A Thousand Stories to Tell

Passport & Plate - Sinigang na Tilapia sa Miso

Philippines | Tuesday, March 11, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 large tilapia (scales and innards removed)
2 tablespoons yellow miso paste
2 medium tomatoes sliced
1 medium yellow onion / 1 small red onion
2 bunches mustard leaves ends trimmed and cut crosswise in half
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 pieces okra
5 cups rice-water, water used for rinsing rice
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup tamarind concentrate/ 5 pieces unripened tamarind
3 long green chili
salt to taste

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Slice the tilapia crosswise into half. Rub salt all over the fish. Let it stand for 10 minutes.Heat the cooking oil in a pan.
2. When the oil turns hot, pan-fry each side of the tilapia in medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the tilapia and place in a clean plate. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, scoop about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil from the pan where the fish was fried and place it in a cooking pot.
5. Heat the cooking pot. When the oil heats-up, sauté the garlic until it turns brown. Add the onion and tomato and sauté until fragrant and slightly softened.
6.Add the miso paste and then pour the fish sauce and rice-water. Let it boil.
7. Add the the tamarind concentrate/tamarind fruit. Stir.
8. Put the fried tilapia in the cooking pot. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes.
9. Add the okra and let it boil for 2 minutes. Add the green chili after.
10. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle some ground black pepper and add the mustard leaves. Cover for 5 minutes.
11. Transfer the dish into a serving bowl and serve it hot.




Note:

If you want to make the soup extra sour, you can add calamansi juice in the dish.

 

The story behind this recipe
It was a cold and foggy morning during my first trip to Banaue, Ifugao. I was feeling nauseous, dizzy and afraid because it was my first to be away from home. For almost twelve hours of journey, I kept silent and held the tears in my eyes.This feeling of uncertainty and gloom left when we reached the province. The vista from my seat was picturesque. It was like a canvass filled with vivid colors. The patch of wild forest filled with singing birds and cicadas, the sunflowers hanging by the cliffs, the crisp wind breeze, the pristine waterfalls and the zigzag path all seemed surreal to me.But what truly captivated me are the endless curved faces of the mountain, the rice terraces with intricate designs that covers the entire place. Side by side, the farmers survey their crops. At the lower half of the terraces, the children are playing carelessly by jumping in between the rice paddies. That this sparked the passion for travelling and discovery inside of me. When we finally arrived, I was welcomed by my Lola( grandmother). She was a petite woman with silver gray hair. She was so happy to see me and gave me the tightest I could ever imagine. Nanay (mother) prepared sinigang sa miso while Lola searched for tapuy (rice wine).From the kitchen, I already smell the sour aroma of the sinigang. I saw my nanay clean the fish and prepare the vegetables for the dish. At the start of the lunch, all my pinsan(cousins),tito(uncles) and tita(aunts) are present. My lolo and lola(grandparents) are at the head of the table. After saying our prayers, my nanay passed me the rice and the sinigang. The sourness made me pucker my lips in shock and joy.The heat from the soup is very comforting during the cold weather.The fish and mustasa were equally delicious.Ten years later, even though my lola already passed away, this dish will always make me feel like I'm at home. It will always remind of the happiness and love that my parents, grandparents and I shared while savouring sinigang sa miso.