Ginataang sitaw at kalabasa with fried fish, photo by Mae Mercado-Sanguer
Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa (Green beans & Squash With Coconut Milk)
I am very partial to recipes that call for coconut milk. It makes the dish creamy and rich tasting. Just love it.
I urge you to try this recipe as it is really something.
This recipe uses meat. Another recipe we have uses shrimps, which is equally good.
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.
- 100 g pork, cut into bite-size pieces.
- 1½ cups 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
- 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 pork and stir-fry until golden all over.
- Stir in the shrimp paste, if using.
- Pour in the water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and leave to simmer until most of the liquid had evaporated and the meat had softened.
- Drop in the squash and string beans.
- If not using shrimp paste, then add the fish sauce.
- Pour in the coconut milk and continue to stir well until it begins to boil.
- Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and black pepper according to your taste.
Delicious served with freshly boiled rice and any leftover is fantastic as breakfast with some fried rice.