Sinampalukang Manok is a chicken soup dish with a sour broth. It is has similarities to Sinigang, which happens to be one of the most popular Filipino dish. I like Sinampalukang Manok because it is simple and delicious. This dish has minimal ingredients yet it is very flavorful. I prefer to have it while it’s still piping hot.
Tamarind leaves are traditionally used to make the broth sour. These are boiled until the flavors are completely extracted. In this recipe, I made use of tamarind flower buds. It provides a mildly sour taste, which I think is the same when tamarind leaves are used. Since I want my sinampalukang manok really sour, I added a pack of Knorr Sinigang Mix. It was perfect!
One of the things that make sinampalukang manok different from sinigang is its use of ginger. It is sauteed along with garlic and onion and then boiled with the chicken and tamarind leaves/flower buds to create the soup base. It sounded unusual at first. After trying the dish for the first time (many years ago) somewhere in Nueva Ecija, I quickly understood why ginger is necessary. It gives the dish a distinct flavor and it makes it more comforting especially when you have the hot soup during cold weather or on a rainy day.
Sinampalukang Manok almost do not use any vegetables. I only added long green chillies to have a bit of spice in my soup. However, feel free to add any vegetable that you prefer. I suggest adding either Spinach, kangkong, and mustard greens.
Try this Sinampalukang Manok Recipe. Let me know what you think.
How to Cook Sinampalukang Manok
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken cut into serving pieces
- 3/4 cups tamarind flower buds or tamarind leaves
- 1 large red onion
- 4 pieces long green pepper siding pansigang
- 3 thumbs ginger sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 20 g. Knorr Sinigang sa Sampaloc Mix, original
- 1 Knorr Chicken Cube
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Heat cooking pot and then sear the chicken. Continue to cook until most of the chicken fat are extracted.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. Set aside.
- Using the extracted oil, sauce garlic, onion, and ginger.
- Once the onion becomes soft, add the chicken back to the pot.
- Pour water. Let boil. Seal the tamarind flower buds in a cheesecloth and tie using a kitchen twine.
- Add the cheese cloth with tamarind flower buds in the pot. Stir.
- Add Knorr chicken cube and long green pepper. Cover the pot. Cook in medium heat until the chicken gets tender.
- Remove the tamarind flower buds. Add Knorr Singing Mix. Stir.
- Add fish sauce. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve.
- Share and enjoy!
Arthur says
Dear Vanjo, it might be alright to add vegetable…ex.: kangkong? What might a good veggie to add??? Thank you and more power.
Vanjo Merano says
Hi Arthur, sure. Kangkong can be added here and Spinach too.
Robbie says
When I ate this in the Philippines, the tamarind leaves are included. That’s already the veggie you needed. Not sure why you took it out.
Vanjo Merano says
I am showing alternatives for those who don’t have direct access to the leaves, like myself.
Jayson says
Looks yummy! Thanks for the recipe