Chicken tinola

My version of the chicken tinola here in Holland is an improvised one because some of the ingredients like the unripe papaya costs an arm and leg if I get them from the Toko (Asian shops) and is oftentimes half ripe already which is not good and the chili leaves are just difficult to source out (either I plant one myself or use the ornamental chili leaves from the plant shops).

Instead, I substitute papaya with potatoes and the chili leaves with cabbage and this dish still comes out amazing so long as the key ingredient which is ginger is not omitted.

Ingredients:

Chicken cut in pieces (I used 3 pieces)

ingredients of tinola

1 onion, sliced

Garlic, pounded coursely

Ginger, sliced or pounded coursely

Cabbage

Potatoes

2 tbsps oil

Fish sauce (patis)

Black pepper, finely grinded

Frying the crushed ginger

sauteeing the ginger, garlic and onions

Cooking instructions:

1.  In a deep saucepan, heat up 2 tbsps oil.  Add the ginger and sautee for a minute or until slightly brown.  Add the garlic and sautee further until slightly brown.  Add the onions and continue sauteeing until translucent. 

2.  Add the chicken and let it fry a bit on the spices for a minute or two.  Put the lid of the saucepan on. 

3.  Add a bit of the fish sauce to the chicken.  Add water until the chicken is covered.  Add the potatoes too.  Let it boil until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.

4.  When the chicken and potatoes are cooked, removed the potatoes for a while to avoid it getting overcooked.  Add the cabbage and let it simmer for a few minutes.  When cabbage is cooked, add back the potatoes.  Check the taste and if still a bit bland, add some more fish sauce.

5.  Served with boiled rice.