A Favorite Filipino Dish

In my house, we eat traditional Filipino dishes maybe 80% of the time. And even if we’re eating American like fried chicken, we make it Filipino by eating it with rice. When I said in a previous post that we eat rice with everything, I meant it. I love Filipino cuisine and I actually really miss having a nice, home-cooked, Filipino dinner. It’s a difficult choice, but if I had to pick out my favorite dishes I would choose sinigang. That word probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but don’t worry – I shall explain.

Sinigang is comparable to a soup or a stew. The thing that makes sinigang distinguishable from other soups or dishes is its sour flavor. The sour taste comes from a seasoning called tamarind, which is usually only found in Asian markets. The meat in this stew can vary depending on the preferences of the cook. It can either be fish, shrimp, chicken or pork. My mom only ever cooks it with pork ribs, but I know some of my relatives and Filipino friends that have used shrimp. After the meat has been stewed with the seasoning, we add tomatoes, onions, and string beans or lettuce. In the Philippines, people also add other vegetables that are hard to find here in America. But since we can’t get those, we have to settle with what we have here.  When the dish is finished, some Filipinos like to a green finger pepper to the bowl when it’s served. This enhances the sour flavor and gives it a little extra kick.

Normally, when this dish is served in Filipino restaurants, it comes in a bowl. Then one would just add large amounts of rice, like in the picture shown below. But in my house and at Filipino parties here, we do it the other way around. We scoop the meat and vegetables first and add it to our plate of rice. Then we scoop out just the broth and drench the rice with it.

Now that I’ve finished writing about this favorite dish of mine, I have a huge craving for sinigang. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until thanksgiving break for that wish to come true.

            http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/07/20/filipino-food-pork-sinigang-na-baboy/

http://foter.com/Sinigang/