sinigang

A few weeks ago, my sister let me in on a little secret…  her and her fiancee were expecting a little one! (okay, maybe it’s not such a little secret)

Apparently, it’s pretty common for most expecting mothers to keep things on the dl when a pregnancy has been discovered before the baby reaches the third month. Of course – something like this could never have been kept secret from me! I would have known something was up the minute my sister (who happens to have a rather large appetite), has stopped eating because of extreme nausea.

Excited much? Absolutely. First things first… tame the nausea. Saltines, buttered toast, butter noodles… anything salty to appease that “gotta hack it all up” feeling. She didn’t know about this very basic rule of handling not so pleasant nausea (not enough experience with hangovers in her lifetime, imo ).

Secondly – the food craving. The only thing Michelle was able to consume without gagging was anything that had these three flavors: salty, sour, and slightly spicy. We went out for some tum yum gai and rice the same day she made her announcement to me, and this delicious Thai dish seemed to greatly help her poor stomach. (she usually dresses this with chilies, vinegar, and fish sauce… mmm mmm good!).

Third… what a dilemna! What do we feed an a nauseated person who, on a normal basis, has a voracious appetite – plus, of course, the little raisin growing inside her? The solution: Sinigang.

A brief history: My sister and I grew up and spent plenty of meals eating this traditional Philippine soup when we were kids. The aroma has a tendency to leave us glassy eyed and drooling when we imagine the heat of the soup combined with a plethora of gently bobbing meats and vegetables. It also reminds us of the simple pleasures of childhood, and just how different our idea of comfort food can be compared with some of our friends today.

But what is it and what is it made of? Sinigang is usually made with a combination of tamarind, fish sauce, vegetables and meat (usually pork or beef). Some regions actually use guava instead of tamarind (it tends to be a little less sour, and sweeter), or replace their meat with fresh seafood (fish and shrimp). The biggest thing to remember about this soup, is that it’s salty, sour, and sometimes spicy… and serve it with a bowl of hot rice… DELISH!

(my mouth is starting to water just thinking about this.)

Like most people, we all have our own way of making our favorite foods. My own recipe is derived from my aunties and my grandmother’s cook, Ester. My sister tells me I’ve completely captured the flavor of this soup, and asks me to make it for her on occasion. Of course, that “on occasion” usually ends up with about two very large pots full of soup… thank god for the invention of vacuum bags and freezers! On a side note, I’ve managed to lose the recipe that my family members have given me, so I have a tendency to cook this straight from my head.

I’ve attempted to make this soup from scratch before, using tamarind paste and a lot of hot water. It actually came out pretty well, but to be honest, it’s extremely time consuming and I’m not sure everybody would be willing to try it out. For a quick fix, I usually pick up 3-4 Knorr Tamarind Soup Base (Pangsinigang sa Sampalok) packets… and I also tend to ignore whatever the instructions are on the back :). Most of the vegetables that I buy are obtained from either my garden, or the farmer’s market. For out of season items? I pick them up from my favorite green grocer… Produce World.

One other note to remember about this dish, it is definitely, and distinctively Filipino… so don’t be intimidated by the smell of the patis (aka fish sauce) – this is where a lot of flavor comes from, and most of the salt found in this soup. Both mine and my sister’s guys usually put on the “I am so horrified by this smell, that I’m going to find an excuse to leave the house while you cook that” face. That doesn’t ever deter me from cooking what I consider the ultimate comfort food.

Sinigang

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp                Canola/olive oil

2 lbs                     beef chuck – cut into cubes

1 large                  brown onion – quartered

2 large                  tomatoes  – quartered

1.5 cups                fish sauce – choose your favorite brand!

1 bunch                 radishes – stems removed

1-2 cups                daikon  – sliced into ¼” thick half moons

1 small                  butternut squash – large dice

1 lbs                     okra – cleaned

1.5 lbs                  long beans * – trimmed and halved

½ head                 romaine lettuce – washed, chopped into large pieces

6-8                       jalapenos** – washed, kept whole (the dark green and yellow kind)

3-4 packets           Tamarind Soup Base

To taste                salt and black pepper

*may be substituted with green beans

**this is optional … but I recommend keeping them in!

1. Heat up a large stock pot. Add your oil (be sure it’s nice and sizzling). Brown the meat on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté the onions and tomatoes until the onions start to become translucent and soft. About 4 minutes. Add the meat back into the pot.
3. Cover the mixture with fish sauce. Let it reduce until the amount of liquid goes down to about half. About 6-10 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper over the mixture.
4. Fill the pot about half way up with hot water. Let it come to a boil, and let it boil for about 10-15 minutes. Add 2 packets of sinigang mix. Stir well.
5. Add the butternut squash. Cook it until it becomes partially soft (the center should still be firm, but the outer area should be easily pierced with a fork)
6. Add the daikon. Cook until it becomes partially soft.
7. Add the radishes and jalapenos. Cook until the radishes becomes partially soft. (we’re noticing a pattern here, right?)
8. At this point, the butternut squash should be getting soft, and so should the meat. If the meat is not fork tender… keep boiling away until it is. (the meat should be so tender that it takes a spoon to tear it apart!)
9. Add the okra and the long beans. Cook for another 6-8 minutes.
10. Taste your soup. If it needs salt, add as much salt as you’d like. I usually sprinkle a little bit more to suit my taste. If it’s not sour enough, add some more sinigang mix in. The best way to not overdo it is to sprinkle about half a packet into the mixture at a time. Stir it in and sit for about 2 minutes, and taste again. I usually end up using 3-4 packets, but I also cook this soup in a very large pot. J
11. Once you’ve got your taste perfected, turn your stove off, add the romaine lettuce and cover. The residual steam from the soup will cook the lettuce. Mix it in when you’re ready to serve. Enjoy with hot rice!