TINOLA

    Tinola in Tagalog or Visayan, or la uya in Ilocano is a soup-based dish served as an appetizer or main entrée in the Philippines.^[1]

     Traditionally, this dish is cooked with chicken, wedges of green papaya, and leaves of the siling labuyo chili pepper in broth flavored with ginger, onions andfish sauce. A common variant substitutes fish or pork for chicken, chayoteinstead of papaya, or with tomatoes and moringa leaves known as marungayor malunggay or kamunggay (in Cebuano), instead of pepper leaves.^[2]However, an all-vegetable broth in Cebu with kamunggay in prominence is called utan kamunggay or utan bisayâ, while it is called law-oy in Mindanao and laswa in Hiligaynon. Another variation is Tinolang Tahong, a soup made with mussels, ginger, onion, garlic and bird's eye chili.

       The exact origins of Tinola is obscure. One of the earliest mentions of the dish is in José Rizal's first novel, Noli Me Tangere, where Kapitan Tiago served it to Crisostomo Ibarra upon arriving from Europe. He was given the breast, to the dismay of the corrupt Spanish friar, Padre Damaso, who got chicken neck, which is considered to be the least favored chicken part.

 

 How to cook:

Ingredients

·         1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces

·         36 ounces rice washing

·         ½ pc small green papaya, cut into wedges

·         1 tbsp garlic, minced

·         1 medium sized onion, chopped

·         1 thumb ginger, cut into strips

·         2 tbsp fish sauce

·         Hot pepper leaves

Instructions

1.    Sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger

2.    Put-in the chicken and cook until color turns light brown

3.    Add the fish sauce and mix well

4.    Pour-in the rice washing and put to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes.

5.    Add the green papaya wedges and simmer for 5 minutes

6.    Add the hot pepper leaves

7.    Add salt and pepper to taste

8.    Serve hot. Share and enjoy!