Sinigang

Name: Sinigang
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: Pork belly or pork ribs, 700g cut into chunks; Tamarind paste or 1 packet sinigang mix (about 40g); Roma tomatoes, 3 medium, quartered; White onion, 1 large, quartered; Long green beans (sitaw), 1 cup, cut into 2-inch pieces; Water spinach (kangkong) or baby spinach, 2 large handfuls; Long green chili (siling haba), 2 whole; Radish (labanos), 1 medium, sliced into rounds; Fish sauce (patis), 2–3 tablespoons to taste; Water, 1.5 liters

Sinigang/see-NEE-gahng/

About this dish

A sour tamarind-based soup with pork, prawns or fish and vegetables — one of the most beloved dishes in Filipino cuisine. The sourness from tamarind is the defining characteristic, balanced by the richness of the protein. Comfort food at its most profound.

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Ingredients

🥩Pork belly or pork ribs, 700g cut into chunks

🌿Tamarind paste or 1 packet sinigang mix (about 40g)

🍅Roma tomatoes, 3 medium, quartered

🧅White onion, 1 large, quartered

🫛Long green beans (sitaw), 1 cup, cut into 2-inch pieces

🥬Water spinach (kangkong) or baby spinach, 2 large handfuls

🫑Long green chili (siling haba), 2 whole

🌱Radish (labanos), 1 medium, sliced into rounds

🐟Fish sauce (patis), 2–3 tablespoons to taste

💧Water, 1.5 liters

Method

Serves 4

Place the pork chunks in a large pot with the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any grey foam that rises to the surface — this keeps your broth clean and clear.

Add the quartered onions and tomatoes, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 35–45 minutes until the pork is tender and nearly falling apart.

Stir in the tamarind paste or sinigang mix and add the whole green chilies. Taste the broth and adjust the sourness — add more tamarind if you want a punchier tang.

Season with fish sauce, starting with 2 tablespoons, tasting as you go. The broth should taste salty, deeply savoury, and bracingly sour all at once.

Add the radish slices and long green beans, cooking for 5–7 minutes until just tender but still with a little bite. You want the vegetables to hold their shape, not go mushy.

Toss in the water spinach or baby spinach right at the end and stir gently — it will wilt in about 1–2 minutes. Serve immediately in deep bowls with steamed white rice on the side and extra fish sauce for dipping the pork.

Serve immediately in deep bowls over steamed white rice, making sure everyone gets a generous mix of pork, vegetables, and plenty of that glorious sour broth. Place extra fish sauce on the table for seasoning to individual taste.

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