Recipe 105: Pininyahang Manok (Pineapple Chicken)

Here in Middle East, chicken meat is found anywhere in the market. In short, it is always available. Obviously, no pork meat (recently, the Qatar government allowed one retailer only to sale pork for those non-Muslim consumers but it is still costly). I know, most OFWs don’t have spare time for cooking, they do cook their food only once in a day which is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner already. The typical menus are Chicken Adobo for Monday, Chicken Menudo for Tuesday, Fried Chicken for Wednesday and so forth. And so am I. I am also guilty of that. But let me share to you this easy-to-prepare-chicken-dish that may add to your weekly menu.

Pininyahang Manok (Pineapple Chicken)

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 can 250g pineapple chunks in syrup
2 green bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 carrots, cut into cubes
2 potatoes, cut into cubes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ginger, sliced to thin pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce or salt
ground pepper
3 tablespoons cooking oil or butter

How to cook:

1. Put salt and pepper to the chicken meat. Marinate it in pineapple juice for at least 30 minutes. Drain and set aside the marinade.
2. In a pan, heat cooking oil and fry potatoes and carrots until it turns light brown. Drain and set aside.
3. In the same pan, saute onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
4. Add the chicken meat; continue sauteing until it turns golden brown.
5. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and stir occasionally.
6. Put in the marinade and simmer for few minutes or until chicken is almost tender.
7. Add pineapple chunks and sugar, simmer for another few minutes.
8. Add carrots, potatoes and bell pepper, simmer until vegetables are tender. 
9. Season to taste.