Tunay na Sinigang

FF: Sabaw ng Tunay na Sinigang

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Do you remember when was the last time you cooked sinigang using real tamarind? Maybe you always cook it the traditional way; good for you. Hindi katulad ko, waahhh! For more than a decade away from the Philippines and with limited supply of sinigang mix, I developed a special bond with my favorite souring agent – THE lemon.

So, 15 years? 18? I’m not sure. Yeah, I never counted on finding tamarind here in NZ! How I thanked the heavens above when I saw packs of frozen tamarind in an Asian dairy. Woo hoo! Now we have our regular dose of sinampalukang manok at sabaw ng tunay na sinigang

Call it instinct. Whatever. After all those years, I felt the texture of the real deal against my fingers and just like that. I cook it the way I knew it by heart. My all-time favorite comfort food.

Ingredients:
Rindless pork belly, cut into chunks
2 to 3 pieces of sampaloc, washed
Chopped onions
Chopped tomatoes
Okra
Long beans
Kangkong leaves
Patis or fish sauce

Add pork and few pieces of tamarind to a pot of boiling water. (Scoop out scum when it floats.) Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pods are tender. Scoop them out and mash through a sieve over the same pot of boiling water; sampaloc juice blending with the broth. Discard all solids. Throw in onions and tomatoes and season with patis. Simmer until pork is tender. Add in your choice of vegetables and simmer until cooked. Add in kangkong and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid for another minute. Serve with plain rice and your favorite sawsawan. YUM!

(Meron lang po akong munting project, kung meron po kayong kaunting sandali, maari po sanang sumagot sa munting survey tungkol sa pagkaing pinoy. Paki-klik po dito o ang image na sumusunod.) 

What would be in your menu?

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Iska
I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.

18 thoughts on “FF: Sabaw ng Tunay na Sinigang

  1. sarap!!! been thinking of cooking sinigang for a few days now … haven’t tried using the real deal before, though. lol. thanks for sharing!!

    thanks for playing again, Iska
    happy weekend

    maiylah´s last blog post..Food Friday

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