Sinigang

One day husband bought a whole bunch of pork ribs from the market. I asked Elena our domestic helper for cooking suggestions and she said, "Sinigang".

Well, we discovered that Sinigang is a very popular Filipino soup with a distinct sourness derived from assam (tamarind). It is so delicious we now make sure we always have pork ribs on hand especially to make this dish anytime we fancy.

The cooking is simple enough. Pork ribs go into a pot of water with big onions and is brought to a boil. Radish is added for more sweetness, then yam to slightly thicken and bond the fatty bits from the pork bones. Long beans and green chillies add texture, crunchy sweet green leafy vegetables are added last.

Of course, must not forget the most essential ingredient- assam. The first time she made it Elena used only assam peel and it was quite astringent, the second time we ran out of peel and used water from soaking assam paste which gave the soup a more mellow character.

This is a soup that is adaptable to whatever is available in the pantry. Pinoycook's version is made with pork tail, okra, tomatoes and kangkung. A quick google search turned up recipes that substitutes tamarind with calamansi, guavas, tomatoes, pineapples, even vinegar. It doesn't have to be limited to pork either, there are versions with fish, prawns and even salmon heads.

Sinigang is a very versatile soup. Good for perking up weary appetites, or when the weather is too hot. A simple one pot dish that makes a perfect meal when combined with a bowl of steamed rice. Its generous yields means it is ideal for family or party servings. No wonder it is such a beloved dish of the Filipinos.

Comments

[slurp]

ah ... another quick & simple healthy meal with plenty of vegetables, good for my diet plans hehehe ...

i recall that there was another mildly sweet variant of assam available in philippines. it's about 2 or 3 times the size of regular sour assm. BKK do have them too, but I learn somewhere that it originates from Phillipines.

[tscd]

Hot foods in hot weather is definitely distinct to SEA. Everywhere else, summer is for cold salads and icy chilled soups. I made a nice hot and sour soup this summer - refreshing, I said - and all my 'ang moh' friends laughed to me!

[Ann]

i've been reading your blog for about several months now, and i am happy that you have featured one of the famous dish from my homeland. but for me, the best version of 'sinigang" is prawn, salmon or beef ribs. the soup really taste well! but here in dubai, i use 'sinigang mix powder' since the fresh tamarind is not always convenient here...i hope you would try other filipino dish as well.

[ivn]

Was the sweetness of the pork ribs overwhelmed?

I think using beef is an excellent idea since the beefy taste is strong enough to hold its own against the sourness.

mmmmm...

[FatMan Seoul]

Speaking of pinoy food, have you ever tried "balut"? Took a full bite and couldn't finish the rest (which is very rare for me). But memorable experience nonetheless.

[eatzycath]

I'm a 'soup' person and that sounds like something that's incredibly easy to cook and very tasty...thanks for sharing
To FatMan Seoul: I once saw a documentary on 'balut' and since then have sworn that 'embryo eggs' are definitely not my thing... yucks, my apologies to any Filipino out there who love this national dish!

[umami]

Thanks everyone, I've posted another Filipina dish that Elena made, enjoy!

slurp, this is not that healthy if you eat the pork ribs too!

hi tcsd, it never made sense to me when my English friends drink hot tea in summer, they say it is refreshing...

Hi Ann, thanks for your suggestions, we will certainly try them.

ivn, no the pork ribs were not in the least overwhelmed they were yummy in fact.

Hi Fatman, balut. No Thanks! Eeks. I can't quite psyche myself to do it.

eatzycath, it is very easy, hope you enjoy eating it. Cheers

[jess]

omg i love sinigang!!! i am a filipino girl in batesville indiana... i no tagalog it is the philipino language and i love there food!!! ok by!!!

[iska]

hi! i am thinking of writing a post about sinigang when i happen to see this blog of yours. i am really glad to know that non-filipinos like it...

[Elaine]

Thanks for sharing this Pinoy recipe :)
It reminds me of chai buey, which is literally a pot of leftovers cooked in assam broth. Usually made with Chinese New Year leftovers :)

[mae]

hello there. i was browsing through images of sinigang in google and i came across your very nice collage of the dish. i'd like to let you know that i'm using it over at my blog in http://sinigang-dmeemai.blogspot.com and http://www.thepostcardcollector.us/ with full attribution to your website.

Please visit my sites when you get the chance. you might want to send me a postcard as well so I can feature and link your blog in my current project at the postcard collector. :-) Thank you. Your articles make me hungry! really hungry! lol Have a great one!