatives. She said she used to give them away too, but she has got so many that she is selling it now. I laughed and asked how much are you selling it for. She said $1.50 a pack. I told her good on you!'' She proudly said at least she earns some money from it. I cautioned her, however, not to eat too much of it, particularly if she is arthritic. She showed me her fingers and found them having signs of rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't read much about it, but my theory is this legume, if consumed in excess quantities can cause rheumatoid arthritis. I had seen my father's fingers become crooked and I am inclined to believe the culprit is batao. When my mother who is not arthritic and whom I regularly give small quantities of it start having a little bulge on her one finger, I limit her intake of it.
With the above downside to it, I planted more of this legumes along my fence, as it's purple florets are beautiful to look at. Also, so I can also give them to my sisters' friends.
