Adobo is considered the Philippines' National Dish. It is served in almost every Filipino household and is a dish that we are always proud to introduce to our foreign friends.
However, the dish has had too many variations over the decades (or centuries, dating back to pre-colonial times?) depending on the locality and the availability of ingredients. So much so, that the Department of Trade and Industry had to push for the standardization of the famous dish.
With various cooking methods for Philippine adobo published online by food writers, bloggers, and vloggers, BPS/TC 92 aims to standardize the cooking technique for the well-known Filipino dish. Chef Myrna Segismundo said, “There will be different approaches and opinions [on cooking Philippine adobo]. As long as I have, say one to three steps, it’s this recipe. Anything else you add to it is a variation to the cooking technique.” -- DTI
Anyway, as far as the majority is concerned, the basic adobo ingredients are soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, and lots of garlic and peppercorns. In my hometown, Batangas, we also have "adobo sa dilaw" in which the meat is cooked with vinegar, salt, and turmeric (hence the term "dilaw" which means yellow).
Yesterday, I have gone rogue and made a variation to the dish. Firstly, I used water spinach (kangkong) instead of meat. Well, Adobong Kangkong isn't new anymore. This is but one of the many variations that have come to adobo, it is not restricted to meat anymore.
The husband harvested a few stalks of water spinach from our small patch in the garden and requested me to make adobong kangkong, to which I of course obliged.
I overlooked though that we do not have vinegar in our pantry. How then will I be able to cook adobo?
Here comes the twist.
I do not have vinegar but I have atchara. Remember the pickled green papaya that I posted about a week ago? Well, the green papaya was pickled in vinegar and sugar mixture. Will that do?
Of course, it should! I normally add a sprinkle of sugar to adobo to enhance the flavor, so it's should be okay.
I added orange juice for an extra hint of acidity and sweetness.
Method:
In a pan, saute the onion and garlic until wilted and aromatic. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, atchara vinegar, orange juice, and water. Adjust according to taste. Let it simmer for a few minutes then add the kangkong leaves and turn off the fire. Top with fried tofu and more crispy garlic. If you fancy a stronger kick, you can also top it with chili-garlic oil. Enjoy with hot steamed rice!
It was really quick and easy, it was done in under 20 minutes. But the savory and umami taste lasted for longer.
Extra rice, please! 🤪
