Tinola Soup and Postpartum Nourishment

Tinola, a Filipina chicken and moringa soup is one of the first meals I encountered as a specific traditional postpartum meal. My daughter’s Lola (Grandmother in Tagalog) on their Father’s side is Filipina and she made it for me after they were born. Later I asked their Lola to teach me. Like many traditional postpartum dishes, Tinola is also a convalescent dish, for people recovering from illness.

I believe these dishes are wonderful for burnout also. Although, ideally through nourishing food and long term community support we can move towards a direction of avoiding burn out. Like many postpartum dishes, this one has warming herbs, meat stock and meat, well cooked for easy digestion.

Moringa, a nutrient edible green is a controversial topic in Australia currently as the sale of it has been banned. It can be grown, swapped etc. Replace Moringa in this dish with any green leafy vegetable or edible wild green, such as Quickweed (Garginsoga parviflora) foraged and used in the Ajiaco con Guascas (Colombian Potato and Chicken Stew with Guascas) recipe.

Tinola 

Ingredients:

·  500g chicken wings, nibbles and/or drumsticks etc

·  A knob of ginger and/or a stalk of lemongrass stem

·  Traditionally 2 handfuls moringa, young chilli leaves or sweet potato leaf

·  3 large or 5 small cloves garlic

·  1 small – medium onion

·  1 green papaya or 3 chokos

Method:

·  Dice ginger, onion, garlic, lemongrass

·  Wash (in cold water) chicken and chop wings in half if you are using them

·  Sautee chicken in oil of your choice, we used coconut oil, with diced herbs and salt and pepper until lightly browned and fragrant

·  Add boiling water to cover and simmer for about 30mins

·  When chicken is tender, add in peeled and large pieces of chopped green papaya or chokos, simmer for another 10-15 mins until soft.

·  Add in green leaves and cover for a 5 mins

·  Serve on its own or with rice