Tamarind Sour Broth (Sinigang) and Stew Dish.
We have a popular dish here in the Philippines especially in the capital of Metro Manila we called "Sinigang". It is like a meat or fish stew but with a twist of a tamarind broth to make it deliciously sour. It is almost a part of our weekly dish especially these rainy days. The warm soup you took during cold weather is a delight to the senses.
The comfort and the sense of fulfillment when a warm liquid glides through your throat in a dark cold day is totally irreplaceable. It is opposite to drinking cold water in a hot summer day but the same fulfilling effect in terms of satisfying your longing.
Now that Covid 19 pandemic is prevalent, it is also good to know that that warm sour soup is good for the immune system and is even used to treat common colds. The vegetable ingredients help it to be more nutritious too.
A Mixed Up Morning.
One hurried morning and I am about to cook one good "sinigang". But what was on my mind earlier is just the common stew. The pork stew is also a common dish to us which as our local delicacy would be cook with Chinese cabbage (pechay) and potatoes as vegetables that comes along with it. The common vegetables that come with cooking tamarind sour broth or sinigang are tomatoes, okra, eggplant string beans, taro root crop, and long green chili.
I got all the things mixed up that when I check my items after I went to a local market are these things in my bag. I got potatoes, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, ready-made tamarind soup mix powder, Magic Sarap (seasoning), pork meat, and long green chili.
Instead of going back to the market place, I decided to go on cooking. I used what ingredients I do have at that moment and just let my gut feel take over of what taste it should come out.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of Chinese cabbage (Pechay)
- 2 pcs medium-sized potatoes
- 1 pack Magic Sarap seasoning
- black pepper powder about 1/8 teaspoon
- salt about 1/4 teaspoon
- 6 to 8 cups of water
- 2 lbs. pork meat cut in about 2 inches size
- 2 pcs. long green chili
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 piece medium-sized red onion sliced thin
- 1 pack tamarind soup powder mix
- 2pcs tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
Here is how I cook it:
- First, heat the cooking oil in a pot. Then saute the garlic and onion.
- Put in the pork meat and cook until the meat becomes light brown
- Add soy sauce
- Add water and let it boil, add the tamarind soup mix powder and the tomatoes then simmer for about 40 minutes.
- Add potatoes, long green chili, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the Magic Sarap seasoning, black pepper, and salt,
- Add the Pechay or Chinese cabbage and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
The Result.
Served while hot. Although it began as a mistake it eventually came up delicious. I just don't know what name of the dish to call it for now, but the more important thing is my family enjoyed the dish. All of it is gone in a swoop in one serving for lunch with the family. Enjoyed much!
