Pigging out at the Fiesta

Every year, Filipinos in Melbourne gather for the Philippine Fiesta of Victoria. Just like back home where towns or barangays would have their special day of celebration (we'd look forward to it because the main street would be closed, meaning more room for playing games!), this one happens every November for two days (Saturday and Sunday). This particular event has been going on for 26 years now here in Victoria.

In this event we have successfully filled our stomachs with all the nice Pinoy food made with pork like dinuguan (sample recipe here), lechong paksiw - a stew made with leftover roasted pork with a special gravy and vinegar, menudo - pork meat and liver in tomato sauce, pork bbq (Pinoy blend tends to be on the sweeter side), bopis - minced pork lungs and heart sauteed in onion, garlic and chillies.

foreground - bopis and rice, with laing (the grayish/greenish-tinged veggie dish made with sundried taro leaves, minced and cooked with coconut milk)

top left - dinuguan

top right - menudo

lechon paksiw

summer cooler - a drink called "sago't gulaman" - "sago" refers to the tapioca balls and "gulaman" is gelatin, usually colorful and cut into cubes, mixed with a sugar syrup made from brown sugar, and served with ice

pansit - noodles

carioca - skewered balls made with glutinous rice and milk. the balls are deep fried, coated with brown sugar.

The program was of course composed with karaoke singing contests, beauty pageants (Miss and Mrs. !) and some celebrities. Several stalls of migration agents, real estate and Pinoy merchandise also found their spot in the big hall at the entrance of Melbourne Showgrounds, this year's venue.

Previous Filipino food dose from the fiesta here and, a bit disappointed that this spiced vinegar wasn't sold this time!

And what could be more Filipino than this?

Aussie soft-serve ice cream. And gelati :)

a Baby Dora. ??!

Bicol Express

The chili is actually a berry, which is then culinarily used as a vegetable (e.g. capsicums) or as spice (like cayenne pepper). Capsaicin is what gives it intensity, measured in Scoville heat units. As a reaction to capsaicin, the body increases heart rate, releases some endorphins and perspiration. That's why it's believed to be good for you. Either way I don't see any harm in chilies (if handled properly! Those hands spiced with chilies and rubbed against the eyes - or some other sensitive body part - can be really really nasty. Not that it has happened to me. Err.)

Now if you really want your food spicy, then this dish is for you - a simple Filipino recipe made of long green chilies, garlic, onions and coconut cream. What better way to celebrate spiciness than make the chilies the real obvious star of the dish itself!

This is called Bicol Express. Bicol is a region in the Philippines known for its very spicy dishes, and "Bicol Express" is the name of the train service that goes to the region. There are various versions to the history of this dish, as well as the recipe itself, but one of the stories say that the dish was named such because people who enjoyed the dish during the early times heard the train leave while they were eating it - hence the nickname.

Move over chili con carne, and other spicy curries!

As I mentioned there are various ways on making this, but my version is based on how I remember my mother's cooking. I am sure I will never be a better cook than her, so I hope that I gave this dish some justice!

15 pcs long green chilies, chopped (the filipino "siling panigang" is light green in color)

400g pork, cut into cubes (i used pork chops because they had a bit of fat)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 tin coconut cream (i just used 165ml + 80ml water) - depends on how saucy or dry you would like your dish to be

Some people add ginger, or tomatoes, or some other vegetables like long green beans.

Anyway - for this version :

Chop chilies. Remove the membrane and seeds if you prefer to decrease the heat.

guess what i opted for

Brown the pork (my mom has a little technique - she would slightly boil the pork in a bit of water, until it reduces, dries, and just leaves the pork to render on its own fat - so no need to add extra oil. Boiling the pork makes it a bit softer to bite, but it would be crispy on the outside due to the frying process). She would set the pork aside to one part of the pan and saute the garlic and onions on the oil the pork had left behind. This reduces the need to do this on a separate pan - less clean up too!

nanay's technique revealed!

(pretty sure this would have been a common practice for other pinoy moms :D)

When onion is translucent, add the chilies and the coconut cream and water. Let simmer, until sauce thickens and the chili wilts a bit.

Serve with hot steamed white rice. And maybe a box of tissue on the side. And a beer perhaps.

Guess where that warm feeling is from. :)

Leche Flan

After whipping up the egg whites for the pavlova, the egg yolks were definitely not meant to be wasted. All these time I have been experimenting on cupcakes, breads and cakes, all sorts of desserts, but have never really made a lot of Filipino desserts. That's not good is it?

So the first thing that came to mind is the Filipino custard, leche flan. The sweet, smooth, creamy, silky texture makes this dessert a winner and forever present in major occasions - Christmas dinner, New Year's Eve, town fiestas, birthdays, anything worth celebrating that meant good food and good desserts (and out of the 32 teeth in an adult I think half is made of sweet teeth!) . I remember my aunt's leche flan - I can easily eat a couple of servings of those... so the standards are high, can't let myself down with this one.

The mission : create silky smooth leche flan using ramekins (in the absence of the more traditional Llanera - oval shaped metal pans.

After my usual recipe research, I went with this recipe :

Custard
5 eggyolks
2 eggs
1 can condensed milk
1 can water (use the condensed milk’s can for measuring)
1 tbsp. vanilla to add to the mixture
(bring ingredients to room temperature)

Caramel
1/3 cup sugar + 1 tsp water

Equipment
5 ramekins
steamer
foil
kitchen twine

Make the caramel :
In a shallow frying pan, dissolve sugar over medium heat until it bubbles, boils and turns a nice medium brown color. Do not stir, just swirl the pan, to help it dissolve. Be careful of the heat and remember to keep your eye on this - it can easily burn. (and can give bad burns too). Pour a couple of tablespoons into the ramekins, ensuring that the bottom part is covered. (i was able to make the caramel to be slightly darker than usual for a bit of bitterness, to balance the sweetness.) Set aside.


For the custard:

organic, free range.. and whites were not 100% separated, as you can see! :)

Mix all ingredients carefully, without beating so as not to introduce air into the mixture. The lack of bubbles is the key to having a smooth flan. I used a silicon whisk and a jug and was just gently stirring, while giving the whisk small circular motions. I would occasionally check by taking the whisk out and letting the liquid drip to see if there are still unincorporated parts of the egg whites. This took quite some time (and a lot of patience, I surprised myself). Strain mixture carefully.

i used the can of the condensed milk to measure the same quantity of water

Pour onto prepared ramekins (probably just 1.5 inches high - depends on your preferred serving size)

[left] the caramel at the bottom of the ramekin and [right] the custard slowly poured on top

Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil and secure using kitchen twine.

Boil water for the steamer then lower heat to medium low. Steam for about 45 min or until a knife comes out clean.

Let cool, then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

To serve, run a non-serrated knife along the sides of the flan. Set the ramekins on a hot water bath for a couple of minutes just to melt the caramel and make the unmolding easier. Invert the mixture onto a plate in one swift motion. Cross your fingers and remove the ramekin.

Serve as it is, or garnish as personally preferred.

this one was served with a couple of fresh blueberries

Happy days :)

Pan de Sal

At the crack of dawn, the scent of freshly baked bread emanates from the bakery at the corner. Mom (Nanay) must have been awake at the same time as the bakers, fixing things here and there, making coffee (or warming up milk for me), or ironing the sole skirt that was my school uniform, washed the night before. As the sun slowly makes its way out of its hiding place, someone (my father, or probably my older bro) would rush to the bakery to get some of those little bread rolls, known as pan de sal ('bread of salt'), placed in a brown paper bag, to be eaten before it gets cold. Choose from a variety of possible fillings, from butter (with white sugar! well, think of the concept of fairy cakes), corned beef, cheese (the saucy cheese spread Cheez Whiz or just plain cheese), or just by itself, dunked in a steaming mug of coffee.

Ask any Pinoy about pan de sal, especially an adult who has gone away from home, and there would be a million different versions of memories associated with this piece of bread. There would even be a time when the cost of one pan de sal, being a couple of cents, would denote the state of the Philippine economy (the more expensive the pan de sal, the worse the economy is getting!).

Funny how some recollections can be summarized in a bread roll... so having been able to reminisce some of mine one Sunday morning when the pan de sal came out of my oven... was pretty special.

This recipe was inspired by this post from the site Apple Pie, Patis and Pate - the author of which mentioned that he was of Filipino descent and currently living overseas as well.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups room temperature water
1 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients except bread crumbs, and knead until smooth. Place in an oiled boil and cover with a tea towel, let rise until doubled in size. Roll out the dough into a log about 2 inches wide, and roll it in bread crumbs.

Using the blunt side of a knife cut the dough into 1 inch pieces, and place on a baking sheet cut side up about 1 inch apart.

Leave to proof for around an hour or until the sides almost touch.

Bake in a pre-heated 200C oven for aroun 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestion other than cheese would be corned beef (from the tin!!!) sauteed with some chopped onions.

I'm pretty sure I would make my nanay proud with these.

Mangga at Bagoong (Mango and Shrimp Paste)

One of the things that could make any Filipino mouth water is the mere mention of mangga at bagoong (bah-goh-ong). The mango referred to in this case is green mangoes, which go perfectly well with the fermented shrimp paste, particularly bagoong alamang.

Barrio Fiesta is a famous Filipino restaurant and this is their blend of bagoong alamang - quite yummy, really... obviously it is export quality ('crevettes' is French for shrimp, we typically don't use that term in the Phils!)

available in Asian shops!

The Philippine bagoong alamang is a slightly 'wet' or moist version of the Indonesian terasi (trassi) or the Malaysian belacan (be-lah-chan) all of which refer to fermented shrimps. The pinoy version is typically made of small (really tiny) shrimps, quite 'chunkier' and 'wetter' in appearance compared to its Indonesian counterpart terasi, which is sold in compact blocks - one can either scrape or cut some off to use, whereas the Pinoy alamang may be spooned or dolloped.

Colors also vary depending on the grade - I remember as a kid we'd go to the market and head towards a pink mountain of 'fresh' bagoong alamang and buying off a couple of pesos worth. This is then used to add a different depth of saltiness to a dish to be used instead of plain salt, or just sauteed with oil, garlic, onions and a bit of white vinegar until the color becomes a deep dark brownish red and then served with ... green mangoes! The dark colored variety can of course be store-bought.

afternoon snack!

in this case the skin was not peeled off the fruit because the green mango is still quite 'young' - so the skin would be quite crispy at this point

(how can you tell - one way would be to feel the skin as it would be a bit 'thin' and can easily be pierced by your fingernails)

Bagoong is also usually served on the side of a dish called Kare-Kare (kah-reh kah-reh), a stew usually made of oxtail or tripe and veggies in peanut sauce.

More details on bagoong here if you want to know more!

Kuya's Dinuguan

This is a Filipino dish called Dinuguan - a stew made with pork and pig's blood, vinegar and chili. The name is from the word "dugo" meaning "blood", and this savory dish is best paired with a steamed rice cake called puto - but it won't go wrong with rice of course!

The following may not be for the faint of heart.


Kuya's Dinuguan ("kuya" is 'older brother')

1 kilo of pork, cubed
2 packs of blood jelly (750g per pack)

pig's blood from the asian butcher
(shown on the right with a stray piece of onion hehe)

half a head of garlic, minced
1 big onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 long chilies (red ones were used for this, but typically the green ones are preferred)
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the blood - since the blood is packed in the container it would have the consistency of jelly. Mash it with your hands until it has almost gone back to its liquid state. This may gross some people out though! Cover and set aside.

In a big pot, saute garlic and onion in oil until soft and the onions translucent. Dump pork cubes, stir and let simmer until the meat is tender and has changed its color (about 20 minutes). Add the pork's blood. Add the chilis and let simmer further. When the meat and blood are fully cooked, add the vinegar and season to taste.

saute - simmer - serve

Serve while hot!

This dish would have been the soup version of Europe's black pudding (shown here from a previous recipe). The brain would say that something black in color would not be very palatable.... At least for Filipinos, this dish is proof that a dish should not be judged by its color! :)

Ginataang Tilapia with Bell Chili

While looking for a red snapper I stumbled upon the last of the tilapias in a fish stall in QV market. Tilapia is a freshwater fish with very tasty white flesh, very common in the Philippines, and missed terribly! After this great find, Sunday brunch plans had to be changed to make way for a Filipino dish called Ginataang Tilapia ("Ginataan" is from the word "gata" meaning coconut milk).

This dish is usually spiced with a long green chili. However the bell chili (a newcomer in the garden) had interesting shaped fruit to offer, so it had to be sampled!

To make this quick and easy dish you will need:

tilapia (serve whole for effect, or cut up if preferred)
garlic (how much of it is up to the cook's preference, but for this dish 5 cloves were smashed and minced)
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 inch ginger, sliced
chili, sliced
1/2 cup coconut milk
a bit of water
salt or fish sauce to taste

There are different approaches to this, but as far as I can remember my mom's cooking :
Line the base of a heavy pan with half of the ginger, garlic, onions and chili. Lay the fish on top of this, then sprinkle the remaining aromatics on top of the fish. Place on top of the stove over low heat for around 10 minutes or until the fish begins to slowly steam. Pour the coconut milk and add some water (to your liking), season, increase the heat and let simmer or bubble away for another 15 minutes (flip the fish if the liquid does not cover it entirely).

Serve with hot rice.

The bell chili had medium heat and was quite tasty. According to some sites, the fruit begins as green, becomes purple then deep red.

Pinoy Streetfood Sampler Platter - BBQ

Aussies love the bbq, especially on a hot summer day - beer in the esky and snags in the barbie. I bet if these delicacies up in that photo were in the menu, it would probably make it to the Fear Factor Food Section instead your mate's plate. But for pinoys, it's an afternoon snack, sometimes even lunch, or a perfect beer match.

Far left - pork intestines. Typically boiled with garlic and onions, and then grilled for the carcinogens that make it extra tasty (just kidding). Anything out of hot coals could really taste extra good. Best with vinegar and chili (especially the communal dipping in a bottle of dipping sauce.)

Middle - chicken intestines. Like the pork intestines, they are typically boiled, but not completely cleaned - who doesn't like the yummy grits inside those squiggly tubes? The orange color is attributed to the broth that it has been boiled with - it's supposed to make it look extra tasty.

Far right - coagulated chicken blood. Also known as "betamax" as it takes the shape of the small rectangular video tapes.

These treats can be typically found at the side of the street. Sometimes there is a small fan at the side of the bbq to save the person from constant fanning of the flames. Fall in the line, there is almost always a queue. Regardless of the season (that is, wet or dry), the bbq on the 'sidewalk' will always be a winner.

Sinigang and Risotto - Sinirotto?

This recipe is a result of sitting down in the sofa contemplating about life.

Not.

It is actually a fusion sort of recipe, inspired by a previous success of experimenting with risotto, and a Filipino dish called sinigang, which is (ahem, because wikipedia said so), "a Philippine dish famous for the variety of ingredients one can use as well as for its taste. Though considered a soup, it is not eaten as is, but rather combined as a viand with rice. Sinigang is typically sour and is most often likened to Thailand's tom yam.

Sinigang often incorporates stewed fish, pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef. Sinigang's characteristic taste is attributed to the ingredient that gives its sour taste, not to the meat's flavor. Meat is stewed with tamarind (which provides the sourness), green pepper, tomato, and onion." Vegetables that can be incorporated into the dish would be morning glory, radish, okra, taro, long beans or eggplant.

sinigang - from the archives!
shown here made with fish, long green chili and eggplants.
the souring agent is tamarind

It is an all-time favorite at home, very simple to cook (just boil the meat with tomato and onions, then add the souring agent, then add the vegetables, then serve hot!) and not very hard to enjoy either. It was made even simpler with the introduction of the powdered mixes which were both tasty and convenient at the same time. My personal choice of eating this dish would be to inundate a bowl of rice with the sour soup, still steaming from the pot, mash some taro with the rice, and slurp the thickened consistency of soups with heaps of vegetables.

So, with the familiarity of how to cook arborio rice, knowing its properties which make up a rick thick creamy consistency of a risotto, then why not make a risotto, sinigang style? Of course that addresses a personal choice!

ingredients, from top left to right

(serves 2)
200g arborio rice
5 pieces of okra, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 small radish, peeled and halved... half is minced, half is chopped into circles
1 small onion, minced
5 pieces of fefferoni pepper, minced (similar to long green hot chili peppers) - decrease if you don't want it spicy
fish broth (homemade in this instance, made by boiling the remnants of a baked giant red snapper)
1 big basa fish fillet (or any white fish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash of fish sauce, to taste

Bring the fish broth into a gentle boil and poach the fish fillet for a couple of minutes, until cooked. Keep broth warm in low flame, take the fish out, flake half of the big fillet and set aside remaining half.

For the soffrito - heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan and add minced onions, peppers and minced radish. When the onions become translucent, add the rice and mix until coated with oil. Then add the broth, one ladle at a time, continue adding when the liquid is absorbed and stop when rice is al dente. Add in the rest of the radish, tomatoes, flaked fish, and a dash of fish sauce to taste (a common Filipino condiment used with sinigang). Serve with the remaining fish fillet on top and garnish as preferred.

shown here with alfalfa and onion sprouts..
best enjoyed with a glass of white wine!

Option for mantecatura (final step in making a risotto creamy) for this would be to add in some mashed boiled taro.... and it would have been one of those sublime fusion recipes that someone may have already thought somewhere on the web.

Nata De Coco

The coconut tree is widely available in the Philippines and is also known as the "tree of life", as every part of this tree has a use. Even in Sanskrit, it is called "kalpa vriksha" meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living", for the same reason.

One of the products derived from the coconut tree is the nata de coco (Spanish for 'cream of coconut') made from fermented coconut water.Produly Filipino in origin, nata de coco is usually used in desserts, eaten by itself or as an ingredient in "halu-halo", a concoction of assorted sweetened fruits with shaved ice, milk and sugar.

Today, one of the visits in an Asian shop in Mitcham revealed a new form of nata de coco, this time as a pickle, aimed as an appetizer. This was hence worth a try, as it was just surprising!

By itself, nata de coco can easily absorb the liquid that it has been soaked with, hence the concept of it being pickled is not unlikely. Made with organic papaya vinegar, sugar, garlic, raisins, bell peppers, black peppers and salt (which are usual pickling ingredients), this tart version of the nata de coco is a quite a pleasant surprise. However, if the preference is to savor the sweet version, then better not go for the hunt of this jar!

Sisig

This Filipino dish originated from a province in Central Luzon called Pampanga. Made of minced pork's cheeks/head and livers, it is a crowd favorite especially as a beer match (i.e. food or snacks taken while having a few drinks).

Pampanga

Coming off from the Filipino Fiesta over the weekend, it is just inevitable to come across this dish. As it is best served on a sizzling plate, it went straight to the hot plate on the barbie for a little sizzle, before a splash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon (in the absence of calamansi, the feisty Filipino version of this citrus)

sisig!

The origin of the dish (as per wikipedia) is said to have originated from locals who bought unused pig heads from the commissaries of nearby Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga. Pig heads were cheaply purchased since they were not used in preparing meals for the U.S. Air Force personnel stationed there. An alternate explanation of its origin is that it is but an innovative variation on an older recipe, which is pork ears and jowl, boiled, chopped then marinated. Lucia Cunanan was credited with inventing the dish... unfortunately several google searches later revealed that she had been killed by a thief

Now, sisig is available in different variants - tuna, fish, even tofu. Best served with one fresh egg added on top just before eating, so that it can be mixed with the entire dish on the sizzling plate.

A recipe is available here.

Adobo Remix

Being one of the favorite meals due to its taste, preservation qualities (read : not getting spoiled even after a week), and ease of preparation, adobo (previous post here) is a common entry in the home menu. A big batch could last for at least 6 meals (packed lunch or dinner), but having the same dish all the time can be quite boring.

A quick way to break the monotony is to just reheat and add a different herb, or ingredient, and you'd be surprised at how it may alter the taste completely. So unless people are happy just eating plain adobo (which is the usual case anyway) then at least this would give you an idea on how to jazz up leftovers!

adobo remix

This remix is inspired by the nice bunch of coriander growing quietly alongside its brothers and sisters in the potted herb garden. It was time to trim off some of the leaves anyway to promote better growth, so the trimmings went to the meal!

the star of the remix

Basmati rice was 'fried' in a little bit of olive oil, tossed some frozen green peas, the leftover adobo, and one beaten egg, added extra seasoning of sea salt and pepper and cooked til the peas are done. The coriander was chopped and sprinkled on top before serving. The fresh herb gave the dish a new dimension of flavor (like what those chefs say on TV!). Prep time is minimal (just beat the egg and chop the herbs?) and in less than 10 minutes you have a 'new' meal!

AdoboSiLog

One of the all time favorites in the Filipino household would be the "silog" combinations : 'Si' - from "sinangag", meaning fried rice, and 'log' (pronounced 'lohg'), from itlog, or egg. So, -silog is suffixed to a name for a meal with fried rice and fried egg served usually with a cooked meat. The simplicity of this dish comes from the idea that everything is just fried and plated together.

The typical version is with tapa, a version of cured beef jerky. The name for this, is hence tap-si-log. The fried rice component is usually garlic fried rice, and the egg can be scrambled, sunny side up, or overeasy. There is an endless variation considering in a Filipino household, as the -silog can practically be served with anything, even on its own! Wikipedia lists some of the usual combinations, like :

Daingsilog - Daing (dried salted fish), fried rice and fried egg
Bacsilog - bacon, fried rice and fried egg
Bangsilog - bangus (milkfish), fried rice and fried egg
Bisteksilog - beef steak, fried rice and fried egg
Dangsilog - danggit (a type of dried salted fish) , fried rice and fried egg
Chosilog - chorizo, fried rice and fried egg
Chicksilog - chicken, fried rice and fried egg
Cornsilog - corned beef, fried rice and fried egg
Hotsilog - hotdog, fried rice and fried egg
Longsilog - longganisa, fried rice and fried egg
Litsilog - lechon (Lit is from the tagalog form litson, phonetically the same), fried rice and fried egg
Masilog - Ma Ling (a brand Chinese luncheon meat), fried rice and fried egg
SPAMsilog - SPAM (a brand of luncheon meat), fried rice and fried egg
Tosilog - tocino, fried rice and fried egg

This post though, is about Adsilog, or Adobosilog, but served in a slightly different fashion.

The Filipino Adobo is a stew of either chicken or pork in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar (usually white vinegar), spiced with garlic, onion, cracked ground pepper and bay leaf. Different households have different approaches to adobo - some brown the meat in the garlic and onions before adding the liquids and the rest of the ingredients, some just put everything in a pot and let it simmer until the meat cooks, some just sit down, and let other people do the cooking! The wonderful combination of the spices lend it a distinct delicious smell, and one taste does not overpower the other - it is a very simple yet amazing dish, even considered as the 'national food'.

The 'fried rice' component for this particular meal is made with boiled basmati, fried with a similar 'adobo' base (i.e. garlic, onions, equal proportions of soy sauce and vinegar, sauteed together initially for a couple of minutes, before tossing in the rice), but not too much of it - just enough to give the rice a bit of color and complement the pork adobo flavor. The egg was poached not fried.

tonight's adobosilog... and the creamy yolk from the poached egg tainting the fried rice
the green leaves where the meat and egg are sitting are baby cos lettuce,
just for a little bit of crunch

One of the many ways to make an adobo (call this Adobo 101 if you like) :
500g pork, cut into matchbox sized pcs (or chicken)
1/4 cup of dark soy sauce
1/4 cup of vinegar
6 cloves garlic, crushed or minced (truth is, the more, the merrier, so throw in an entire head if you want)
1 medium onion, minced (make it large if using a whole head of garlic)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon oil (cooking oil, olive oil is good)
ground pepper, crushed

Saute garlic and onions in oil until onions are translucent, add pork and fry until slightly browned, add soy sauce, vinegar and bay leaves (add more soy sauce and vinegar depending on how much 'sauce' is preferred, just ensure that equal proportions are used) and let simmer on medium fire until the wonderful smell blankets the whole house, the liquid is slightly reduced and the meat is cooked (around 30 minutes or so) . Season with ground cracked pepper, and simply serve with white rice (or with silog, if preferred!)

Sinampalukang Manok (Chicken in Tamarind Soup)

This is a dish of chicken cooked in a soup usually made sour using young tamarind leaves. It is a typical Filipino dish, the light soup eaten with the staple food rice, or sometimes simply served as a soup.

shown here inundating a bowl of hot rice

Just like any other home-cooked meals, there are different recipes based on the household that one has grew up in. This particular recipe is made from a pickled tamarind leaves picked up from an Asian store somewhere in Richmond (where Asian stores abound and Vietnamese restaurants are plenty) as there are no fresh ones readily available.

To make this you would need:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion, minced
1 medium sized ginger, minced
around 300g of chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
750ml water
1/2 cup tamarind leaves
fish sauce or salt to taste
1 cup of morning glory, or chopped eggplants or radish
2 pcs green chilies (optional)
1/2 cup of tamarind water (made by adding hot water to dried tamarind fruit, or 2 tablespoons sinigang mix)

fresh tamarind leaves, Tamarind soup base (present in every Pinoy household) and pickled tamarind leaves
option to use whole bird chilies in the soup if preferred, or crushed with fish sauce for dipping

Saute garlic, onions, and ginger until fragrant and onions are translucent.
Add chicken and stir fry until chicken is browned on all sides. Season with fish sauce or salt.
Add water and bring to a boil.
Add the vegetables (if using) and tamarind leaves, until vegetables are half cooked. The young tamarind leaves provide a very delicate flavor, hence if a slightly stronger taste of tamarind is preffered, add tamarind water or the sinigang mix (also available from the Asian store).

Serve hot, best with rice, and a dipping sauce of fish sauce with chilies :)

*

fresh tamarind leaves photo credit here