Sinigang (Tamarind Broth With Pork and Vegetables) Recipe (2024)

I never put garlic, but I do use the powdered pack for the tamarind and maybe there's a bit of garlic in there, I never checked. Pork can be replaced with beef or (time-saving) shrimp. Broccoli heads have a yummy tendency to collect the tasty broth. The spinach stands in for various yummy dark greens like the leaves of sweet potatoes, or especially "water spinach" (common SEAsian veggie with no agreed translation). Happy to have learned how to use those tamarind blocks!

If you have an asian grocery nearby, substitute the western spinach with the more traditional OnChoy, which is Philippine Kang Kong or Water Spinach

Kangkong? I love that veg! In hindi we call it karmi. Most often I shop at Chinese stores and they call it ong choy

I've eaten a lot of sinigang, and this was the best ever. I used river spinach, and ended up adding extra tamarind. My Filipino partner said it was as good as grandma's. Now that's a compliment!

This was a hit with the family. I used bok choy and broccolini instead of spinach and beans. I used less salt (about 2/3), twice as much pepper, 3 chilli peppers and 2 cups of veal stock since I had it in the fridge. The tamarind I had was puree and I wasn't sure how that compared to the stuff described above. I took a punt and used about half a 220g jar - the result was nice, a bit like hot and sour soup. The broth depended on the quality of the pork so I'm glad I didn't get supermarket meat.

Use the recipe for whatever is local and seasonal for you...I've even used local lamb ribs from our farmer's market with home-grown bok choy and regional lemons (no tamarind available). Whatever fresh greens are available from your garden or local farmers can always be used in this flexible recipe. Sarap sarap!

This soup is also good for fish and shrimp.

Water spinach:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_aquatica

Can't make any claims on what this dish should taste like, but for us the amount of tamarind made it taste like stomach acid. It tasted so much like stomach acid that it reminded me of various bad hangover experiences as if I were reliving them willingly

I wanted to incorporate more tamarind in my life, since I'm a fan of sourness (umami?) in dishes. Sam Sifton recommended I start with this. I was surprised how delicious it was on first try. I only had the pods, so I made the pulp from them, which just takes a little more time. But kinda fun to crack them. Sourness was bracing on first day but mellowed nicely on second day (much deeper taste). I used good pork butt, but can see how shrimp would go very well. Thanks Sam!

If you like a sour gose beer, i would imagine you might be more likely to enjoy this soup-- it requires having developed a palate for a certain flavor profile. I made it as written and it tasted a little like vomit. My family cringes at the word tamarind now because it will forever be associated with this soup. Sigh. So many good recipes on NYT recipes, but this one was just a couple of steps in the "too adventurous" zone for our bland American tastes.

Staple in our home since we learned how to make this from a Filipina friend in Hong Kong. She used tamarind paste, Pork ribs (collagen from bones adds great depth) a very moderate amount of citric acid powder (vs lemon/lime) & okra in addition to other mentioned veggies (special fan of KangKong/OngChoy!) Here in the US I also add a dollop of Low Sodium Chicken Better than bouillon. So, so good!

Question - I have a 12oz jar of “Aunt Patty’s Tamarind Paste” in my pantry. Is this the same ingredient that is being called for in the recipe? If so, it seems like a whole lot of tamarind paste...

Followed the recipe as written. I was born in the Philippines, and have had sinigang many times on returning visits. To me, this tasted pretty authentic. I think this is attributed to using the block tamarind (although it was a pain to strain). Forgot the spinach this time around, but highly recommend using kangkong (water spinach) if you can find it at an asian market near you, it's a delicious green. Found some malunggay at the farmer's market here in Oakland and added that at the end.

Straining a tamarind block through mesh was interesting. Liquified tamarind next time. Dear gawd! Ain’t nobody got time for that!

How does 10 oz of baby spinach equal "8 packed cups"?

I did a lot of substitution but the most important thing I did was add fresh dried tamarind I got at the local food lion instead of tamarind paste. I took off the hard, cracked skin and threw the soft insides to stew like bay leaves. There was more than enough flavor. (I also used mixed poultry broth too, probably added to flavor)

This pork version of sinigang was terrific (usually make it with fish). I did use a jar of tamarind paste which also had chilies instead of the block, which is easier to keep around without compromising flavor. I subbed in country style pork ribs for the pork shoulder and green beans for the long beans. Even though it’s a soup/stew, it’s not a heavy dish, and a lovely way to use a variety of garden fresh veggies in summer.

Way too much lemon to my taste. Either cut back considerably or don't use it. Overwhelms the flavor.

Can you use tamarind concentrate paste for this?

Can anyone make suggestions as to how to use an Instant pot for this recip

Yes you can substitute pork with jumbo prawn. And yes patis ( fish sauce with green Serrano chili or Thai chili is the best to use In this recipe . Sweet potato leaves and daikon instead of spinach. I love serving this with rice.

This soup is also good for fish and shrimp.