Kare-Kare is a stew with a creamy peanut sauce as the base. It’s usually made with oxtail, tripe, or pork hocks but can be made with a variety of meats and vegetables. In this recipe, we used chicken. Kare-Kare is usually served with plain white rice, which balances the rich flavors of the stew.
On the Ingredients
- Peanut butter is the most popular nut butter and is beloved around the world. Peanuts, actually a legume, are indigenous to South America, and the earliest records of eating a paste made from ground peanuts come from the Aztecs and Incas. The American agricultural scientist George Washington Carver is often credited with inventing peanut butter, but even though he was very influential in agricultural history, he merely included a recipe for it in his 1916 work “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it For Human Consumption.” There had already been several patents filed for various methods going back as far as the 1880s. Peanut butter is high in protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants. It’s low in carbs and on the glycemic index. A small percentage of the population is allergic to peanuts and should avoid them. (Read more about peanut butter.)
- Bok choy, also called pok choi or pak choi, is a type of Chinese cabbage. When raw, has a sweet, green flavor mixed with notable cabbage nuances and a mild bite. When cooked it’s tender with an earthy, mild taste.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
This recipe can be made more traditional by using oxtail or pork hocks. It can also be made vegan by using more vegetables and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock and the milk with coconut milk. Cashew butter can be used instead of peanut butter.
Filipino Kare-Kare
6
servings10
minutes1
hour1
hour10
minutesKare-Kare is a stew with a creamy peanut sauce as the base. It's usually made with oxtail, tripe, or pork hocks but can be made with a variety of meats and vegetables. In this recipe, we used chicken. Kare-Kare is usually served with plain white rice, which balances the rich flavors of the stew.
Ingredients
1 eggplant (chopped)
2 cups green beans (cut in half)
6 bunches of baby bok choy
1 large onion (sliced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
salt to taste
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 lbs chicken thighs (no skin or bones, cut into large thirds)
4 tsp annatto powder OR 2 tsp paprika & 2 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tsp potato stach OR cornstarch
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth)
3 tsp fish sauce (optional)
1/2 cup evaporated milk OR half and half
3 tsp sugar OR monk fruit sweetener
plain short-grain rice to serve
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While you wait, fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook for a further 2 minutes. Transfer the beans and eggplant to the ice water using a slotted spoon.
- Add the bok choy to the boiling water, cook for 2 minutes, and then transfer to the ice water. Set the vegetables aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-low flame. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions start to turn translucent. Salt to taste.
- Add the chicken, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the annatto or paprika and turmeric. Stir to combine, then add the broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix the potato starch with a little water to make a slurry. Add to the broth. Add the peanut butter, stir to thoroughly combine, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, fish sauce (if using), and evaporated milk. Stir and add the eggplant and green beans. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve with rice and baby bok choy. Enjoy!
