Filipino-style Chicken Curry

Ingredients :
2-3 tbsp. oil
3 potatoes, peeled, quartered and fried
1 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, quartered
1 tbsp. patis or fish sauce
3 tbsp. curry powder
salt and pepper
1 cup water
1 red bell pepper, cut into big squares
1 green bell pepper, cut into big squares
3 celery stalks, cut into 1-1/2″ long
1 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk

Directions:
1. Fry sliced potatoes in oil. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, fry chicken pieces until brown.
3. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until soft.
4. Pour in patis and season with curry powder, salt and pepper. Stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat.
6. Add celery, bell peppers and fried potatoes. Simmer for 3 minutes or until half done.
7. Add milk and stir occasionally. Cook for another 7 minutes (or lesser when using evaporated milk because the liquids will curled).
8. Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Beef Stew with a Wick (Mechado)

Ingredients:

2 to 3-pounds lean beef (rolled roast, chuck steak or London broil)
2 strips bacon
3 tablespoons sherry
2 cups water
1 teaspoon chopped pimento
juice of one lemon
1 bay leaf
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
4 big onions, quartered
4 to 5 tablespoons soy sauce
8-ounce can tomato sauce
salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
6 potatoes, quartered

Preparations:

1. Marinate beef in lemon juice and soy sauce. Make 2 lengthwise slits in the meat and insert the bacon stips.
2. In a large pot, fry the meat until brown. Add the bay leaf, tomato sauce, the marinade, sherry, garlic, salt and water. Cover the pot and simmer until the beef is tender.
3. Remove meat and slice.
4. Thicken sauce with flour and butter. Add pimento, onions and potatoes with the meat to the thickened sauce. Serve hot.

Beef Steak, Philippine-style

Ingredients:
2 pounds sirloin steak, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
1 cup thinly sliced white onion rings
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup water

Directions:
1. Marinate the meat in lemon juice, soy sauce, pepper and salt for 3 hours or more.
2. Cook onion rings in oil until color turns transparent. Transfer to a serving dish, leaving the oil in the skillet.
3. Add the meat to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring often until tender. Transfer the meat to a serving dish.
4. Add marinade and water to the skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes and pour over the meat and onion rings.

Beef Morcon

Ingredients:
1 kilo beef, sliced 1/4 inch thick (3 pcs.)
1/4 kilo ground beef liver
200 grams sliced sausages or ham
200 grams pork fat (cut is strips)
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
100 grams cheddar cheese in strips
100 grams grated cheddar cheese
2 onions, chopped
5 bay leaf (laurel)
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 cup vinegar
2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of water
2 meters thread or string (for tying)

Directions:
1. Spread and stretch the sliced beef on your working table.
2. Arrange the filling on the sliced beef: sausage strips, cheese strips, sliced eggs, pork fat and some ground liver.
3. Roll the sliced beef with all the filling inside and secure with a thread or string.
4. Repeat the procedure for the two remaining beef slices.
5. On a pot, place the beef rolls and put the water, the remaining ground liver, grated cheese, chopped onions, bay leaves, ground black pepper and salt.
6. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour.
7. Add the vinegar and continue to simmer of another hour or until beef is tender.
8. Slice the beef morcon, arrange on a platter and top with the gravy on top.

Stuffed crabs (relleno alimasag)

Ingredients:
6 medium large steamed crabs
1 medium sized tomato, chopped
white pepper
2 tbps crushed garlic
2 eggs, separated
3 tbsps cooking oil
½ cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Remove the meat of the crabs from the shells. Set aside shells.
2. Saute garlic, onion, tomato and crabmeat.
3. Clean crab shells with sautéed crab meat mixture.
4. Beat egg whites 8 to 10 minutes until stiff.
5. Add yolks, salt, and pepper. Beat for 3 minutes.
6. Place about a tablespoon of egg over stuffed crabs.
7. Fry in hot oil in a pan for 5 minutes on each side until slightly brown.

Fried prawns with curry sauce

Ingredients:
20 large prawns, shelled
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup flour
1 cup ice-cold water
salt and pepper for seasoning
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp chopped parsley
oil for deep frying

Directions:
1. In a bowl, make the batter by mixing together the eggs, flour and water. Season with salt and pepper. 2. For the sauce, mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder, and chopped parsley in a small bowl. Add more curry powder, if desired.
3. Heat oil in a deep fryer. Dip prawns in the batter, then deep fry for about 2-4 minutes, until golden brown and cooked. Drain.
4. Serve with steamed rice and the curry sauce.

Filipino style Siomai recipe

Ingredients:
1 kg ground pork (suggested proportion of fat to lean meat is 1:3)
1/3 cup chopped water chestnuts or turnips (singkamas)
1/3 cup chopped carrots
2 medium or 1 large minced onion(s)
bunch of spring onions or leeks
1 egg
5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
50 pcs. large or 100 pcs. small wanton or siomai wrapper

Wrapper:
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Chili paste:
soy sauce
calamansi (lemon or kumquats)
sesame oil
chili paste

Preparations:
1. Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.
2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper. Fold and seal.
3. In another pot, boil water and brush steamer with oil.
4. When the water is starting to boil, arrange the siomai in the steamer and let stand for 15-20 minutes, longer for larger pieces.
5. Serve with soy sauce, calamansi and sesame oil. Chilli past is optional.

Wrapper:
1. Beat egg and mix with flour till free of lumps.
2. Bring water, cooking oil and salt to a boil, then pour in flour.
3. Remove from heat and beat until mixture forms a ball.
4. Divide the dough into 1 1/4 -inch balls.
5. Roll each ball on a floured board until paper thin. Set aside.

Chili paste
1. Combine chopped chillies and mashed garlic then simmer for around 20 minutes or till most of the water has evaporated.
2. Add oil, simmer and stir well.

Grilid or Ie

Grilled Squid or Inihaw na Pusit recipe

Ingredients:
1 kilo medium to large fresh squid
1 bottle or 1 cup Sprite or 7-up (for extra sweetness)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons calamansi juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Optional stuffing for body cavity
2 medium-sized onions, sliced
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:
1. Wash the squids well. Remove the long thin membrane in the head and body and slit the eyes to bring out the ink. Wash the body cavity well.
2. Place the squid in the bowl.
3. Add all the ingredients all together. Marinate for 1 hour or more.
4. Before grilling, place the squid in barbecue sticks. Keep the marinade sauce.

Optional
Stuff the squid cavity with a mixture of onions and tomatoes. Sew the ends of the squid so contents to prevent spillage.
5. Prepare the fire.
6. When grill is ready, grill the squid. Use the marinade sauce to baste the squid while it is being grilled.
Don’t overcook or else the squid will come out chewy. One just wants it easy to bite and tender.
7. You will know it is cooked when there are few grill marks, the squid is cooked to the center of the body. It takes around 3 to 5 minutes. Just exercise caution not to overcook. You can always check one squid to determine doneness.
7. Serve hot with dipping sauce like soy sauce with sili.

Dessert

Bibingkang Malagkit, rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour.



Bibingka Galapong, rice cakes with salted duck eggs.



Nilupak, a dessert made from mashed cassava. sweet potatoes, orsaba bananas with butter or margarine.



Kutchinta (also known as Puto Cuchinta), moist jelly-like rice cakes made with brown sugar and lye. It is usually served with grated coconut.

Maja de ube, a dessert made from mashed purple yam and coconut milk.

Coconut Shrimp

 Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on your preference)
• 3 carrots (halved lengthwise, and sliced thin or julienned)
• 1 (13 1/2 ounce) can coconut milk
• 3 cups filtered water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh lemongrass (optional)
• sea salt to taste

Garnish with your choice of:

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro  OR
• 2 tablespoons flaked coconut

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continually. Add carrots, lemongrass, coconut milk and water.

Mix cornstarch and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth, and add to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Break pasta in half and add to the pot. Return the liquid to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until pasta is al dente and carrots are just tender, about 4 minutes.

Add shrimp to the pot, and stir for about one minute until the shrimp is opaque. Remove pot from the heat, and stir in lime juice and salt.

Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with cilantro and scallions or flaked coconut.

Giniling Turo-Turo Style

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Ground beef (lean)

1 Cup of diced potatoes

½ Cup diced carrots

½ Cup Frozen green peas

½ Red bell pepper diced

½ Yellow bell pepper diced

1 Small onion diced

1 Small tomato diced

4 Cloves of garlic peeled and smashed

½ Tsp. Ground black pepper

½ Tsp. MSG (vetsin), optional

2 Tbs. Annatto seeds (atsuwete)

2 Tbs. Soy sauce

1 Tbs. Fish sauce (Rufina brand) Patis

Corn oil

Directions:

Prepare the Annatto seeds in a small pot by heating 2 Tbs. of corn oil and then adding 2 Tbs. of Annatto seeds until the oil turns dark red. Then remove it from the heat. Make sure that you do not burn the seed.

In a large pan brown ground beef and drain. Add garlic and let it saute for about 3 minutes. Then add the onions, tomatoes, black pepper, msg, (vetsin) and fish sauce (patis) and let it cook for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Add the potatoes, carrots, green peas, and soy sauce. Stir and cover. Let it simmer for 1 minute. Using a strainer add the colored corn oil from the annatto seeds into the pot and mix well. Replace cover and let it cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Then add the bell peppers. Stir well and adjust the taste by adding salt and pepper if needed. Cover and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with rice topped with Turo-Turo style Giniling. Enjoy!

Ginisang Monggo

Ginisang Monggo or Mung Beans Soup is a dish known to the Filipino’s as a poor mans dish, but from what I can tell you there is nothing poor about it. It is rich and hearty in flavor and just to kick it up another notch (as Emeril Lagasi would say) you can add shredded smoked fish and some shrimp and you will surely have a killer dish. Serve it with freshly smoked Tinapa and steamed white rice and your family will have a wonderful meal together.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of monggo beans (mung beans)

½ Cup of malunggay leaves

8 Cups of water

3 Tbs. Cooking oil

3 Tbs. Soy sauce

3 Cloves of garlic – smashed

1 Small onion – sliced thinly

1 Small tomato – diced

1 Tsp. MSG

½ Tsp. ground black pepper

Pinch of salt to taste

¼ Lb. Pork belly cut into small pieces

¼ Lb. Shrimp peeled and deveined

2 Pieces medium sized Tinapa (shredded)

Directions:

Rinse monggo beans thoroughly, place in a casserole dish, and boil in 8 cups of water on medium low heat for about 45 minutes. Remove the beans and set aside. In the same casserole dish add oil and saute garlic until golden brown. Next add the onions and cook them until they hit the shiny stage. Add pork belly, soy sauce, and tomatoes. Cover and let it cook for 3 minutes. Then you can add the shrimp and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Add the monggo beans and malunggay leaves (horseradish leaves) along with the shredded Tinapa, ground black pepper, salt, and msg. Cover it and let it simmer for an additional 15 minutes on medium low heat. Stir it every 5 minutes to avoid scorching. Taste it and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with rice and Tinapa and enjoy your meal.

Pinoy Pork Barbecue

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. of Pork butt or belly (if using pork belly remove the skin)

1 Cup of soy sauce

1 Whole garlic peeled & smashed

1 Small onion minced

2 Lemons

½ Cup of 7UP

1 Tsp. Ground black pepper

5 Tbs. Dark brown sugar

1 Cup of Banana sauce (ketchup)

1 Tsp. MSG (optional)

Directions:

Soak bamboo skewers in water overnight to avoid splitting and burning before using. Cut pork into ½ thick x 1 inch wide x 1 ½ inch long pieces. Slide pork onto skewers and set aside.

In a large bowl combine soy sauce, garlic, onion, juice of 2 lemons, 7-UP, ground black pepper, dark brown sugar, banana ketchup, and msg. Using a whisk mix and dissolve ingredients really well and pour marinade mixture onto the pork. Cover and set in the fridge at least overnight or up to 2 days. Barbecue over hot coals or gas grill until pork is done. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy your BBQ. Ayan may Pulutan na kayo! Nasaan ang tagay ko? 

Tip:

Baste the pork with the remaining marinade to further enhance the flavor while barbecuing. Basting the meat will also help to keep it moist through the entire cooking process. Make sure you allow the marinade to cook when using it for basting, remember this is a left over marinade.

Translations:

Pulutan = Finger foods

Kababayan = Fellow citizens

Lumpia (Egg rolls)

Ingredients:

2-3 cups fresh bean sprouts

2 cups shredded cabbage

½ cup shredded carrots (matchsticks)

1 Lb. Ground pork

½ Teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cloves Garlic, smashed

1 Medium onion, diced

1 Tbs. Fish sauce (patis)

¼ Tbs. Salt

6-7 Stalks green onions (chopped)

Vegetable oil for Deep-frying

Lumpia wrappers

Cooking Process:

Start by pre-heating your wok and then adding the garlic and frying it until golden brown. After the garlic browns, then you can add the onions and cook until soft.

Next, add the meat to the wok and brown it while stirring constantly. When the meat is done, you can add the carrots and let it cook for about a minute. Then add the cabbage and let it cook for about a minute also.

Season your vegetables with fish sauce, ground black pepper, and after a minute go ahead and add the beans sprouts and green onions and let it cook for half a minute while stirring it. Remove the wok from the heat and let it cool off a bit before you start wrapping it.

After the stuffing mixture has cooled down, begin wrapping it immediately and then deep fry over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes per batch. That’s  it, you’re done.

Bicol Express

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ Lbs. Pork belly cut in 1 in. cubes

1 Lb. Calabaza cut in 1 ½ in. cubes

1 Large ginger peeled & sliced thinly

2 Cans of Coconut milk 13.5 oz each

1 Large onion diced

4 Cloves of garlic peeled & smashed

1 Tsp. Ground black pepper

½ Tsp. MSG – optional

36 Pcs. Thai-peppers, stems removed

6 Finger peppers Siling mahaba cut in ¼ in. pieces, discard stems

Corn oil for sauteing

Green Onions for garnish

Note: Thai, Birds Eye, and Siling Labuyo are the same

Directions:

In a large pot heat 1 Tbs. of corn oil and saute garlic until golden brown. Next  add pork belly, season it with salt, and saute it for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add onions and ginger root and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, ground black pepper, msg, finger peppers, and Thai-peppers. Stir well and let it simmer for 25 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Then add calabaza and let it cook for ten minutes or until calabaza is tender. Adjust taste by adding salt & pepper if needed! Serve rice topped with Bicol Express & garnish with green onions. Enjoy & Feel the Heat!..

Note:

On this particular recipe I have my ginger root sliced in larger pieces so I can remove them before serving. However if you want to serve yours with ginger root you may so by slicing it in smaller pieces (julliene).

My final thoughts:

This is truly a magnificent dish. One piece of advice though is to only use as many chili peppers as you can handle. You can gradually increase the amount of chili peppers later on as you get used to the heat. As they say eating is one of life’s pleasures, taste and flavor are just as important to make sure you enjoy the food. That is why it is important that you do not exceed your own limit with chili peppers. You want to enjoy your food and not put yourself in severe pain.

When eating Bicol Express with the right amount of hotness to your liking you can truly enjoy this wonderful dish. You will immediately feel the heat as soon as you introduce it to your taste buds. The capsaicin from the chili peppers will trigger your brain to release endorphins which are a natural pain killer the human body produces. That’s when you get to the zone of enjoying one of life’s pleasure. Eating!…

Dinuguan or Pork Blood Stew

Ingredients:

1½ Lbs. of Pork belly (pork butt is fine)

10 oz. of Edible pork blood (Orientex)

2 Cups of Chicken stock (water is fine)

1 Cup of Vinegar (Datu-puti)

3 Tbs. Fish Sauce (Rufina)

4 Cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 Medium onion sliced thinly

1 Bay leaf (Laurel leaf)

4 Pcs. Finger peppers

½ Tbs. Ground black pepper

1 Tsp. Msg (Aji-no-Moto)

½ Tbs. Kosher salt

Oil for sauteing

Directions:

Prepare pork blood by straining it and separating the blood that is in a jelly form in a separate bowl. Next add ¼ cup of water and break up the jellied blood with your hands and set aside. Slice pork into small bite sized pieces and set aside.

Using a casserole dish, heat 1 Tbs. of corn oil, add the pork, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish. Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for three minutes without stirring it. Remove cover, stir the pork, and drain the liquid accumulated. Add garlic and saute for one minute, then add the onions, stir, and cover. Let it cook for another minute. Next add fish sauce and bay leaf and saute for 3 minutes. Then add ½ cup of vinegar, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt and let it simmer for five minutes. Add the jelly formed pork blood first, stir for about a minute, then add the rest of the pork blood and the finger peppers.

Continue to stir for about two minutes, cover, and let simmer for another five minutes. Add another ½ cup of vinegar. Again cover and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust the taste by adding salt & pepper if needed. That’s it, you’re done. Serve with white rice, or Puto. Enjoy!

Puto - Filipino Rice Cake!

Note: This video is the updated (12-27-10) version of this recipe, I used “Sinigang Mix” for my souring agent rather than vinegar.