The Island Philippines is known for its spectacular beaches – Boracay, Bohol, Cebu, and Palawan, to name a few. Aside from these popular tourist destinations, Philippines is also known for its delicious easy to cook Filipino dishes. If you have been to the Philippines before and you are craving for that Filipino dish you ate during your stay in the country, then this article is right for you.
In the present times, it is risky to travel from one country to another considering the current situation of the world. Why not just take to relive your memorable travel experiences in the kitchen. These easy to make Filipino dishes will definitely blow your taste buds away. Also, upon tasting, you will end up wanting more.
Easy to Cook Filipino Dishes: What is Filipino Food Like?
What is Filipino food like and why is it so delicious? Most of the people I know who visited the Philippines always say that one of the best things that they miss the most about the Philippines aside from the beaches, is the food. Filipinos are very good when it comes to cooking. Aside from that, Filipinos do not just cook, they put they do it with passion and love on what they are doing.
Filipino cuisine is also known as “fusion food”. One of the factors that makes Filipino food different and one of the best tasting foods is that it is inspired by a variety of cultures. In addition to that, Filipino cuisine has a glimpse of Spanish, Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian. But one thing that sets apart the Filipino cuisine from other cuisines is that it is rich, flavorful, and provide you something that will satisfy your craving and any other plate.
One thing that you should know about easy to cook Filipino dishes is that they most likely have meat. The most commonly used meats are pork and chicken, they play a major role in the diet of Filipinos. But of course, aside from pork and meat, since Philippines is an island, seafood also plays a major role.
Normally, Filipino dishes are focused around family or culture. Filipinos believe that their food is best enjoyed when you are eating with your family, friend, and loved ones. Aside from that, Filipinos also love to share their foods with whoever they are eating with. Especially if what they are eating is delicious, they want their companions to taste it too. On the other hand, as much as dishes perfectly match the amazing hospitality of the Filipinos, the foods still vary depending on the region. From the all-time favorite kaldereta, singing, and pancit, the amazing range of seafood delved from the over 7,00 islands that make up the Philippines. Even though you try foods from various restaurants, you will experience different kinds of twists.
Easy to Cook Filipino Dishes
One of the best things about traveling in the Philippines is that you will be able to cherish more the little things. They end up being more memorable compared to the travel experience. Some of these little things are hospitality and friendliness of the FIilipinos, and most importantly, their foods. It will linger to your mouth for a long time. Furthermore, you will end craving almost every day.
Since there is still strict travel ban to most countries including the Philippines because of the Pandemic, try cooking these Filipino dishes. Also, this is a great way to relive your memorable moments during your stay in the country. Keep your travel book away from you and relive your trip using your taste buds.
Start warming up your oven and make sure to wear your apron. These 4 easy to cook Filipino dishes will definitely take you back to the amazing island.
1.Filipino Pork Barbeque
You are probably thinking that a lot of countries also have pork barbeque. While that is somehow true, the taste of Filipino barbeque is entirely different from that of other countries. If you have tried this dish before, you can recall its taste as somehow sweet, but not too much.
Whether you decided to order this on a famous restaurant or just cook it on your own, there are several dirty game and strategies that always happen while everyone do their best to get away with more than their own share.
One simple yet important thing to know about Filipino pork barbeque is that it made with the combination of marinade and sweet bbq flavor sauce. With these simple recipes, you will be able to make your very own Filipino pork barbeque.
Another thing to know about Filipino pork barbeque is that they are almost everywhere, street food stalls, malls, and restaurants. Based on my experience, it seems like everyone has their own secret pork barbeque recipe. The recipe that we will be sharing embraces a sweet and tangy approach with plenty of garlic, soy sauce, and a small amount of seven up to taste. This will make the barbeque more tender and flavorful.
According to most of the people I know, their favorite pork barbeque recipes have slightly sticky sauce and is usually cooked over a fire. In order to caramelize the sauce, you just have to add the sugar to the seven up.
Ingredients
When cooking Filipino pork barbeque, you need 5 cloves of minced garlic, half cup of banana ketchup, 2.5 tablespoons of sesame oil, half cup of brown sugar, calamansi, vineger, soy sauce and 7-up. In addition to that, you will also need 1/2 pounds of pork butt.
Instructions
To make Filipino pork barbeque, make sure to rinse the pork well with water and then pat dry. To make a sweet flavorful sauce, simply combine the seven up, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce in large bowl and moderately mix. After that, add the meat to the bowl and massage well to fully absorb the sauce. Place in the refrigerator and turn each side for every 3-4 hours.
In a tiny bowl, mix the sesame oil, banana ketchup, and juice and set aside. Cook the meat using a grill and allow to grill each side for 2-3 minutes. Once you notice that the pork is getting browns, pour the remaining juice and ketchup. Remove and serve hot.
2.Filipino Pork Sinigang
This would be my personal favorite among all the Filipino dishes that I have ever tasted. There is something about the soup and the tender pork that make is the best tasting Filipino dish. The first time I got to taste this all-time favorite Filipino food is the moment I get why a lot of people are raving about this dish.
When you first see it, it seems complicated to cook but it is actually very easy. Normally, it is cooked with pork or seafood, but mostly pork. It is also best to eat sinigang with rice. You can either pour the soup on top of the rice or just mix it well.
When cooking pork sinigang, tamarind powder plays a very important role. It is responsible for giving a sour, tangy taste that will allow anyone to perk up your senses. Normally, sinigang is cooked in huge batches and reheat throughout the entire week. According to most Filipinos, sinigang is becoming more flavorful every time you reheat it.
If you know someone who is a Filipino, and you askt them about this Filipino dish, he/she will most likely say that it is a staple in their house. A week will not pass by without eating sinigang. Some people are willing to eat singing for lunch, dinner, and even the next days.
Sinigang is also a perfect meal during the cold season. The tamarind gives the dish a great zing. On top of that, it can easily be altered by placing in any type of veggies. Or you can also switch the pork for seafood.
Ingredients
Before cooking sinigang, make sure to prepare the following ingredients: 3 cups chicken broth, 1 pound pork shoulder, 1 package tamarind soup base, 3 cups of fresh spinach, half pound of fresh green beans. Also, do not forget 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and salt, small onion, and 2 tomatoes (diced).
Instructions
With medium heat, cook the vegetable oil. Put the onion then stir as often as needed. Wait until they are soft. Season using salt and then put the pork along with tomatoes. It is important to use tomatoes as it will add to the taste of sinigang. Cover and allow the pork to soften and get tender.
While you wait, make sure to check the pork regularly and turn each of the pork until the color turns to brown. After half an hour, pour the chicken broth and tamarind soup. Allow to boil and adjust the heat to medium low. Let it simmer until the pork is tender. This will usually take 30 minutes. Stir some green beans and spinach. When the pork gets tender, serve with hot rice.
3. Filipino Chicken Adobo
One of the easy to cook Filipino dishes is the famous chicken adobo. Similar to sinigang, this one is also a staple food among Filipino household. Not one week will pass without cooking chicken adobo. Chicken adobo is probably the dish that is close to the heart of Filipinos. In addition to that, it looks like every Filipino household has their own secret recipe of chicken adobo. Not only that, they also believe that it is the most authentic and recipe.
Chicken adobo is easy to make Filipino dish. It will not take more than 2 hours to cook adobo. On the other hand, we are not implying that chicken adobo is the easiest Filipino dish to cook. But if you really want to get a glimpse of the Filipino cuisine, we recommend taking some time to learn how to cook this famous Filipino dish. Knowing how to cook chicken adobo does not necessarily mean that you will instantly make friends. As I mentioned earlier, every Filipino believes that his/her mother or grandmother has the best adobo recipe.
Ingredients
Like pork barbeque and pork sinigang, chicken adobo also has simple ingredients. You need 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil, 3 pounds chicken thigh or leg that are skinless, medium sized onion, 5 cloves of garlic (minced), white vinegar, 2/3 cup of soy sauce, garlic powder, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns.
Instructions
Heat the oil using a large skillet. Make sure that the heat is medium-high. Cook the chicken until it the color turns to brown, this will take approximately 5 minutes. Set aside. Put the vinegar, soy sauce to the skillet, and then add the bay leaves, garlic powder, and peppercorn. Simmer for 5 minutes. Place the chicken and allow it to boil or until it becomes tender. Serve with rice.
4. Turon/Banana Lumpia
You probably do not hear of this before because it is not that popular unlike singing and adobo, however, we highly recommend trying this at home as it is very easy and delicious. I am sure that your kids will love this snack. Banana lumpia is best served with ice-cold juice.
You just need a base and lumpia wrapper and bring them to the next level. In addition to that, banana lumpia or turon is something that Filipinos love to eat during summer.
Ingredients
You only need half cup of brown sugar, 2 plantains, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 egg, water, wrappers springroll, and 1-1.5 cups of ripe jackfruit.
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and put some parchment paper. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl. Add some eggs and water. On a flat surface, place the wrapper and put the plantains in the mixture fo cinnamon and sugar. Carefully put the banana and jackfruit at the side of the wrapper. Roll the wrapped a simply fold the side while you are rolling. Do not forget to brush the wrapper using water and egg. Bake for at most ten minutes.
Final Words
Those are the 4 best easy to cook Filipino dishes that you can try at home if you have been wanting to revisit the Philippines but you cannot because of the current situation. They are not hard to learn, yet flavorful and will bring your travel experience in your kitchen.
