Sinigang Na Hipon (Shrimp Sinigang) is a popular dish here in the country. I’m quite sure that whenever it’s a cold and rainy day, you would crave for something hot and there is a perfect comfort food for that—the Sinigang or Filipino Sour Soup.
If you’re ever craving for one, now is the time to learn how to cook this dish, so you can cook it whenever you want! Read on below to see some tips, as well as some trivia about the sinigang here in this article.
What is Sinigang na Hipon?
The sinigang is a dish which is traditionally made of pork and a mix and match of sour fruits that go along with it. In addition to that, the main trait of the sinigang is the sour and savory soup.
The term sinigang is actually the way of cooking a type of meat in a stew or a soup with this unique savory and sour taste. But instead of pork, for this particular recipe, the main ingredient used in this sinigang dish is shrimp.
There are a lot of different kinds of fruits that are used to sour the soup. Tamarind is the most popular choice for most sinigang recipes. For other variations or other options you can choose to make the soup sour, you can read them below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Shrimp
For this recipe, we will be shrimps or hipon. You don’t have to remove the heads and the shells but you may devein or clean the shrimps before cooking.
Vegetables
We used radish, tomato, okra, and kangkong leaves but you don’t have to use all this vegetables especially if you can’t complete them.
Tamarind (Sampalok)
Here, we use fresh ingredients such as the tamarind in making our pork sinigang. But if you want easier options, you can always use ready-made tamarind powders in making your soup. Or use other alternatives for the broth mentioned above.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like onion, green chili, fish sauce, salt, and black pepper. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot (Kaldero)- Since this is a soup dish, we will need a deep cooking pot or casserole. We will only need one for the whole cooking process.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Sinigang na Hipon
Although cooking sinigang in general might seem like a grueling task since there are a lot of ingredients and things to do, it is actually quite easy, and is definitely good for beginners.
To make things more streamlined, all you have to do is to make sure that you got the ingredients ready for cooking–managing the amount, preparing the cuts of the ingredients, and whatnot.
And cooking might take a long time but it is just as simple as putting in the ingredients into the cooking pot.
For the preparation, just make sure that all of your ingredients are cut into small serving pieces, and are cut evenly so they would also be cooked at the same time.
For the shrimp, there are options you can get when buying in the market that are fresh or are already premade—shelled or deveined—or even pre-cooked. But if you have the time, it is better to just buy the fresh ones and clean the shrimp yourself.
That way, you’re sure of what you’re cooking and that will make for easier and better cooking.
For the cooking part, it’s just a process of tossing in the ingredients one after the other is cooked. Just be sure to keep an eye from time to time when cooking so the ingredients won’t be overcooked.
The shrimp cooks quite fast, so make sure not to simmer it for too long because it brings out a chewy and rubbery texture which might be unpleasant to some people.
How to Serve Sinigang na Hipon
Sinigang na hipon is a main dish served for lunch or dinner. It is best served hot, but not too hot that it would burn your tongue. Serve this with freshly cooked white rice and you may add a dipping sauce on the side.
For the dipping sauce, fish sauce (patis) with sliced green chili will do.
How to Store and Reheat Sinigang na Hipon
In case you have leftovers, transfer to a clean food container with lid. You can refrigerate it and for up to 3 days.
To reheat, you can use a microwave oven or over a stovetop. Apply low to medium heat until warm enough when using a stove.
Variations of Sinigang
The version included here is called Sinigang na Hipon sa Sampalok. But here are other versions of Sinigang that might also pique your interest. These four are variations of how you make the broth.
- Sinigang sa miso
- Sinigang sa calamansi
- Sinigang sa bayabas
- Sinigang sa mangga
These are other meat ingredients you can use:
- Sinigang na isda
- Sinigang na baka
- Sinigang na baboy
Other Filipino Soup Dish Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Sinigang Na Hipon (Shrimp Sinigang) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) shrimp (hipon)
- 15 pcs tamarind pods (sampalok)
- 1 pc medium-sized onion, chopped
- 1 pc radish (labanos), cut into thin pieces
- 2 pcs tomato, cut into quarters
- 1 bunch kangkong
- 4 pcs okra
- 3 pcs green chili pepper
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 5 cups rice water
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a cooking pot with water, Add-in the tamarind pods and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender and skin begin to burst.
- Transfer to another plate and mash the tamarind with a fork or any other hard object.
- Pour in the tamarind liquid in another bowl while using a strainer. Repeat this process until all of the juice of the tamarind is extracted. Set aside.
- In a cooking pot, pour in the rice water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Add in the onions, tomatoes, and radish. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in the shrimp. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pink.
- Add in the tamarind juice and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the okra and green chili pepper. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add in the kangkong stalks and then season with fish sauce, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or serving tray. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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