Tag: Ginataang Kalabasa At Sitaw (Squash & String Beans in Coconut Milk)

Ginataang Kalabasa At Sitaw (Squash & String Beans in Coconut Milk)

Chicken

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw, photo by Rosie Reyes- Barrera

Ginataang Kalabasa At Sitaw (Squash & String Beans in Coconut Milk)

If there was a comfort food, this was it (for me anyway!)

I love this recipe with such a passion.  This is real Filipino home-cooking at its best, again for me anyway! 🙂

I think squash was made to be cooked in coconut milk.  A marriage made in a hot-wok-heaven!  Before I go on to more and more overblown pontification, here is a basic recipe for this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1 small or 1/2 a squash or pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cubed

200g string beans (green beans), cut into about 1½ to 2 inches lengths.

1 cup shrimps, shelled and deveined (boil the shells & heads to flavour a cup of water to make a shrimp juice)

1 cup shrimp juice (or just plain water)

2 cups coconut milk

5 cloves garlic, chopped or minced finely

1/4 cup shrimp paste (bagoong na alamang) or 1¼ tbsp fish sauce

1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly

1 cup malunggay leaves of spinach (optional)

1½tbsp vegetable oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation:

  • Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan.
  • Sauté the garlic  and onion.
  • Add the the shrimps.
  • Stir in the shrimp paste, if using.
  • Pour in the shrimp juice or cup of water
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer.
  • Drop in the squash and string beans.
  • Pour in the coconut milk and continue to stir well until it begins to boil.
  • Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and black pepper.
  • Finally add the malunggay or spinach and continue cooking for a couple of minutes more. (optional)

Serve hot with lots of freshly boiled rice.

Enjoy!

TIP:  Instead of shrimps, you can add sauteed pork instead.