Sinigang na Isda Recipe (Fish in Sour Broth)

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo or 1.1 lbs fish (can be any fish like tilapia, bangus (milkfish), herring or trout, croaker, maya-maya, labahita, or lapu-lapu)
4 pieces tomatoes, quartered
1 piece onion, peeled and quartered
enough water to cover until 2 inches above fish; water from rice washing can be used
souring juice: can be 20 grams instant sinigang powder (tamarind, guava, or kamias flavor, from Knorr, Maggi, or Mama Sita’s); can be 6 limes or lemons or 350 grams of calamansi, fresh tamarind, or green mango
1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis) or squid sauce or oyster sauce
salt, to add more taste


Vegetables – can be any or combination of the following:
1 piece eggplant, washed and cut into 1-inch thick round slices
1 piece finger pepper (siling haba or siling pangsigang)
1 piece white radish, peeled and cut into ½-inch round slices
1 piece gabi (taro), peeled and quartered
¼ kilo long beans (sitaw) or green beans (baguio beans), washed and cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ kilo or ½ lb Chinese cabbage (bokchoy or pechay) or any cabbage, spinach, kangkong leaves (swamp cabbage or morning glory), washed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Cooking directions:

Place the tomatoes, onion, and water (or rice washing) in a pot.  Boil over medium heat.  Add the fish (or shrimp/prawn) and souring juice. 

If you are cooking sinigang with meat other than fish like pork (baboy), beef (baka), or chicken (manok), include in the boiling mixture until  meat is tender.
(If you are cooking Sinampalukang Manok, the procedure is different like you sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes, and chicken instead of boiling the mixture.)

Add the vegetables and simmer over low heat until vegetables and fish or meat are cooked.  Season with fish sauce and salt, to add more taste.

Serve hot.  Enjoy eating with rice and fish sauce or soy sauce if you like.