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the best chicken tinola recipe

Chicken Tinola

Here's a new twist on the classic Filipino dish, Chicken Tinola. Warm up with this chicken soup cooked with ginger, chayote and chilli pepper leaves.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 knobs ginger sliced
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 tbsp water sub 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 kg chicken cut into serving pieces
  • 1 tbsp rock salt sub iodized
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
  • 1 stalk lemongrass pounded
  • 10-12 cups boiling water
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns optional
  • 2-3 pcs chayote sliced into big chunks or strips, sub green papaya
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce or to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 handful pepper leaves
  • 1 handful arugula sub moringa leaves

Method
 

  1. On medium heat, sauté onions, ginger and garlic in little bit of water until fragrant. Push to the sides of the pot.
  2. Lightly brown chicken pieces on each side. Season with salt, pepper and turmeric.
  3. Add lemongrass, boiling water and whole peppercorns if using.
    Bring to boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 mins.
  4. Add chayote and sugar. Season to taste with fish sauce. Simmer for another 15 mins until chayote is fork tender.
  5. Add arugula and pepper leaves. Close lid and turn off heat. Let stand for 5 mins.
  6. Serve in bowls. Enjoy on its own or with warm rice.

Notes

You can add a whole chicken if you wish.
Make it a veggie one with tofu and mushrooms.