Have you ever craved a simple viand cooked with coconut milk that goes well with the hot rice? — Well, I did.
See, there’s no better pair for this kind of recipe than Kalabasa (a.k.a. pumpkin, gourd, or squash) and Sitaw (a.k.a. yardlong bean, asparagus bean, Chinese long-bean, long-podded cowpea, snake bean, pea bean, Bodi/bora).
Since it’s confusing to use all the terms, we’ll use Kalabasa or squash and Sitaw from here onwards.
But there was a time last year (2020) that the squash price per kilo soared high, up to almost Php90. That was according to our Suking Tindahan near us. So, I shunned them for a while.
Time has changed, though. Some commodities already went back to their original prices, that includes our friend squash. The cravings also went back.
Now is the time to enjoy the Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw!
Aside from being nutritious and healthy, the couple and other ingredients we’ll use don’t cost too much.
The total amount I spent with the ingredients below is only Php100. I’m not kidding!
Other variants of this recipe use pork. But we’re not going to use it here, only the dried fish called Labahita, also known as Surgeonfish.
FYI — Usually, you can buy this dried Labahita, already cut but with no standard size. If you buy them straight from your local market, a piece would weigh around seventy grams and up.
Some resellers pack the pieces individually for the convenience of the buyer.
We’ll be using only seventy grams of Labahita. The dried fish is salty enough to taste our recipe.
We also have another recipe using Labahita. If you are interested, check out that tasty dish HERE.
Another fun fact: For those who don’t know, our so-called experts (scientists who always love to confuse us with their scientific names and jargon) say that one of our main ingredients, Kalabasa, is technically a fruit.
I know, right? It’s perplexing! But there is a good article explaining this, and you can read it HERE if you want to clear up the confusion.
But who cares? For the sake of the majority, I will still tag this recipe as vegetables. And as long as they’re edible, we will cook them!
Tools of the Trade
- Frying pan, or…
- Just a Cooking Pot. (We’ll fry and sauté on it)
- Cooking Spatula and Spoon
- Knife and Chopping Board
- Stove
- Measuring Spoons and Cup
Note: Here in Hearty Tongue, we’re not as meticulous as other food/cooking blogs or channels on the internet. Especially me, Papa Er. I’m a cowboy-like type of a cook if you know what I mean by that term. So, if you’ll see me cooking with a spoon or frying and sautéing on the same cooking pot, that’s me. You can follow what I do or stick with the standards.
So, are we cool? Then let’s go to our kitchen and start cooking our hearty Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw!
Hearty Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw
Description
Looking for a budget-friendly but tasty and hearty viand to enjoy with the family? Here is Hearty Tongue's no-pork recipe of Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw. Let's go ahead and start cooking!
Ingredients
Instructions
Let's Start Cooking!
-
Preparing the Labahita (Surgeonfish)
- Heat the frying pan or the cooking pot (whichever), fry the dried fish in 1 tbsp of canola oil.
- When cooked, turn off the stove; for now.
- Remove the fish from the pot and let it cool down on a plate for a bit.
- Debone or remove the Labahita's flesh from its fishbone.
- Set aside the fish's flesh for a while. (Throw the fishbone away)
-
Cooking the Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw with Labahita
- Turn on the stove and with the same pot with the same oil, sauté ginger for a few seconds followed by the garlic.
- When garlic turns to a golden brown, put in the onion.
- Sauté the aromatics until onion becomes translucent.
- Put in the coconut milk, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil.
- You can let it boil for 7 to 10 min on medium heat or until the liquid reduces.
(But if you're like us who wants some "sabaw," you have the option to put the Kalabasa now inside the pot and simmer for 5 min.) - Now, add the Sitaw and mix it well with the squash. Simmer for another 5 min.
- Last but not least, put the shredded Labahita, ground pepper, and chili powder. Mix the ingredients well to distribute everything evenly. Simmer for 2 min.
- At last, your Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw is ready!
Adding chili powder is optional. But if you want this recipe to be a bit spicier, you can add some more of it to suit your taste. Another option would be using two or three (or more) fresh red chillis (Labuyo). Chop them and sauté together with the aromatics.
Servings 5
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 231kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 14.7g23%
- Saturated Fat 10.5g53%
- Sodium 40mg2%
- Potassium 730mg21%
- Total Carbohydrate 24.3g9%
- Dietary Fiber 7.1g29%
- Sugars 12.8g
- Protein 4.5g9%
- Calcium 7 mg
- Iron 14 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Fruits or vegetables, whatever it may be, the Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw with Labahita is still nutritious!
Serve this viand hot together with a plate of equally hot rice, and you'll have a perfect meal with your family!
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Thanks a lot! See you in the following recipe!
Very easy and simple. Love it!