I Cooked Sinigang na Hipon for My Boyfriend and Here’s What Went Down

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If there is something I can be totally proud of, cooking is not one of them. I cook. I know how to. After watching thousands of cooking shows, cooking videos, tutorials and what not, I can say that I’am a very seasoned cook… inside my head, that is.

How It Started

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When you’re dating someone who actually studied cooking, that’s when the pressure kicks in. He went to school for it. I went through tv channels and youtube videos. Should be a piece of cake, right?

He’s been talking about Sinigang na Hipon and how it tastes so good and that he wants to eat some and I thought, “That should be easy!”. Most people would probably consult google and a cook book for the recipe. But I know the recipe to heart. It was my dad’s super easy recipe which was passed down to him by my grandma. I watched them cook all my life so I was pretty confident that I have it in the bag.

What is Sinigang?

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During a cold, rainy day, having a bowl of Sinigang is your bet. It’s a Filipino soup which is known for its sour taste. Usually, its base is made out of tamarind (sampalok) but there are other ingredients that you can use to get the sour taste like bayabas (guava), calamansi, kamias, etc.

Sinigang can also be made with different meats. The most common one will probably be pork meat. If you’re not a fan of pork, you can try beef, fish, and shrimp among others. Add some vegetables to it, serve it hot just as it is or with rice and you’re good to go.

Trust is Important in Any Relationship

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have NEVER cooked Sinigang na Hipon. Even my boyfriend doesn’t know this. I just convinced him that I do know how to cook and he just has to let me. I guess trust is a big part of our relationship.

We went for a quick trip to the grocery store for the ingredients. What you need to make this recipe is quite simple and it doesn’t ask for much. You’ll need some shrimp, camote tops or kangkong, raddish, onions, tomatoes, tamarind (or sinigang mix if you don’t have time to make the tamarind base), siling haba and you’re set to make (or break) your relationship.

Photo from Pixabay

I was pretty clueless when we were picking up the supplies. I’ve learned new things, tho! Like:

1. Choose shrimps that still has a little color in them. That would mean that there’s still a freshness to it. Also pick the ones where their bodies and heads are still intact.
2. Pick tomatoes that are soft but still firm. That means they still have a long shelf life to them.
3. My boyfriend is better at grocery shopping than I’am.

Photo from Pixabay

Now, I’am all set! With a head full of hopes and a mouthful of mumbled swear words, I’am ready to be completely destroyed and to say goodbye to my lustrous (wow) cooking career.

A Chef in the Ruins

I guess it’s just fitting that I teach you how to make my dad’s Sinigang na Hipon. I’m not going into specifics because, I do not know the specifics. I just winged it.

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1. Get some water boiling on a pot. Amount of water would depend on how much “sabaw” you want for the dish. As you do that, slice up some onions and tomatoes. The knife goes through the onions and tomatoes, not through your douchebag of an ex’s skull.
2. Once the water starts boiling, add your sliced onions and tomatoes. You can know start peeling and cutting up your raddish, washing your shrimp, and sorting out the kangkong/camote top leaves. Like how you should start sorting out your life choices.
3. Once you see that the water is starting to look orangey and, the onions lose it’s color, add the raddish into the pot. Let it slightly cook until it gets a bit soft. Just like how I like my kisses.
4. Then, add your shrimps. It wont take long for it to change in color. By this time, you could already add some salt and your sinigang mix. Adjust to your liking. Like when your partner wants to do something but you wanna do another thing. Learn to adjust accordingly.
5. Let that simmer for 3 minutes before you add in the kangkong/camote tops and the sili. Let it simmer some more for 2 minutes, and you’re done! The exact opposite of what I want my relationship to be like after my boyfriend tastes this.

I was so excited, and at the same time horrified to let my boyfriend taste my cooking. But, there’s no turning back. With some hot rice and my hot dish, I’m calling out to all the saints to save me, even just once.

Then he took a mouthful.

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The verdict? Better ask him. But I guess, not being able to take any photos of what I cooked should be a hint.