Sinigang na Lapu-lapu with Shrimps

Sinigang is a famous Filipno dish with variety of ingredients. It is typically sour and is often stewed fish, shrimp or meat. It is usually prepared with tamarinds. Other vegetables would include okra, spinach, radish, and string beans, etc. It does not use vinegar, even though it needs to be sour. Another variety is prepared with guava and is less sour than those with tamarind. Raw mango can also be utilized.

My hubby likes sour foods so much and I always warned him for eating such foods because he has an ulcer. That’s why whenever I cooked sinigang, I always minimized the sour ingredients.

Ingredients:
500 g shrimp
3 fish heads (lapu-lapu is the best)
1 big onion diced
1 big tomato quartered
2 pcs. long green pepper
6 pcs tamarind (substitute with ready made sinigang mix if you cannot find tamarind)
4 cups water
Vegetables of your choice
Fish sauce to taste
Crushed ginger, thumb-sized (optional)

Directions:
1. Boil Tamarind in water to soften. Pound and extract all juices and set aside. (Forget this method if you will use ready made mix)
2. In a casserole, water, Tamarind juice (or sinigang mix), onions and tomatoes. Add crushed ginger if you like.
3. Add in the shrimps, fish heads and green pepper simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables, fish sauce and salt and cook until the vegetables are done. Serve hot.