Recipe | Chicken Adobo Sa Gata

I’ll put the recipe first of this Adobo sa Gata, because I know the feeling of looking for a recipe only to read a long story first and then reading the recipe at the bottom. It makes you want to scream “Where’s the recipe?!?!?” So here’s the recipe—the one that you came here for. Then, if you still want to read some of my cooking ramblings, feel free to read on.

Adobo sa Gata Ingredients

• 1/2-1 kg chicken cut into serving pieces
• 1 pack of coconut milk (Coco Mama)
• 1 piece Knorr Chicken Cube
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 small ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 onion 
• 3 pieces bay leaves dried (optional for me)
• 2 teaspoons whole peppercorn (I used ground)
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• Sliced green papaya
• Green Chili (Sili na pang sinigang)
• Water

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Brown the ginger, garlic, and onion.
3. Fry the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. Pour soy sauce and vinegar. Cover the pan. Let it boil. Flip the chicken pieces afterwards. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
5. Pour coconut milk. Stir and then let the mixture boil.
6. Add Knorr Chicken Cube and sliced green papayas. Stir and cover the pan. Adjust heat to low. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
7. Remove the cover and continue to cook until sauce reduces to desired amount. Experienced people say that you should see the oil of the meat come out for you to know it is ready. To see that, the dish must be close to being dried. When that happens, you can just add a little water if you want it to have more soup (especially for kids who like sabaw).
8. Add the green chili 5 minutes before serving, but if you like it spicy, you can add it with the papaya.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Now, if you still have time to listen to my cooking ramblings and stories, continue reading.

Chicken Adobo sa Gata

According to Panlasang Pinoy, adobong manok sa gata is a classic Filipino chicken adobo stewed in coconut milk.

I first tasted adobo sa gata when I was on vacation at my grandparent’s house in Rizal, Laguna. It was one of the karinderya line-ups along with menudo, silog meals, and munggo. Karinderya is a roadside food stall that sells different dishes for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner. When you order a dish for take out, they would put in a clear plastic around two to three scoops of your dish of choice, then another plastic for your rice. The price 25 years ago was just 20-30 pesos per order. 

In Rizal, Laguna though, the meat used in adobo sa gata was carabao meat or beef. I just used chicken here because it was easier to cook. Anyway, the beef or carabao meat version were so good, because they softened the meat so that every bite comes easy. I think what made the taste stand out even more was the added smoky taste because it was cooked in the traditional uling or charcoal. Just thinking about it makes me want to eat it.

Adobo sa Gata Color

Is it supposed to be white? Yellow, or brown? Well, originally, I remember it being white. My mom insists it should be white. Moms ‘should’ be always right so, I will assume that I might have put more soy sauce because it became a bit brown. That was done on purpose however, because my kids are more familiar with adobo than with gata so I had to make it look closer to adobo first. At least at its “first launch” on the dining table, let’s make it a little familiar. If you don’t like adding soy sauce, you put less. Again, it depends if you like it more of a gata dish or adobo.

Well, that’s it. How about you? Do you have your own version of adobo sa gata in your place? Would love to know them. Feel free to share it in the comment section below.

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Where to buy:

• Frying Pan
• Coco Mama coconut milk