Kamias or Belimbing is a very sour fruit related to starfruit. I’m fond of eating this as is, dipped in rock salt. This is also used in cooking many dishes, specially Sinigang. Although Sinigang usually has a tamarind base, kamias is also used as souring agent when abundant or in season.
I discovered my daughter’s fondness for the fruit when we went to my IL’s last V-Day. They have a small Kamias tree with a bunch of fruit at the back of their house. Ykaie picked a fruit and I let her dip it in rock salt. The sourness of the fruit made her do some funny facial expressions and made her jump but she loved it! This bowl of kamias came from my IL’s Kamias tree. Well, we couldn’t eat everything, so off it went with the pot of simmering pork.
Ingredients:
500g pork belly, cut into pieces
200g swamp cabbage leaves
200g Okra,cut into 1-inch pieces
200g Kamias
1 horse radish, sliced
6 cups water or rice wash
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 pcs finger chili
♥ you can also add sliced radish and taro if you want.
Directions:
- Boil pork pieces in a pot with water or rice wash. Simmer for 30 minutes until it becomes tender.
- Add the Kamias pieces.Simmer until kamias pieces are soft.
- Mash Kamias pieces, so the soup absorbs its flavor and add fish sauce and stir.
- Add okra and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Add the Swamp Cabbage and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Serve with steamed rice.
