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Chicken Tinola

Chicken tinola is a Philippines-style chicken soup, simmered with a ginger broth and cooked pieces of papaya. Ginger, originating in Asia, has long been cultivated in the Philippines, where it is called luya. The unique flavor of chicken tinola comes from the long cook time of the dish, as well as its tropical ingredients. If making chicken tinola without access to authentic island ingredients, several substitutions may be made. For the chunks of unripe papaya commonly added to the soup, chayote or sayote can be used; if malunggay leaves are unavailable, substitute hot pepper leaves, dahoon ng sili, or spinach.

Recipe Servings: 4

Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

  • Oil, as needed for frying
  • 1 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 thumb ginger, cut into strips
  • 1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
  • 2–3 Tbsp fish sauce, plus more for serving
  • 36 oz rice, washed
  • ½ piece green papaya, cut into wedges
  • 1 cup malunggay leaves
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper, more to taste
  • Salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large pan set over medium heat.
  2. Add the garlic, onion, and ginger, and sauté until tender.
  3. Add the chicken and cook until the pieces are lightly browned. Add the fish sauce, stirring to mix.
  4. Add the washed rice to a cooking pot and add enough water to cover rice by 2 inches. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, adding water as necessary.
  5. Add the papaya and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the malunggay leaves and stir. Cook for 1 additional minute.
  6. Season to taste with ground black pepper and salt. Add additional fish sauce if desired.
  7. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

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