Sinigang…mmm….how do I describe thee?
Sinigang is another popular Philippine dish that ranks up there next to Adobo and Pancit. It’s a soup and a meal all in one. It’s hearty enough to be a meal because the soup is made with meat {or seafood} and all types of vegetables.
In my opinion, the star of the show in Sinigang, is the broth called “sabaw” in Tagalog {Philippine language}. Don’t you just love reading my blog? You get to learn a foreign language and cook all at the same time. 🤓
Anyway, the Sinigang Broth has a somewhat complex flavor in that it’s sweet, savory and sour all packed into one flavorful and tasty dish. It lends its flavor from the fruit called Tamarind or “sampalok” <- another Tagalog word.
My favorite grocery store, Woodman’s carries it, of course. See photo below 👇
If you want to try some, come on over! I bought a pack! Happy to share…
Unfortunately though the unripened fruit which is used to make the broth isn’t readily available, and to extract the tamarind fruit is not an easy task! Well it’s not that difficult, but still…
Who wants to do all that work when you can get a concentrate Tamarind from Amazon. Plus I want this recipe to be easy enough so you can follow along with me. You’re welcome! 😉
Why Use Tamarind Concentrate versus Sinigang Tamarind Dry Soup Mix?
Tamarind concentrate is an all natural concentrate made from the natural tamarind fruit. All tamarind. No preservatives! No additives!
Tamarind soup dry mix, that come in packets, on the other hand, contain MSG short for Monosodium Glutamate – an artificial flavor enhancer. I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of MSG. I don’t like to eat anything with MSG in it because I get a bad headache and that annoyingly, tingly feeling behind my neck which isn’t good! Ugh! So I avoid it!
If you try my recipe below, I guarantee you will LOVE the natural flavors of the tamarind and all the ingredients in this Sinigang dish! Girl Scout’s honor! Did you know I was a Girl Scout in my very younger years?! You do now!!
Take note: I take pride in my #JozMahal cooking which uses all natural and fresh ingredients!! Enough said.
Why do I LOVE this Sinigang recipe? 🥣
- It’s a soup, no, it’s a meal! With or without steamed rice, this Sinigang is a satisfying dish which you can enjoy any way and any season of the year!
- This dish is so diverse in that it’s just as flavorful if you omit the pork altogether or replace it with beef or seafood (like any type of whitefish or shrimp).
- Speaking of diversity with this dish, you can use any green leafy vegetables like kale, mustard greens, collard greens, just to name a few.
- I specifically used my Instant Pot in making this dish which helps cut down in cooking time. You also have the option of using a Stock Pot and just increase cooking time by double.
- My family LOVES it. As they are my #1 reason why I started this journey in the first place. Knowing that I am making something that they truly enjoy is my biggest WHY….
My husband says “It is literally the BEST soup I’ve ever eaten in the world! It’s such a savory treat and you just know you’re enjoying something that is really, really, really good for you. It’s a great and hearty soup that has meat and vegetables like rutabaga which you wouldn’t normally eat, but MAN they all really go so well together.” ❤️
- Speaking of family, my niece Lauressa has been waiting for me to post this recipe! Sinigang was also my late sister-in-law, Dina’s favorite Philippine dish. I remember every time I went to visit in FL, she used to always ask me to make her “Senegal” as she would call it. LOVE and miss you Dina! 💕Dina told me to write a recipe book by the way. I think she’d be proud….. 🥰
Take a look see at the ingredients needed to make this dish:
I spy with my little eye 👁 – SPINACH, EGGPLANT, TAMARIND CONCENTRATE, TOMATO, GREEN BEANS, RUTABAGA, LEMON, ANAHEIM PEPPER.
I posted this on Instagram, did you guess it?!
The steps to make the Sinigang:
We’ll be using an Instant Pot, it’s one of my favorite cooking vessel next to my Le Creuset. Anyway, follow along with me here, OK? OK. Love you guys! 🥰 I love using emojis, can you tell?
😬 <- I think this one is my favorite!! 🙄 <- this next!
After I cut up all the veggies, I got my Instant Pot ready to go. First I added the pork, tomato, tamarind and water. Set the Instant Pot for 20 minutes in Pressure Cooker Setting. Made sure the Setting is between venting and sealing {see third photo)
After 20 minutes…make sure the pressure is completely vented…..see that silver button depressed all the way down? That means it’s ready! Open carefully now….steam is hot!
Remove the pork from the pot and set it aside.
Now set the Instant Pot to Sauté for 20 minutes then add, your veggies giving it 2 minutes of cooking time in between. Green beans. Eggplant, Peppers {I couldn’t decide which one I wanted and I liked the colors so I added BOTH!} Yes, I like it HOT!! 🔥🔥🔥
Next I added the Rutabaga, Spinach, juice of one Lemon then added salt to taste.
Added the meat back in. YUMMY!!!!!! 🤤 Now remember you can use other types of protein. If you use meat, cooking time will be the same. If you use shrimp, I would recommend using a Stock Pot instead and cook the shrimp for 5-8 minutes, preferably shell-on variety for more flavor.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
Now that cooler weather is upon us, will you give this one a try?
I would love to hear from you guys!
Please share and tag @JozMahal on Instagram and use #JozMahal.
Instant Pot Sinigang Pork
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Philippine
Description
Now that the cooler weather is upon us, this Sinigang dish will sure warm your heart in more ways than one. It’s made with fresh vegetables and country pork ribs and flavored with natural tamarind concentrate. 100 percent goodness in 3 easy steps!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water
- Juice from 1 whole lemon
- 1T to 2T Tamarind Concentrate (affiliate link) (depending on taste)
- 2lbs Country Ribs Pork
- 1 medium Rutabaga (sliced)
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
- 1 cup Fresh Green beans (ends removed)
- 1 Fresh Baby Eggplant (cubed)
- 1 Anaheim Pepper (optional)
- Kosher Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Prep and cut up vegetables being sure they are all cut the same size to ensure they all cook at the same and has the same texture.
- In an Instant Pot, add 4 cups of water, pork {cut up 1″ sections}, halved tomatoes, tamarind concentrate. Set Instant Pot on Pressure Cook for 20 minutes.
- After venting, set the Instant Pot to Sauté for 10 minutes then add the vegetables giving it 2 minutes of cooking time in between in this order, green beans, eggplant, pepper, rutabaga, spinach and lemon juice. Add salt to taste.
Notes
- The equipment and ingredients section above contains affiliate links to products I personally use and LOVE!
- Variation for meats: beef, fish, shrimp
- If you use meat, cooking time will be the same. If you use shrimp, I would recommend using a Stock Pot instead and cook the shrimp for 5-8 minutes, preferably shell-on variety for more flavor.
- Variation for vegetables: Kale, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Horseradish, Daikon, Okra
- Serve Sinigang with steamed rice.
Keywords: Sinigang Pork, Instant Pot Sinigang Pork, Sinigang Pork no MSG
Welcome to Joz Mahal. I’m here to show you how exotic can be easy. Seriously folks, I LOVE to cook and I LOVE to entertain just as much. My friends and family love coming over to “the Joz Mahal” kitchen because they know they will be treated like royalty. Every food I make is full of flavorful ingredients, and aside for the delightful conversations you’ll hear plenty of oohs and aahs at the dinner table. Every bite is truly an exotic journey of the senses. Yet all the dishes are very quick and simple to make, using ingredients that are easy to find. I’m truly passionate about cooking delicious foods! Come and cook with me. Let’s be taste buds ~ and follow me along my exotic culinary journey. I can help you put the ❤️ back in the kitchen. After all, that is why I call this blog the Joz Mahal. Read more about me here…
PS: If you try any of my recipes please tag me at #JozMahal!
