Looking back at my post on tomato-based filipino dishes, I decided to make another recipe post that points out the most basic principles in a given dish group. Example, in the previous post, tomato + meat.

This time it’s … chicken + ginger!

This is the most basic component common to Arroz Caldo, Tinola and Curry:

As always in Filipino dishes, saute crushed garlic and sliced onion on a small amount of oil. After the garlic has browned and the onion is soft, add the crushed and sliced ginger and sautee until the ginger’s aroma is strong. Add the cut up chicken pieces, and sautee with the rest.

The sauteed chicken in ginger, garlic and onion serves as the base for making Arroz Caldo, Tinola and Chicken Curry.

1. Arroz Caldo

Remove the chicken from the sautee mixture (this must be done under low fire) and set aside. On the sauteeing mixture, sautee (yes, sautee!) a cup of rice, either glutinous or regular rice. When the rice is well-sauteed, i.e. all grains covered with oil and looks brownish, add 3 cups of water and let boil. Simmer right after boiling for 15-20 minutes to obtain the lugaw (gruel) consistency.Don’t live it alone as the dish might dry up, in which case you just have to add more water until you maintain the gruel-like consistency (keeping in mind that you have to simmer some more later to cook the chicken). Put in 2 pcs of chicken instant broth cubes , add the chicken, ground pepper, fish sauce for taste and sliced onion stalks (for garnish). Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes and you’re done.

2. Tinola

After sauteeing, add 3-4 cups of water, 2 chicken broth cubes and fish sauce. Let boil then simmer for 10 minutes before adding sili leaves. Simmer some more (5 minutes) then add the cut up and peeled green papaya OR sayote fruits. Add ground black pepper, simmer for 10 more minutes, and you’re done!

NOTE: If you’re abroad and sili leaves are hard to find, use the sili fruits. The flavor is almost the same. However, when using the fruits, add it at the very last minute before turning off the flame or else your tinola will be spicy.

3. Chicken Curry

Mild Recipe:

After sauteeing everything, add a cup of water and let boil. Add fish sauce and one piece chicken broth cube then simmer for 10 minutes to cook the chicken. You may now pour the coconut milk + curry powder mixture (to be prepared prior to cooking). Let simmer for 5 minutes then add the cut-up potatoes, carrots (optional) and red bell pepper; and ground black pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes and you’re done!

For spicy chicken curry, add chilli powder together with the ground black pepper.

Note: If you don’t have coconut milk, use evaporated milk! Just don’t forget to add curry powder to the milk before pouring it in.

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Happy cooking!:D

Have you ever thought how complicated filipino cooking is? It’s not!
After my post on Adobo, I now delve into the very simple and close-knit family of tomato-based dishes.

All filipino tomato-based dishes (pork/beef/chicken) have this in common:

Garlic, onion and tomato are sauteed until the onion and tomato are soft and the garlic is brown. Meat is added and sauteed with the rest of the prior ingredients. Enough water is added for the meat to simmer in for an hour (pork chunks), 30 minutes (ground meat), 45 mins-1 hour (chicken) and 2 hours (beef). Tomato sauce is added when the meat is soft enough. Optional addition of the corresponding broth cube is done.

Now we go to the differences, namely, meat cut and accessory ingredients that greatly define the individual personality of the tomato-based dish you’re cooking:

1. Caldereta/Kaldereta (usually beef)

Use big chunks of meat. After the simmering/softening process, liver spread, potato cubes, green peas and bell pepper strips are added, along with black pepper any other seasoning that you desire (fish sauce or salt).

2. Mechado (beef) and Afritada (pork/chicken)

Use large chunks of meat. After the simmering process, add big cubes of potatoes and carrots, and cut up baguio beans along with black pepper any other seasoning that you desire (fish sauce or salt).

3. Menudo (usually pork)

Small pieces of meat are used. After the simmering process, cut-up hotdog/vienna sausage, small pieces of pork liver, raisins, small cubes of potato, bell pepper and carrots are added along with black pepper any other seasoning that you desire (fish sauce or salt)..

4. Picadillo

Ground beef or pork is used. After simmering, add very small chunks of potato and carrot, and raisins along with black pepper any other seasoning that you desire (fish sauce or salt)..

5. Pochero

Use large chunks of meat. After the simmering process, add cut up “saging na saba”/plantains, medium potato chunks and cabbage along with black pepper any other seasoning that you desire (fish sauce or salt)..

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Pretty simple huh? Enjoy!

Adobo is the Philippine National Dish. If you haven’t discovered why by now, perhaps it’s time to try it yourself.

Leave-It-Alone-But-Don’t-Let-It-Burn Adobo

As a busy mom, this is my all-time favorite “busy day” dish. The sauce can act as baby food to AJ (when combined with a lot of rice), and the meat itself can be fried to act as “baon” to my long-time friend and daddy-of-my-baby, Ayrsayle, when he goes to the hospital for his nurse duties. I make sure that there are plenty of leftovers for the next day, and for that night when I’m working and feeling munchy.

Here’s the dish:

• 2 kilos of liempo (pork belly, cut up)
• 1/2 cup vinegar (coconut)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• bay leaf (2 pieces)
• pepper whole
• salt
• garlic (1 head, crushed)

Arrange the cut-up liempo in a casserole with the other ingredients and put in plenty of water ’til the meat is submerged. Let boil (while you watch) at high heat, and then simmer it to the lowest heat possible. Leave for 1 hour or so. Check every 15 mins if the water has evaporated too much that the meat fries (in which case, you have to add another cup).

Important: DO NOT stir the adobo while it’s cooking at this stage.

When the dish is almost done, taste and add more salt if the adobo is not salty enough.

Note: This dish can be kept covered on the table for a day or 2 without refrigeration. For a dry version, just separate the meat from the sauce and sautee the meat on 3 tablespoons of cooking oil at high heat.

Recommendation 1: If your planning for a big party/eaters, one good extender for this dish is potato. Just add the potato mid-simmer and cook fo15 mins.

Recommendation 2: For a chicken dish (2 kg), patis may be added as seasoning in lieu of salt.

Recommendation 3: the meat and the sauce may be separated as long as the meat is tender enough. The meat may be fried and drained of oil on paper towels, while the sauce is thickened with cornstarch (just add a small amount of cornstarch diluted in 2 tablespoons water). Sauce may be served on the side or as topping on the fried meat.

Adobong Sitaw (long beans) or Kangkong (water spinach)

Vegetables are great for adobo. The only real difference in ingredients is the onion (which cannot or can rarely be found in all-meat adobo dishes). These are best served as side-dishes to fried meat, or can also be the main viand for lunch or dinner.

Here’s the dish:

• Sitaw 1 bundle, cut up in 2 inch pieces OR Kangkong 1 bundle (leaves and upper stems picked)
• sliced pork (may be liempo or ground pork, 1/4 kilo)
• onions 1 bulb cut up
• garlic half a bulb, crushed
• soy sauce, 1/2 cup
• vinegar (coconut) 1/2 cup
• pepper and fish sauce (pati) for flavor

Put the pork first and add a few tablespoons of water, cook over medium heat until the fat comes out. When the fat from the pork isn’t enough for sauteeing, add a bit of cooking oil. Sautee the garlic and onions along with the browned pork until the garlic browns or the onion softens. Add the soy sauce and the vinegar together with a cup of water, let boil over medium heat then lower the heat and cover for 5 minutes (or until you feel that the flavor is incorporated in the pork). Add pepper and patis according to desired taste. DO NOT STIR.

While simmering on low heat, add the sitaw or kangkong. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes (for sitaw) or 2-3 minutes (for kangkong). Turn off the heat before the vegetables are overcooked.

Recommendation: Some prefer their adobo veggies a bit sweet. Add sugar to the pork-soy-vinegar prior to incorporation of vegetables, but do not stir.

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Note: Why do I keep saying DO NOT STIR in adobo dishes? This is because when the vinegar is stirred prior to being cooked thoroughly, the sour flavor overpowers the rest of the dish ingredients in the finished dish. It’s nice to have that underlying sour taste, but it’s better to have it mixed well with the salty-sweet taste of the soy sauce.

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