Recipe: Sinigang ? Philipino Tamarind Soup

Talking about Filipinos and Philippines (to be exact, their food), one thing I love the most is Sinigang.  This one goes even further than my days in Manhattan.  I’m sure I asked Ursula, the nanny/cook/cleaning lady of my roommates’ siblings to make sinigang, but she never did.  Maybe because I wasn’t her master, maybe because she didn’t like it, I don’t know.  So the last time (and possibly the only time) I had it was in the Philippines, when I was still living in Tokyo, before I even know that I would be living in the US, so we are talking around 1987.

My friend Rina’s dad had an assignment in Manila, so a few of us decided to visit his mansion in Dasmarinas Villege in Makati, where all these wealthy and influential Filipinos live.  One of their neighbors was Imerda Marcos, or  Aquinos… I don’t quite remember but someone really famous at that time.

One day we went to a restaurant with our friend Seline from IBM Philippines, who had a 2-month assignment in Tokyo where Rina and I used to work together.  She ordered sinigang for us to try, this sour soup with shrimp and vegetables that water my mouth just thinking about it!  As you already figure out, I tend to remember things I ate and the flavor for a long time, even if I forget everything else.  I vaguely remember Rina telling me that you can buy a sinigang mix, I might have bought a packet or two for souvenir, but for some reason, I don’t remember making it.  Maybe it wasn’t so memorable!

Then years passed…  I moved from Tokyo to Michigan, then to Arizona, then to New York, LA and San Francisco.  No sinigang came near me, even at Filipino restaurants nor Filipino friend’s houses, even though I always asked about it.

After I made the large batch of winter melon and chicken soup the other day, I was contemplating what I could transform it into.  All of a sudden, I got my light bulb moment!  Add the tamarind paste and make it into sinigang!

The result was spectacular!   Yes, this flavor!  The only green I had was sauteed pea sprouts, and the only shrimp I had was small frozen shrimps, but I was able to recreate that complex tangy flavor with tamarind and fish sauce without going shopping.  The best part was I already had the soup, so it took me only 5 minutes!

Sinigang


Ingredients: (serves 2)

Chicken and Winter Melon Soup leftover — 2-3 cups

If you don’t have this, quarter and slice daikon or water melon into about 1 inch X 1 inch, 1/4 inch thickness so that it cooks faster.
and Chicken stock


EVOO — 1/2 – 1 TBS
Garlic, minced — 1
Onion – sliced about 1/4 C
Tomatoes — chopped about 1/2 C
Vegetables cut in bite size pieces about 1/2 ~ 2/3 cup total

I used oyster mushrooms and cooked pea sprouts


Shrimp – if large, 1-2 per person, best if it has head attached.  If small, 1/4 – 1/3 C for two
Tamarind paste — 2 -3 TBS
Fish Sauce — to taste
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, cook minced garlic in medium low heat, when fragrant, add onion and sweat it.
Add other vegetables including tomatoes, from those that takes longest to cook first.    Saute until somewhat soft, add the shrimp and coat with oil. Season lightly with salt.
Add the soup leftover, or chicken stock if you don’t have the leftover.  Bring to a soft boil.  When the soup is hot, mix in the tamarind paste and fish sauce. When the shrimp is cooked through, taste and adjust seasoning.

I tried it three ways — as it is, with some rice in it, with some noodles, as usual. They were all good.  : )  Now I can eat sinigang anytime I want!  I’m a happy camper!

The moral of the story…  if you can’t get something you like, make it your own.  You’ll be so glad you did!