Kinilaw is a raw fish meat which is marinated in coconut vinegar with the main ingredients of calamansi juice, salt, pepper,onions and ginger. Kinilaw is one of the favorite appetizer or pulutan among the Filipinos. This type of dish can also serves as side dish where the whole family will absolutely enjoy!
Another reason why Filipinos loved kinilaw it’s simply because of its spicy. Even we admit it or not when there is something spicy on our food diet is a BIG NO-NO for us. We usually combine the bahaw (leftover rice) to our kinilaw.
In preparing your kinilaw,make sure that you are able to wash the fish very well and then cut it into pieces (depending on the size that you wanted it to be cut). Use ginger to remove the unwanted smell from the fish. To make your kinilaw more tempting and delicious,see to it that the fish that you will be using is still fresh because the taste of your kinilaw will be depending on the freshness of the fish that you will be using. And also the hotness of your kinilaw will also be depending on the amount of chilli that you will be going to add.
In my hometown, instead of using tuna fillets, we used to prepare fish fillets (bolinaw). It is a tiny fish with white skin and it is usually made as dried fish wherein it is always available in our place. Well, in making kinilaw, it does not require any kind of fish that you’ll be using, it depends on what kind of fish is available near to your place.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kilo of tuna fillets (or any fish that you may have on the refrigerator)
- 1 good-sized hand of ginger, peeled and sliced (this is to get rid of the unwanted smell)
- 1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 white onion, thinly sliced (or you could use red onion if you want it traditional)
- 5 green chili peppers, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch thick slices
- (you may not use this if you don’t want it to be spicy hot)
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups of vinegar (if you have suka’ng tuba, or coconut vinegar, then it is preferable)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup of kalamansi juice (lemon)
- 1 1/2 cup of kakang gata
- (coconut cream, you could discard with this if you don’t have any)
Cooking Instructions:
- Wash the fish well. Cut into one-inch cubes. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Place in a bowl and toss with the salt. Squeeze the juice from two lemons. Add the juice to the fish and mix well. Cover the bowl and allow the fish to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Drain the fish, squeezing lightly. Place in a clean bowl. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and add to the fish. Mix lightly. Add the grated garlic and ginger, chilis, pimiento strips and onion slices.
- Toss everything together. Pour in the coconut cream. Stir lightly. Top with the onion leaves and serve.
-Source : Huni sa Daplin
