Two of my favorite Filipino dishes: Chicken Arroz Caldo and Tokwa't Baboy. I grew up eating these dishes cooked by my mom on rainy days when we'd all stay in at home. Now that I live here in Sydney, I find comfort in these dishes during cold winter days.
Chicken Arroz Caldo
What you need for cooking:
Chicken breast cut into strips
1 cup of Glutinous Rice
2-3 cups of water
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp canola oil
1 whole onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
3-4 tbsp fish sauce
Pepper and salt (to taste)
Slices of Calamansi or Lemon
What you need for garnish:
6 cloves of garlic, diced and fried til golden brown
Chopped green onions
Boiled eggs, sliced
Chicharon (fried pork rinds), crushed
What you need to do:
1. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in oil.
2. Add chicken breast strips and stir til juice oozes from meat.
3. Throw in the fish sauce, season as you stir.
4. Add glutinous rice and wait til it turns brown in colour.
5. While stirring, add chicken stock then water, one cup at a time.
6. Bring to a boil, cover and let it simmer until grains start to crumble.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Keep stirring once in a while to make sure that the rice won't stick to the bottom
Once your Chicken Arroz Caldo is finished, serve it in a bowl and add garnishes mentioned above. Squeeze the calamansi or lemon on top of the Chicken Arroz Caldo for more flavour.
Note: You can use other parts of the chicken for this dish: chicken wings, thighs or drumsticks. Some also add chicken liver. I choose chicken breast strips so my Arroz Caldo will be less fatty and oily.
Chicken Arroz Caldo
What you need for cooking:
Chicken breast cut into strips
1 cup of Glutinous Rice
2-3 cups of water
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp canola oil
1 whole onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
3-4 tbsp fish sauce
Pepper and salt (to taste)
Slices of Calamansi or Lemon
What you need for garnish:
6 cloves of garlic, diced and fried til golden brown
Chopped green onions
Boiled eggs, sliced
Chicharon (fried pork rinds), crushed
What you need to do:
1. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in oil.
2. Add chicken breast strips and stir til juice oozes from meat.
3. Throw in the fish sauce, season as you stir.
4. Add glutinous rice and wait til it turns brown in colour.
5. While stirring, add chicken stock then water, one cup at a time.
6. Bring to a boil, cover and let it simmer until grains start to crumble.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Keep stirring once in a while to make sure that the rice won't stick to the bottom
Once your Chicken Arroz Caldo is finished, serve it in a bowl and add garnishes mentioned above. Squeeze the calamansi or lemon on top of the Chicken Arroz Caldo for more flavour.
Note: You can use other parts of the chicken for this dish: chicken wings, thighs or drumsticks. Some also add chicken liver. I choose chicken breast strips so my Arroz Caldo will be less fatty and oily.
Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu and Pork)
What you need:
1/4 kilo pork shoulder or pork belly, sliced into little cubes
1/4 kilo firm or extra firm tofu
1 onion, diced
4 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp vinegar
2 cups water
1 tsp brown sugar
Pepper and salt (to taste)
Canola oil
What you need to do:
1. Boil pork in water. When water runs dry, pour 2 tbsp of Canola oil and fry til golden
brown. Set aside.
2. Fry tofu til crunchy and golden brown. Drain the fried tofu in paper towel. Cut into
cubes then place in a dish together with the pork
3. In a saucepan, combine vinegar and soy sauce then bring to a boil.
4. Add sugar and onions then stir.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour the sauce over fried tofu and pork.
Note: You can also add green pepper or red chili unto the sauce to make it spicy.
Bon appetit!
