Kare Kare Recipe - Panlasang Pinoy (2024)

Kare Kare is a traditional Filipino stew complimented with a thick savory peanut sauce. The commonly used meats for this dish are ox tail, tripe, and pork leg; on some occasions goat and chicken meat are also used. Besides the peanuts, this dish depends on the shrimp paste (on the side) in order to be fully enjoyed. Traditionally, “palayok” (clay cooking pot) is used to cook this dish and it is also used as the serving pot.

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By: Vanjo Merano 12 Comments Updated: 6/2/22

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Kare Kare is a type of Filipino stew with a rich and thick peanut sauce. It is a popular dish in the Philippines served during special occasions. The traditional recipe is composed of ox tail. There are instances wherein both ox tripe and tail are used. The vegetable components of the dish are string beans, eggplant, bok choy, and banana blossoms. Lightly browned toasted ground rice is used to thicken the sauce.

Kare Kare Recipe - Panlasang Pinoy (1)

Palayok or clay pot is used to cook this dish. It also functions as the serving bowl at the same time.The best way to eat kare-kare is to pair it with plain white rice. Bagoong alamang or fermented shrimp paste completes the dish by providing flavor. Simply combine a spoonful of rice and kare-kare with a small portion of bagoong and enjoy!

Kare-Kare versions

There are several versions of kare-kare. The most common difference of each has something to do with the meat ingredient. We now know that the traditional protein used for this dish is oxtail. Tripe is also a good ingredient to use. There are also versions that make use of other types of meat, and even seafood.

What is Beef Kare-kare?

The traditional version can be considered beef kare-kare. This mainly pertains to versions that use cuts of beef. The ones using beef chuck, beef shank, and Maskara ng Baka or cartilage from the cow’s face are all considered beef kare-kare.

What is Seafood Kare Kare?

Shrimp, crab, mussels, and squid are seafood. There is a version which incorporates all of these ingredients. It is referred to as seafood kare-kare. Fish can also be used.

What is Pata Kare-kare?

Pata refers to pig leg or pork hock. It is the second popular ingredient next to oxtail. People are using this cut of meat because it is cheaper than beef and works well with the other ingredients. I like pata in my kare kare. The thick and tasty sauce complements the tender meat and fat of the pata. It is delicious! Browse our recipe for pata kare kare.

How to Cook Kare Kare

Kare Kare Recipe - Panlasang Pinoy (2)

Let’s talk about how I cooked the version in this recipe post. There are three main processes: tenderize the meat, make the sauce, and prepare the vegetables.

Prepare the meat by boiling it along with chopped onion. This will make it tender while providing flavor at the same time. Oxtail needs to be very tender for best results. It takes around 3 hours to boil when cooking using the traditional method. A quicker way is to use a pressure cooker. It cuts the cooking time by more than half.

The peanut sauce can make or break your dish. It is important to have the proper ratio of ingredients to be able to achieve the ideal consistency of the sauce. It should not be too thick or very thin. I use both peanut butter and crushed peanuts to make the sauce. It provides a rich flavor to it. Annatto seeds make the color of the sauce reddish. You will need to extract the color from the seed by soaking it in warm water for around 12 minutes. The colored water is used to make the dish, not the seed. Discard the seed after use. Thicken the sauce with toasted ground rice.

Vegetable is an important component of kare kare. It can be cooked with the meat or it can be added when serving the dish. I opted to cook the vegetables separately by sautéing with garlic.

Cooking Tips

Use a pressure cooker to quickly tenderize the oxtail. It takes me 30 minutes to achieve the result, compared to around 3 hours when done the traditional way.

Make sure to monitor the amount of water when boiling using the traditional method. Pour more water as needed until the meat tenderizes completely.

Bagoong alamang or shrimp paste is an essential component of the dish. It should be cooked completely before serving. Refer to this bagoong recipe for guidance. You can also purchase precooked bottled bagoong alamang from the supermarket.

Alternative Ingredients

I almost tried every meat in cooking Kare-Kare. Oxtail, pata, cow’s face or maskara, and tripe are my favorites.

Toasted ground rice is traditionally used to thicken the sauce. This ingredient is nice to have. You can use cornstarch or potato starch as alternatives.

Kare Kare Recipe - Panlasang Pinoy (3)

Annatto comes in many form. Annatto powder or annatto paste can be used a substitute for the seed. These are also more convenient to use.

Try this Kare Kare recipe and let me know what you think.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!

Kare Kare Recipe - Panlasang Pinoy (4)

5 from 1 vote

Kare Kare

This is a recipe for Kare-kare or ox tripe stew

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

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6 people

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs oxtail cut in 2 inch slices you an also use tripe or beef slices
  • 1 piece small banana flower bud sliced
  • 1 bundle pechay or bok choy
  • 1 bundle string beans cut into 2 inch slices
  • 4 pieces eggplants sliced
  • 1 cup ground peanuts
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup shrimp paste
  • 34 Ounces water about 1 Liter
  • 1/2 cup annatto seeds soaked in a cup of water
  • 1/2 cup toasted ground rice
  • 1 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 piece onion chopped
  • salt and pepper

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • In a large pot, bring the water to a boil

  • Put in the oxtail followed by the onions and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hrs or until tender (35 minutes if using a pressure cooker)

  • Once the meat is tender, add the ground peanuts, peanut butter, and coloring (water from the annatto seed mixture) and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes

  • Add the toasted ground rice and simmer for 5 minutes

  • On a separate pan, saute the garlic then add the banana flower, eggplant, and string beans and cook for 5 minutes

  • Transfer the cooked vegetables to the large pot (where the rest of the ingredients are)

  • Add salt and pepper to taste

  • Serve hot with shrimp paste. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 6g Calories: 934kcal (47%) Carbohydrates: 24g (8%) Protein: 91g (182%) Fat: 53g (82%) Saturated Fat: 16g (80%) Cholesterol: 368mg (123%) Sodium: 940mg (39%) Potassium: 444mg (13%) Fiber: 5g (20%) Sugar: 3g (3%) Vitamin C: 4.3mg (5%) Calcium: 147mg (15%) Iron: 11.5mg (64%)

© copyright: Vanjo Merano

Kare Kare Recipe - Panlasang Pinoy (2024)

FAQs

What is Kare-Kare sauce made of? ›

Meet Kare-Kare (kah·reh kah·reh), the Philippines' delicious take on a hearty peanut-based stew. Creamy peanut, tangy vinegar, date nectar, garlic, onion, and mild spices unite for a rich, savory, & slightly sweet celebration of Filipino flavors.

What is Kare-Kare in English? ›

In the Philippines, if something is particularly good or desirable, it's common practice to say its name twice, so since “kare” means “curry,” you could say that a loose translation of kare-kare is “really good curry.”

What is the name of the Filipino curry? ›

Kare-kare is a Philippine stew (kare derives from "curry") that features a thick savory peanut sauce. It is generally made from a base of stewed oxtail, beef tripe, pork hocks, calves' feet, pig's feet or trotters, various cuts of pork, beef stew meat, and occasionally offal.

What is the history of Kari Kari? ›

The history of Kare-Kare stretches back hundreds of years. Two stories attribute the meal's origins to different regions,, with one saying it came from the Kapampangans in the Pampanga region of Central Luzon and the other saying it originated from the nearby Tagalog people.

What is the difference between Kare-Kare and curry? ›

Both dishes feature a rich and flavorful sauce, but their spice profiles differ significantly. Kare-Kare relies on achuete (annatto) and peanut sauce to create its distinct flavor, while Indian curries derive their complexity from various spices. Many will describe Indian curry to be "earthy and spicy."

What is the difference between Kaldereta and Kare-Kare? ›

Like kare kare, kaldereta is a stew of sorts and always served with white rice. But where kare kare is traditionally made with oxtail, kaldereta is usually made with beef or goat. And here's the interesting, nutty twist: In Cebu and Mindanao, peanut butter is also added to the sauce for an extra kick of flavor.

Does kare-kare have okra? ›

Besides the meat, vegetables are also cooked with the stew and these include a range of (but are not limited to): eggplant, Chinese cabbage (or other leafy greens), long beans, okra (lady fingers), daikon, etc. – usually equaling or exceeding the amount of meat in the dish.

Why is it called kare-kare? ›

The word “kare-kare” is derived from another popular dish, curry. “It's called kare-kare because we adapted it from our Malay ancestors and neighbors,” Ahorro explained. Indeed, the stew resembles curry with its yellowish-orange color, which comes from adding peanuts or peanut butter.

What part of Baka is Tuwalya? ›

This part of the cow is also known as “tuwalya ng baka” in Filipino. It is the muscle wall in the stomach of the cow. Tripe is used to cook several dishes.

What is the main spice in curry? ›

What's In Curry Powder? Curry powders usually consist of turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. Some blends also incorporate garlic and cinnamon. What all curry powders share is a sweet warmth and pleasant pungency that adds a toasty depth to everything it touches.

Who invented Karekare? ›

The History of Kare-kare, According to the Kapampangans

The general consensus of Pampanga natives is that kare-kare originated in Pampanga, considering Kapampangan people often have a reputation for cooking to their hearts' content and coming up with deliciously rich fare.

What is curry called in America? ›

What is the US version of curry? - Quora. We call it “curry.” Indian food isn't as widespread here as it is in the UK, but Indian restaurants are fairly common, and Japanese and other Asian restaurants might also have their versions of curry on the menu.

Does kari mean curry? ›

The word "curry" is an interpretation of the Tamil word kari ("sauce"). Named by the British, curry is indeterminate, if vibrantly recognizable.

What country is curry from? ›

India is the home of curry, and many Indian dishes are curry-based, prepared by adding different types of vegetables, lentils, or meats. The content of the curry and style of preparation vary by region. Most curries are water-based, with occasional use of dairy and coconut milk.

Where in the world is curry eaten? ›

It could be one dish in one culture (like Japanese kare raisu) or an expansive category unto itself in another (like in Thailand). It can have curry leaves or not. It can be a gravy, or it can be dry. Most curries come from the Indian diaspora, except Thai and Malaysian curries, which have their own lineage.

Is Kare Kare derived from curry? ›

The word “kare-kare” is derived from another popular dish, curry. “It's called kare-kare because we adapted it from our Malay ancestors and neighbors,” Ahorro explained. Indeed, the stew resembles curry with its yellowish-orange color, which comes from adding peanuts or peanut butter.

Is there curry in Kare Kare? ›

Kare-kare is a hearty, funky Southeast Asian curry situation traditionally made with peanuts and braised beef or oxtail. I love eating it with bok choy, string beans, and eggplant.

Does Kare mean curry? ›

Japanese curry (カレー, karē) is commonly served in three main forms: curry over rice (カレーライス, karē raisu), curry udon (curry over thick noodles), and curry bread (カレーパン, karē pan) (a curry-filled pastry). It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan.

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