GINATAAN KALABASA AT SITAW

Ginataan kalabasa at sitaw

GINATAAN KALABASA AT SITAW

#SIAintheKitchen

So happy to be making Filipino food on a consistent basis nowadays! It’s week 3 of my #FilipinoFridays on my Instagram Live and at the time of writing, it was Good Friday and I had to make something vegetarian in observance of the religious holiday. Okay, I didn’t HAVE to but I was originally going to make beef kalderata and called my dad for the recipe who then reamed me out for obeying the Catholic tradition. Derp. So instead, I thought real hard (no, seriously - really hard because Filipino food is largely meat-based) and decided to make ginataan kalabasa at sitaw.

Ginataan refers to a dish being cooked in coconut milk. It originated in the Bicol province of the Philippines where you can find a lot of coconut milk and coconut cream-based dishes. There are a few different variations - both savoury and sweet - and to be honest, I had only had the sweet version.

But after a bit of research, it seemed to be a pretty simple recipe. Butternut squash, yard or long beans, shrimp paste, onions, garlic, and coconut milk. Hells yes. Of course, I had to make my own twist on things as usual so I added a pinch of chili flakes and a splash of fish sauce. So damn good. Best eaten with white rice!

I made this dish with mam tom (Vietnamese fine shrimp paste) because I couldn't find the traditional Filipino version. The Filipino version is dark and a bit dried out, compared to its Southeast Asian varietals. I actually really liked the Vietnamese version. It’s looser than most pastes out there and was hella cheap at $3.19/jar! Please note that it is EXTREMELY salty (as wth an fermented seafood sauces) and stinky. So bear that in mind. And no, there is absolutely no substitute for this ingredient. In fact, shrimp paste makes the dish and gives it all of its flavour so do not skip this one! And no, fish sauce alone is not an acceptable substitute. To cut down on the fishiness of it, ensure that you brown it long enough - just a tip!

But meh, I’m Filipino and doesn’t bother me at all. My boyfriend is Persian and loved this dish so much. Super easy, super flavourful and a cinch to make.

GINATAAN KALABASA AT SITAW - serves 4

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1/2 head garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp dried red chili flakes

  • 2 heaping tbsp mam tom (fine shrimp paste)

  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced

  • 1 (400ml) can of coconut milk, full-fat preferred

  • 1 dash fish sauce

  • 1 bundle yard/long beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2-3” pieces

  • freshly-ground black pepper, as needed

  1. In a medium-sized pot, heat the vegetable oil until glistening over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, onions and chili flakes and saute until fragrant and some colour begins to appear on it, about 2 minutes.

  2. Add in the shrimp paste and brown for 3 minutes. Add in the butternut squash and slowly pour in the coconut milk to de-glaze. Bring to a boil and lower the heat down to a simmer. Add in the long beans, fish sauce and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Serve with white rice.

ASIAN, FILIPINO, PLANT-BASED, GLUTEN-FREEStephanie Siaginataan kalabasa at sitaw, ginataan, ginataan recipe, coconut milk recipes, chinese long beans, butternut squash, filipino recipes, filipino foodComment