Ginataang Kalabasa

Posted byNoriePosted inRecipe, VegetablesTags:

(Yellow Squash or Kabocha in Coconut Milk)

Kalabasa means squash, but only certain kinds like the big, deep yellow squash like the pumpkin and winter squashes.  Not the summer squash or Zucchini either.  I discovered Kabocha squash recently at an Asian market and I am impressed with the taste and texture that I tried to raise them…with no luck yet. 

Ginataan means “with coconut milk”.  Coconut milk is very common ingredient in the native Filipino dishes like most Asian countries.  It is especially common anywhere south of Manila where they grow coconuts.  It is laborious and a lengthy process to grate and extract the juice (milk) from the coconut if done manually.  But I’ve seen special, commercial machines that grate the meat when I was younger but I am not sure how they extract the milk after grating, if it was manually or with a machine too. 

We do not have to worry because we can buy them now at any grocery store, concentrated in cans.  It makes it easy and convenient.

My recipe here is for about 4 servings. It is a very rich dish and is usually not served by itself.  It is more of a side dish and a compliment to fried fish, pork chops, or tapa (fried beef strips).

What you will need:

  • 1/3 of a kabocha squash peeled and cut in 2” chunks
  • 1 Japanese eggplant, cut in 2” pieces (optional)
  • Yard long beans cut 2” long that will make about a cup or green beans if no sitaw (yard long beans)
  • 2 long green peppers or 2 jalapenos
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 1 packet shrimp bouillon
  • 1 c coconut milk (if you opened a can and did not use it up, you can use it another time. I keep the left over in a freezer safe jar in the freezer.
  • ½ tsp. grated ginger root (optional)
  • 1 tsp. Patis
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté garlic in one TBS oil until fragrant then the onions and ginger until onions are soft.  Flavor with patis then pour the cup of coconut milk.  Let boil, and then add the shrimp bouillon.  Add the eggplant first, followed by the squash and green pepper.  Simmer covered until almost tender then add the green beans.  Cook some more until the greens are crisp tender.  Check the liquid.  It is not supposed to be soupy but if it needs more liquid, add a little water or more coconut milk.

This is how I cooked it and it tastes very good.  The thickened milk sticks around the vegetables so that you can savor the blending of the rich coconut with the sweetness of the vegetable in each bite.

If you want it to taste like Malayan or Indonesian, you can add a teaspoon curry powder and more chilies.

Chinese Pumpkin

You can also use Chinese Pumpkins.