Sinigang

"Sinigang" is a popular Filipino dish but it also shares similarities with dishes found in southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.  It is a tamarind-based soup broth and one can almost put anything into it. Common ingredients in it can be green beans, daikon radish, okra, bitter melon, etc... The protein can be chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, etc.

The one that I often make is with those veggies and either with chicken or beef. I admit that I often take shortcuts. Instead of making the broth from scratch, I often make this on a weeknight using a pre-made package for the broth.

Of course, I just don't pour it in. I doctor it a bit. What I normally do is I have 4 or 5 thick pieces of ginger, and smash 3 cloves of garlic. I fry the smashed garlic (you don't even have to chop 'em) in a couple of tablespoon of oil in a large pot until you get the garlic aroma. Then I add the appropriate amount of water. Add the ginger and the sinigang package, stir, and let it come to a boil.

Once it is boiling, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes so that the flavor develops, especially with the ginger.

Then add your protein (chicken or beef). Let it come to a boil and then simmer slowly until done.

Adjust seasoning. It should have a slightly sour taste from the tamarind. Optionally, you can add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce.

Then add the veggies. I always have bitter melon, daikon radish, and green beans. Cook until veggies are done. I often serve this alongside rice and kimchee.

If you like it hot, you can add whole Serrano peppers at the same time that you add the veggies. Then whoever wants it with a kick can serve it him/herself and break the pepper in the broth. It will add quite a kick to the soup.

Zz.