Pininyahang Manok (Pineappled Chicken)

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"There are no accidents," says Uguay the tortoise in Kung Fu Panda...so it was as I was bloghopping yesterday, one mom featured Pininyahang Manok. I still have a whole chicken getting thawed so I thought Pininyahang Manok is the perfect dish for it. I searched online for a recipe and there were many versions. There are those who put evaporated milk instead of coconut milk. Some include tomatoes and lemongrass while others have carrots, potatoes and bell peppers as vegetable additions.

I was not so sure which would be the better recipe so I asked friends over at facebook "evap vs coconut." Just then, Ces sent a message for this week's Lasang Pinoy theme....coconut! So here goes my entry, a product of two coincidences...Since there are variations of this dish, I tweaked mine a bit.

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized chicken, cut up
1 can pineapple chunks
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup of coconut milk
salt/fish sauce and pepper to taste
strips of red bell pepper
cubed carrots & potatoes (optional)

Steps for Preparing Pineapple Chicken

-Separate pineapple juice from chunks.
-Marinate chicken pieces in the pineapple juice for five minutes or longer.
-Place the chicken and juice in a pot on medium heat. Wait for the liquid to evaporate abit so that the juice seeps in. Set aside.
-Saute garlic and onions in oil then add the chicken pieces, potatoes and carrots.
-After a few minutes, add the pineapple chunks and coconut milk. Wait for a few minutes before putting in the bell pepper.
-Simmer until the sauce is creamy. Season with salt or fish sauce and pepper. Serve over rice.

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