Given the wide range of vegetable dishes in local cuisine, Filipinos sure know how to incorporate healthy components into their food! We love to sprinkle in eggplant and cabbage here and there. But a veggie that definitely does not go ignored for us is Kalabasa or squash. The mushy, soft texture of kalabasa tastes great in many soups and steps, and that includes the classic Ginataang Kalabasa!

What is Ginataang Kalabasa?

This is a creamy, meaty stew filled with the goodness of warm Coconut Milk. It has its own hints of sweetness, just as well as a strong savor that will make it hard for you to put your spoon down.

Ginataan is a Filipino term used to cook any kind of food in coconut milk. The term can even be used for snack or desserts such as Ginataang Halo-halo.

I especially love the rich, salty taste of shrimp paste that complements the milky coconut flavor in our dish. 

And of course, we cannot have this dish without plenty of delicious calabaza squash. This component makes our meal a lot heartier, and as I mentioned, healthier too! Squash is actually known to have plenty of vitamin A, which is greatly beneficial to your eye health. But there are more nutritious ingredients to look forward to in this dish. 

Ingredients for Ginataang Kalabasa

For our calabaza squash, we will need to slice 1 lb. of this into large cubes. And then as for the meat, we have to slice 6 ounces of pork. Also cut 18 pieces of long green beans in half, and chop 2 thumbs of ginger, and 1 onion. If you are comfortable with adding some spiciness, you can chop 3 pieces of Thai chili peppers for the stew too.

We will also utilize 3 tablespoons of shrimp paste, 2 cups of coconut milk, and 1 cup of water. Definitely do not forget about your 5 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, as well as some fish sauce and ground black pepper.

How to Make Ginataang Kalabasa

1. Sautéing garlic, onion, and ginger

First things first, let’s put our cooking oil in a pan. Apply heat. Once the oil is hot, you can toss in your garlic, onion, and ginger. Sauté all of these for just 1 minute.

2. Cooking the pork with Bagoong (shrimp paste)

We should now add our shrimp paste, which we will sauté for 30 seconds. After this, you may place your pork inside the pan too. Cook this up until the meat becomes light brown in color. 

3. Tenderizing the pork in coconut milk

Let’s pour our coconut milk, alongside our water, into the pan. Place your cover on top of the pan, and just wait for the mixture to start boiling. When it does, you can reduce the liquid to a simmer. Keep cooking just until the pork gets tender, which may take around 20 minutes. 

4. Cooking the kalabasa and green beans

It’s time for us to add our calabaza squash. Then you can cover the pan again, and let this cook for 6 minutes. Proceed to place your long green beans and chili pepper in the pan too, and cook everything for 5 minutes more.

5. Seasoning the Ginataang Kalabasa

All you have to do now is add as much fish sauce and ground black pepper as you’d prefer. 

How to Serve Ginataang Kalabasa

And that’s it! Give yourself a round of applause for whipping up plenty of deliciously comforting Ginataang Kalabasa! You can transfer the mixture in your pan to a serving bowl or container of choice. And make sure to eat it while it’s hot. Now I would definitely recommend having some rice on the side for this dish so you can pour your delicious coconut stew over it. 

Together with rice, this makes for a pretty satisfying and tasty meal. But if you are looking for other dishes to serve this with, you can definitely pair this with some fried fish. Fried tilapia is a great additional viand for your rice because the stew tastes amazing with the crispy fish. Other crunchy dishes such as fried chicken and pork chop would also be great with this. 

How to Store Ginataang Kalabasa

Having trouble finishing all of your Ginataang Kalabasa? None of this has to go to waste so long as you do storage right! Just put your leftovers in an airtight container, and then take this to the fridge. Since we are working with coconut milk for this recipe, you can expect that this won’t last too long even while refrigerated. Definitely just keep this in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days so that you won’t end up having anything spoiled.

However, once you are ready to reheat and eat again, it would definitely be best to double check the condition of your Ginataang Kalabasa. If it is giving off a foul smell, definitely throw it away. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Did you like working with this Ginataang Kalabasa recipe? Leave your feedback in the comments below. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions there either!

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