Manam's Watermelon Sinigang is the sign you're looking for if you wanna create something different this rainy season.
Adding fruits into savory dishes is far from novel and sinigang is no exception. You've got your sinigang sa bayabas, sinigang sa pinya, and even sinigang sa mangga.
Sinigang is a beloved Filipino dish of meat or fish cooked in a sour broth. Traditionally, the broth gets its acidity from sour-tasting fruit or leaves like kamias, sampalok, calamansi, and dayap. Nowadays, most home cooks use instant sinigang mix for convenience. Sinigang is served with hot rice, sometimes with bagoong and grilled meat or fish.
Enter Manam’s Watermelon Sinigang, with a soup that's soured by sampalok and rounded out with sweet, fresh watermelon.
Boil tamarinds: Combine tamarinds and 1 cup water in a small pot over high heat. Bring water to a boil and cook tamarinds until soft. Strain tamarinds from the water and set aside.
Cook short ribs: Combine beef short ribs and 5 cups water in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, skimming out any particles that float to the top. Once boiling, add onion and reduce heat to low. Cover pot with lid and let simmer until short ribs are tender, about 1–2 hours.
Add vegetables: Once beef is tender, add the kangkong, sitaw, and tamarind broth. Stir to mix, then add the diced watermelon. Mix gently to keep the watermelon from being too mushy. Cook over low-medium heat until vegetables are properly cooked, about 10–15 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
