Misua is the name for fine rice noodles used mostly for soup dishes because of its tendency to get soggy once it becomes wet.
This is an old recipe from my grandmother. My only contribution is to add grated carrots to the meatballs to add flavor and color. And I substituted leeks for the traditional sibuyas na mura for a more robust flavor without detracting from the delicateness of this traditional Filipino soup dish.
Now, don’t ask me what almondigas means. I really do not know. My Spanish is really, really bad. I only learned basic Spanish because it was required in college.
Ingredients :
For the meat balls :
1/2 k. of ground lean pork
1/2 carrot, grated
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of finely minced garlic
1/2 ts. of salt
1/4 tsp. of pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. of all-purpose flour
3/4 c. of cooking oil
For the soup :
5 c. of meat broth
3 segments of garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
1-1/2 tbsp. of tomato paste
salt and pepper (if broth is unsalted)
2 bundles of misua
3/4 c. of finely sliced leeks (white and green part only) or sibuyas na mura (onion leaves)
How to :
Mix together all the ingredients for the meat balls, except the flour. Form into balls about 2 inches in diameter.
Heat a wok or skillet. Pour in the cooking oil until it starts to smoke. Roll each meat ball in flour and fry in hot oil, rolling the balls around in oil to brown evenly. Once lightly browned, remove from the wok or skillet and drain on paper towels.
Heat a large saucepan or casserole. Transfer 1 tbsp. of cooking oil from the skillet or wok. Saute the garlic and onion until the onion is soft. Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil. Add the meat balls. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings, as needed. Turn off the heat. Add the misua and cover for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a soup tureen and top with sliced leeks or sibuyas na mura. Serve hot.
thanks for sharing your recipes. they are very straight forward. I’ll try some of them..
you’re welcome, zaifie. hope you enjoy them.
Your “almondigas” may have come from the Spanish “Albondigas” literally meaning “meatballs”… Of course, since they’re so close in pronunciation, someone probably wasn’t reading it and was listening in a far away manner.
In some countries, albondigas while known as meatballs can also be used as profanity… to describe a rather male part…
RhB, maybe it’s a kind of “lost in pronunciation” instead of “lost in translation”…
I’ve been visiting your site for two years now, and frequent it especially when I’m away for school and have no mother to cook Filipino food for me.
I just want to say that I think almondigas in Spain is actually meatballs simmered in tomatoes, garlic, onion, and herb mixture…more like an appetizer than anything else. I know, I know…traditional foods get bastardized in the colonies, but still…it’s pretty good as an appetizer.
by the way.. how do i make the 5 cups beef broth?
Recipe for home made broth
I love your recipe! One of the best Almondigas recipes I’ve ever tried. The recipe reminds me of rainy sunday afternoons. A must try!!!!!!
thank you, yvette. “rainy sunday afternoons” sounds so nostalgic and romantic.
Yah this one is realy a part of our food lives…
Si Mother ko super luto ng Almondigas pag wala ng ma-isip na ulam at tamad ng magluto.. Har Har Har!! I can still remember how it was easy for her to prepare this for us…
Ikaw talaga Mam Sassy, cant help but reminsicin the good old days when I had so much fun with my Mom.. Don’t get me wrong, my mom still alive and healthy, iyon nga lang malayo ako sa kanya at nasa Manila siya…
God Bless You Mam Sassy!!!
LOL and this dish always reminds me of my lola.
hi ms. connie!…tanong ko lang po kung kelan ia-add yung tomato paste..ty po!
Same time as the broth, Isabel.
hi miss connie, can i also add patola. thanks
I’m not a fan of patola but that’s no reason why it can’t be added to almondigas.
Almondigas is actually not Spanish, but Portuguese.
hi.. pwede po.. pwede po bang walang tomatoe paste?
Try mo.
My husband and I tried this recipe and it was delicious. Only difference from our moms’ recipe is the addition of the tomato paste which was new to us. But overall, we loved it. Our son loved it too!
It’s raining here in my place, am craving for a hot super yummy soup to keep me warm. Thanks for this recipe. Il try it now.