Sinigang na Spotted Scat with Wild Ampalaya

Tamarind, tomato and fish with a bold wild-bitter-gourd finish.

Ingredients

• 458 g spotted scat, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
• 400 g wild ampalaya, cleaned and cut
• 176 g ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 160 g sitaw, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 140 g gabi, peeled and cut into chunks
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1.2 L water
• Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix: start with 30 g, then add more to taste, up to about 40–44 g
• ¾ tsp salt, initially; adjust only after adding the sinigang mix
• ½–1 tsp tamarind powder, optional at the end if you want it more sharply sour

Method

• Simmer water, gabi, garlic and tomatoes for 10–12 minutes, until the taro is nearly tender. Mash a few pieces into the broth.
• Add 30 g sinigang mix, then taste. Hold back salt until the mix has dissolved.
• Add the cleaned fish and gently simmer for about 5 minutes, avoiding vigorous stirring.
• Add sitaw for 2 minutes, then wild ampalaya for 3–4 minutes. Keep the pieces intact and cook the fish through.
• Adjust with additional sinigang mix in teaspoons, optional tamarind powder, and salt only if needed. Serve hot; this version deliberately keeps a strong bitter finish.

Before you cook

Read the ingredient labels for allergens, especially seafood, soy, wheat, dairy and eggs. Prepared sauces and seasoning powders vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more. Cooking times are guides; check doneness in the actual batch.

Cook poultry and reheated leftovers to 74°C, ground meat to 71°C, and fish to 63°C. FoodSafety.gov cooking guidance ↗