The cool weather brought in by rainy days will make anyone cuddle up and relax a bit. And while you are doing that, you would also want something delicious to feast on. Here are some of the tasty comfort foods you can whip up while enjoying the mood.
Rainy day comfort foods no. 1: Chicken Binakol
Chicken binakol is a dish that originates from the province of Aklan. While it is similar to ginataang manok, this rainy day comfort food uses coconut water (sabaw ng buko) instead of coconut milk (gata). This gives it that added sweetness perfect for the season. Many also prefer to cook it using native chicken, as the meat is supposedly more tender.
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds native chicken, cut into serving sizes
- 1 medium ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
- 2 stalks tanglad (lemongrass)
- 4 cups of coconut water
- 1 cup young coconut meat
- Green papaya, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 bunch of spinach, stemmed and leaves separated
- A tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Steps
- Cut the stem and leafy ends of the tanglad stalks. Peel the layers to get the white core. Chop this into 2-inch long pieces and crush them. Set aside for later.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook the garlic, onion, and ginger until soft.
- Add the chicken and cook until the color changes and the juices become clear.
- Put in the fish sauce and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the coconut juice and bring to a boil. Skim off the scum that floats to the top.
- Add the lemongrass and lower the heat. Cover the pot and cook for another 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Put in the papaya cubes and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the coconut meat and continue cooking until it is thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Put in the spinach leaves, pushing them to the broth. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Serve while hot.
Rainy day comfort foods no. 2: Fish in ginger soup
This is another great rainy day comfort food, especially for those who have sore throats due to the changing weather. This recipe uses fish fillet, which makes it easier to eat if you don’t like having to take out the bones. But if you want a bit more flavor, you can go with any whole fish.
Ingredients
- ½ pound fish fillet
- 2 cups malunggay leaves
- 3 stalks tanglad (lemongrass)
- 1 tablespoon ginger, sliced into thin strips
- 1 piece yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ piece lemon
Steps
- Heat the cooking oil in a pot. Saute the onions and ginger for at least a minute.
- Add the pepper and lemongrass and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the water and bring to a boil.
- Add the fish and fish sauce. Bring to a boil again and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
- Put in the malunggay leaves and squeeze in the juice from the lemon. Cook for another 3 minutes in low to medium heat while gently stirring the mixture.
- Serve hot.
Rainy day comfort foods no. 3: Ube cheese pandesal
Aside from different soups, many Pinoys also consider hot pandesal as one of the must-have comfort foods during the rainy days. And a popular variant nowadays is the ube cheese pandesal. Luckily, you don’t have to go out looking for these in bakeries since you can whip a batch of your own right at home.
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ¼ teaspoon rapid rise yeast
- 2 tablespoons ube flavor extract
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cheddar cheese, cubed
- Bread crumbs
- Extra flour for kneading
Steps
- Bring water to a temperature of 43-46 degrees Celsius. Add the yeast and ½ tablespoon of sugar. Stir to dissolve everything and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until the butter has melted. Let it cool.
- Put 2 cups of flour, a beaten egg, and the yeast mixture in a bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are blended.
- Add the milk mixture to the dough once the former has cooled down enough. Follow with the ube extract.
- Continue mixing and gently add 1 ¼ cups of flour. You can add 1 tablespoon more at a time as needed. Mix until the dough is fully formed.
- Form the dough into a ball. Put it into a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let it rise for at least an hour.
- After the dough has risen, punch it down to release the accumulated air. Transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each part until they form logs and cut them into equal pieces.
- Flatten one piece of the dough using your fingers and place a cheese cube in the middle. Gather the edges to seal the cheese in and form the dough into a small ball.
- Coat the dough balls with bread crumbs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the tray with a damp cloth and let the balls rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 177 degrees Celsius for 18-20 minutes.
Have a hearty rainy day meal with these recipes
Eating these comfort foods while watching the downpour outside is always an enjoyable pasttime this season. And making them adds more to that experience. Try these recipes out and have fun with family and friends while waiting for the rain to stop.