Hi! I’m Jinta from Japan. This time, I will show you how to make “KareKare”, a Filipino dish that uses Kare-Kare Mix.
I have enjoyed talking about food with some Filipino teachers in online English conversation classes, and most of them recommend the following three Filipino dishes.
When you hear the word “KareKare,” Japanese people remaind of curry-rice surely. When I was shown a picture of KareKare, it looked just like curry in color. If you are thinking, “Oh, it’s merely curry,” that would be a hasty assumption! Karekare is a traditional Filipino dish which is like a peanut sauce-based stew. Its taste is different from that of Japanese curry-rice!
This peanut sauce-based KareKare is easy to make at home if you use Kare-Kare Mix! This time, I will show you how to make it, showing you lots of pictures, so please enjoy reading until the end.
Let’s get started!
What is KareKare?
KareKare is a type of Filipino stew, the distinguishing feature of which is the use of a thick peanut sauce. In the Philippines, it is a popular dish eaten on special occasions. The traditional recipe calls for beef tails. Vegetables include green beans, eggplant, bok choy, and banana flowers. Lightly fried ground beef is sometimes used to thicken the sauce.
In this case, we’ll be using kare-kare stock, so no messy process!
Mama Sita’s Kare-Kare Mix
This time I will use this, Mama Sita’s Kare-Kare Mix.
Let’s look at the product description first. Here is what it says.
Nothing is more heartwarming than a bowl of thick and savory Kare-Kare as tender oxtail and tropical vegetables are magically brought together by achuete, toasted rice and finely ground peanuts.
Next, I’ll transcribe the instructions on the package for making it.
- Boil oxtail in water. Lower the heat and simmer until meat is very tender, adding water as needed, leaving about 1 1/2 cups broth.
- In a heavy saucepan, saute garlic and onion in oil. Add oxtail, stir fry and pour in dissolved Mama Sita’s Peanut sauce(Kare-Kare) Mix. Add the remaining broth.
- Stir and simmer until sauce thickens then add the eggplant and long green beans. Simmer for 3 minutes more stirring occasionally.
- Lastly, add bok choy leaves and simmer for 2minutes or until vegetables are done. Serve hot with bagoong and rice.
The oxtail is stewed and the broth is used as a soup stock seemingly.
When the powder is removed from the bag, it is a bright orange-brown powder. Let’s taste it as it is.
It looks spicy, but it’s not spicy at all! The flavor of peanuts spreads in your mouth.
A little lick will give you an idea of the flavor. The peanut-based flavor is the key to its richness.
How to make KareKare
Now, let’s go ahead and make karekare using a bag of karekare mix.
Ingredients (3-4 servings)
Made with standard ingredients! Since I cannot prepare the meat broth, I use “Magic Salap”, a popular all-purpose seasoning in the Philippines, as a secret ingredient. If you don’t have it, you can substitute chicken soup stock. Well, you don’t have to use it, but it’s okay.
- 1 bag (57g) of Kare-Kare Mix
- 1 teaspoon magic salap
- 400ml water
- 300g beef
- 1/4 large onion (100g)
- 1 medium eggplant (100g)
- 1 bag (100g) green beans
- 2 bok choy (100g)
- 2 cloves garlic
Chicken or pork is perfectly acceptable. Vegetables can also be used as they are in the fridge.
Magic salap is an all-purpose seasoning in the Philippines. It can be used in soups, fried rice, and many other dishes.
▼Check out “Magic Sarap.”
Photos and Explanations
Dissolve the Kare-Kare Mix and Magic Salap in 400 ml of water.
Eggplant tastes best if it is fried and grilled if possible. It removes the greenish smell.
Add the fried eggplant at the end.
Brown the beef all over the surface.
Remove this also to a separate plate.
Heat salad oil and sliced garlic in a frying pan over low heat as if frying. When the garlic is colored and fragrant, it is done.
Saute onions.
When the onions have browned, saute the kidney beans and the hard leaves of the bok choy.
When the vegetables are lightly heated, throw in the beef.
Then, add the Kare-Kare Mix dissolved in water.
Cooked uncovered for 5 minutes. You can feel a little tenderness.
Add eggplant and tender leaves of bok choy and cook for 3 minutes.
Now you’ve got your Kare-Kare! It’s easy, isn’t it?
Let’s try!
Arrange on a plate and Kare-Kare is ready to serve!(^^♪
We will take it.
It’s a gentle stew with the richness of peanuts. You can eat a lot of vegetables and it is delicious.
Of course, it goes well with rice. Please give it a try.
=スポンサーリンク=
Summary
This time, we prepared a traditional Filipino dish called “karekare” using commercially available Kare-Kare Mix. This gentle peanut-flavored soup is definitely a Japanese favorite. Even our two elementary school students finished it. Why don’t you try it and feel like you are in a foreign country with a different taste? Give it a try!
▼Check out “Kare-Kare Mix”
For more Filipino cuisine, please see the following articles.
▼How to make Filipino Pork Adobo with “Adobo powder” (Instructions, Recipe, Mama Sita’s Adobo Mix)
▼Review『Philippine Coconut Vinegar “Suka Pinakurat”』
▼How to make Filipino “Sinigang” Soup with Japanese ingredients.
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