Sinigang (Tamarind Broth With Pork and Vegetables)
- Total Time
- 2½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
- 12whole garlic cloves, crushed
- 2pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces, excess fat trimmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2cups Vietnamese concentrated cooking tamarind (“nuoc me chua”), or 1 (14-ounce) block tamarind paste, liquefied (see Tip)
- 2medium yellow onions, halved from tip to tip, then each half cubed into 4 quarters
- ¼cup fish sauce
- 2whole serrano chiles
- 1daikon (1¾ pounds), peeled and sliced into 1½-inch chunks
- ½pound long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1Japanese eggplant (about 5 ounces), sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 2medium tomatoes, halved, then each half cubed into 4 quarters
- 10ounces baby spinach (about 8 packed cups)
- ½cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
22 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 1 gram protein; 39 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until toasted, 1 minute. Add the pork, season with 1½ tablespoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the tamarind, onion, fish sauce, serrano chiles and 10 cups water, and bring to a boil over high.
- Step 2
Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the pork is softened but not fully tender, about 1½ hours.
- Step 3
Stir in the daikon, cover and continue to simmer until daikon is tender and the pork is yielding, about 30 minutes.
- Step 4
Uncover and discard the chiles. Add the long beans, eggplant, tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Step 5
Stir in the lemon juice. Serve over rice.
- To liquefy block tamarind, first, break the tamarind block into 1-inch chunks, and put it in a mixing bowl. Add 2½ cups boiling water, push the tamarind into the water, and let soften for 5 minutes. Break the tamarind up with a fork, and let sit another 15 minutes to soften. Mash up the tamarind again, then pour everything through a fine-mesh strainer into another mixing bowl, pressing and mashing the solids in the strainer to extract as much jammy tamarind pulp as possible. (Don’t forget to scrape off the underside of the strainer, where the pulp will collect.) Whisk together the resulting tamarind sauce, then transfer to a measuring cup — you should have about 2 cups. If necessary, add water to make 2 cups.
Private Notes
Comments
I never put garlic, but I do use the powdered pack for the tamarind and maybe there's a bit of garlic in there, I never checked. Pork can be replaced with beef or (time-saving) shrimp. Broccoli heads have a yummy tendency to collect the tasty broth. The spinach stands in for various yummy dark greens like the leaves of sweet potatoes, or especially "water spinach" (common SEAsian veggie with no agreed translation). Happy to have learned how to use those tamarind blocks!
If you have an asian grocery nearby, substitute the western spinach with the more traditional OnChoy, which is Philippine Kang Kong or Water Spinach
I've eaten a lot of sinigang, and this was the best ever. I used river spinach, and ended up adding extra tamarind. My Filipino partner said it was as good as grandma's. Now that's a compliment!
I don’t like to eat a lot of meat but like the flavor-gets to it here in a hearty broth deliciously cut with a back of the tongue sour sizzle. I make a hearty broth with bones and let it rip for a few hours. Strain it and then use that as my water along with the tamarind I lovingly have soaked and strained and scraped. Add a little bit of seared pork midway or a little roasted chicken (made dank chicken broth along with beef marrow bones this time). The daikon and eggplant are silky with the tamarind tang and tomato heft. It’s not for everyone, but decidedly for me.
Where's the fish sauce?
My previous partner used to make this all of the time so I gave it a whirl, will need some more practice! My modifications that I remember him also using: taro (make sure to chop in bigger chunks and not for too long otherwise they’ll disintegrate), baby bok choy, and I also add in some white vinegar because I like it a little extra sour, and also brown sugar. Finally, for the tamarind I use about a packet and a half of a dried sinigang flavor pouch that I find at my local Asian mart. All in all it’s a great reset meal for me!