If you love dishes that know how to combine sweet and sour flavors, you will appreciate the "sinigang na isda", the typical Filipino fish soup. For easy preparation, boil the fish with tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and mustard seeds. To get the sour taste, add the whole bilimbi and let it soften as it cooks. If you prefer to try your hand at the traditional recipe, use powdered tamarind which has a sour and exotic taste. Simmer the onions, eggplant, ocher (or okra) and ginger before adding the tamarind powder and fish sauce.
Ingrediants
Sinigang na Isda with the Bilimbi
- 1 kg of fish steaks or 2 whole fish, cleaned
- 12 bilimbi (or kamia) fresh or frozen
- 4 datterino tomatoes
- 1 medium golden onion, cut into wedges
- 4 long green peppers (sili mahaba)
- 6-8 mustard leaves
- 1, 5 l of water
- Salt and pepper
For 4 people
Sinigang na Isda with the Sampalok Mix
- 450 g of various types of fish
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 finely chopped clove of garlic
- A piece of peeled ginger (about 7-8 cm)
- 1 eggplant
- 5-6 fruits of ocher
- 300 g of green beans
- 1 bunch of water spinach (kangkong)
- 40 g of "tamarind soup mix" (sinigang mix), freeze-dried tamarind soup
- 2, 5 l of water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of seed or coconut oil
For 4 people
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Prepare Sinigang na Isda with Bilimbi
Step 1. Bring the water to a boil and cook the tomatoes, bilimbi and onion
Pour one and a half liters of water into a large saucepan and heat it over high heat. While you wait for it to start boiling, cut 4 datterini tomatoes and a medium golden onion into wedges. Dip the vegetables into boiling water along with 12 fresh or frozen bilimbi. Bilimbi is a fruit with a sour taste originating from Southeast Asia.
Cover the pot to bring the water to a boil faster
Step 2. Let the vegetables cook for 8 minutes in the covered pot
Adjust the heat to medium-high and make sure the water continues to boil. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables for 8 minutes.
The vegetables and bilimbi will soften during cooking
Step 3. Add the fish and green peppers
Dip the fish steaks in boiling water, being careful not to burn yourself. If you prefer, you can use two whole fish. Also add 4 long green peppers (sili mahaba).
You can use whatever type of fish you like for this soup, salmon, red snapper or tilapia will work as well. The total weight should be around 1 kg
Step 4. Put the lid on the pot and let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes
Reduce the heat slightly to reduce the water to a light boil. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes to cook the fish completely.
To determine if the fish is cooked, pierce a small piece with a fork. If it flakes easily, you can go ahead and add the other soup ingredients
Step 5. Put the mustard leaves in the pot and season the soup to your taste
Add 6-8 mustard leaves and mix the soup. Taste it and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6. Turn off the stove and let the soup sit for 5 minutes
When the fish is cooked, turn off the heat. At this point, let the soup rest covered for 5 minutes so that the flavors blend.
Step 7. Serve the sinigang na isda
Stir the soup and pour it into the soup plates. According to tradition, it should be accompanied with boiled white rice.
If the soup is left over, you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Keep in mind that the flavors will become more intense over time
Method 2 of 2: Prepare Sinigang na Isda with Sampalok Mix
Step 1. Fry the garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes for 5 minutes
Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of seed oil into a large saucepan and turn on the stove over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry a chopped garlic clove. Cut 2 tomatoes and a red onion into quarters, then place them in the pot along with a piece of sliced ginger.
- Stir frequently to prevent the sautéed ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- The components of the sauté must become soft and release their fragrance.
Step 2. Add the water and fish sauce
Pour two and a half liters of water and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fish sauce into the pot. Stir to distribute the vegetables in the water.
Step 3. Bring the water to a boil and cut the eggplant, ocher and green beans
Turn on the stove over high heat to bring the water to a boil. While heating, remove the ends from the eggplant and 5 or 6 ocher fruits, then cut the eggplant into round slices about one and a half centimeters thick. Also cut 300 g of green beans into pieces about 5 cm long.
You can leave the ocher whole as it is already small in size
Step 4. Cook the eggplant, ocher and green beans in the boiling water
When the water starts boiling briskly, pour the sliced vegetables into the pot. Stir to combine the soup ingredients.
Step 5. Let the soup simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes
Adjust the heat so that the water continues to boil slightly. Leave the pot uncovered and cook the vegetables until soft.
Step 6. Add the freeze-dried soup to the tamarind and the fish
Open the soup package (sinigang mix) and pour 40g into the pot. Keep stirring until the powder has dissolved in the hot broth, then add 450 grams of chopped fish.
The fish should be cut into large pieces about 5-7 cm
Step 7. Let the soup simmer for 5-10 minutes
Adjust the heat to medium or medium-high heat so the broth begins to simmer gently. Stir occasionally for even cooking of the fish.
Stick a piece of fish with a fork. If it flakes easily, it means it's cooked
Step 8. Put the water spinach in the pot and let it wilt
Cut a bunch of fresh water spinach into pieces about 7-8 cm and add them to the soup. Let them simmer for about a minute to wilt, then turn off the heat and serve the soup.
