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Sinamak
Sinamak: cane or coconut vinegar steeped with chilli, garlic, ginger and peppercorns for dipping
Iloilo is the home of La Paz batchoy and chicken inasal, and on every table there sits a tall bottle of sinamak, cane or coconut vinegar crowded with chillies, garlic and ginger. Visayan families keep a bottle going all year, and the dip turns up with grilled pork belly, crisp lechon kawali, fried fish and longganisa at breakfast. After a few days of steeping it is clean and sour, hot from siling labuyo, warm with ginger and peppery, with a faint sweetness from the cane vinegar. Common mistake: making a huge bottle and leaving it in a warm kitchen for months; fresh garlic and ginger are low-acid, so use full-strength vinegar, keep it in the fridge and make a fresh batch every couple of months. Toasting the garlic is not traditional and is not needed. It is ready when the vinegar has turned faintly golden and smells strongly of chilli and garlic, usually after 3 days. Chef's tip: bruise the chillies with the flat of a knife instead of slicing them; the heat comes out slowly and the vinegar stays clear. Cider vinegar can stand in for cane or coconut vinegar.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the vinegar
- 2 cups cane or coconut vinegarat least 4.5% acidity, undiluted; or cider vinegar
- 15 siling labuyoor bird's-eye chillies
- 1 oz fresh ginger
- 2 shallotsor a small red onion
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash a 600 ml glass bottle or jar and its lid in hot soapy water, rinse, then set it upside down in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes and let it cool and dry.
15 minStep 2: Wash and dry the 15 siling labuyo and bruise each one with the flat of a knife.
3 minStep 3: Peel the 6 garlic cloves and 1 oz fresh ginger; lightly crush the garlic and cut the ginger into thin matchsticks. Peel and quarter the 2 shallots.
7 minStep 4: Drop the chillies, garlic, ginger, shallots and 1 tsp black peppercorns into the bottle.
Step 5: Stir the ½ tsp salt into the 2 cups cane or coconut vinegar until it dissolves, then pour it into the bottle so every piece is covered.
2 minStep 6: Close and keep in the fridge for 3 days before using, until it smells strongly of chilli and garlic and the vinegar is faintly golden.
Step 7: Keeps 2 months in the fridge; top up with fresh vinegar as you use it only within that time. Throw it away if it turns cloudy or slimy, fizzes, grows mould or smells off.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 6 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sinamak take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cane or coconut vinegar?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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