Classic Chicken Tinola | Abel & Cole
Classic Chicken Tinola
Clock Image
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Chicken tinola is a fantastic stewed chicken and ginger dish from the Philippines, made famous by the literary classic, Noli Me Tángere. Very readable and very eatable.
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682 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
Recipe Ingredients Image
  • A 150g pot of plain flour
  • 1 onion
  • A thumb of ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 carrots
  • ½ green cabbage
  • A 250g pack of chicken breast mini fillets
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • A handful of mint, leaves only
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil + extra for brushing
  • 5 tbsp warm water
  • 1 ltr boiling water
You'll need
  • Sieve
  • Bowl
  • Deep frying pan or wok with a lid
  • Measuring jug
  • Rolling pin
  • Pastry brush
  • Griddle or frying pan
  • Tea towel
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Sift the flour into a bowl. Take out 1 tbsp and set aside for later. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp oil. Stir in 5 tbsp warm water to make a stiff dough. Turn out and knead for 2-3 mins. Cover with the bowl and leave to rest for 10 mins.

  • 2.

    Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Peel and slice the carrots into thick rounds. Shred the cabbage, discarding any thick cores.

  • 3.

    Slice each chicken fillet into long thin strips about ½cm thick.

  • 4.

    Warm ½ tbsp oil in a deep frying pan or wok. Stir fry the chicken over a medium heat for 5 mins till golden. Add the onion. Stir fry for 5 mins. Add the ginger, garlic and carrots to the wok. Stir fry for 1 min.

  • 5.

    Pour in 1 ltr boiling water. Crumble in the stock cube. Stir and cover. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Finely shred the mint leaves.

  • 6.

    Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Dust your worktop with the reserved flour. Roll out to make 4 large flatbreads.

  • 7.

    Brush both sides of the flatbreads with a little oil. Heat a non-stick griddle or frying pan over a medium heat. Fry a flatbread for 2 mins on each side. Wrap it in a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads.

  • 8.

    Pop the shredded cabbage into the stew. Simmer for another 5 mins. Serve the chicken tinola in warm bowls with the flatbreads. Scatter over the shredded mint leaves.

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