It's actually pretty difficult to find sampalok (tamarind) leaves if you're leaving in the city. So when I browsed the nearby groceries for ingredients to no avail, I was on the precipice of giving up. That weekend I went to the animal shelter where I volunteer, and while I was walking a dog a saw a piece of fallen sampalok fruit. As if I've drank Felix Felicis that day, a sampalok tree is right at the center of the shelter! That day was a good day.
Ingredients
onion, garlic, ginger
2pcs tomatoes
1kg chicken
fish sauce, salt, pepper
Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok mix
4 strands sitaw (long beans)
2 cups tamarind leaves
Optional
2 leaves, quartered cabbage
Steps
Since I prefer not to put the sampaloc leaves on the actual dish, extract the flavor by boiling it. Sieve and set aside.
Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and chicken until it is cooked. At this point, the broth may taste along the lines of arrozcaldo.
Add the extracted sampaloc soup. Add water just to submerge the chicken.
Season with salt, pepper and fish sauce.
Add the sampalok mix.
Add sitaw and tomatoes.
Then cabbage.
Benefits (Source: NDTV)
Tamarind leaves are considered to be very effective in easing joint pain and swelling because of their anti-inflammatory properties.
It is rich is ascorbic acid, Vitamin C and tartaric acid that help in building your immunity naturally.
A tamarind leaf extract which can be prepared by soaking the leaves in water can be used as an antiseptic for healing wounds and skin infections.
Tamarind tea can help in relieving cold, cough, sore throat, and menstrual cramps.
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