Ginataang Isda Recipe – Ginataan, when defined by the word itself, is a term that refers to food cooked with gatâ, which is coconut milk. It also refers to dishes which are eaten with rice during the major meals of the day. When refering to a dish, you need to combine the word/s ginataan na/ginataang with whatever is cooked. An example of this is ginataang hipon, which refers to shrimp cooked in coconut milk. It should be noted that not all dishes cooked with coconut milk has the term ginataan in them. A prime example of this is Bicol Express.
Among the different ginataan dishes is Ginataang Isda. Ginataang Isda refers to fish that is first sauteed with aromatics then cooked in coconut milk. You can otherwise think of it as a fish dish cooked incoconut milk with garlic, ginger, onion, patis (fish sauce) or bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), and salt and pepper. Another thing that makes this fish different is certain versions of it has a note of sourness from vinegar.
When making a Ginataang Isda Recipe, some of the common fishes you can use include tilapia, yellowfin tuna, and blackfin scad. Since tilapia is the more common option, the following is one recipe you can use:
Ginataang Isda
Ingredients
- 2 pieces tilapia cleaned
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 piece onion chopped
- 1 thumb ginger cut into strips
- 2 pieces long green pepper
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 pieces Thai chili pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
- First, we’ll need to heat up some cooking oil in a pot. Once it’s hot, we’ll add in some onion, garlic, and ginger and give it a good sauté. When the onion becomes soft, it’s time to pour in some creamy coconut milk and let it come to a boil. Don’t forget to cover the pot and let it cook for 5 minutes on low to medium heat.
- Next up, we’ll add in some chili peppers and tilapia and let everything simmer together for 12 minutes. Then, we’ll toss in some long green chili peppers and season it with some fish sauce and ground black pepper. Give it a good stir and let it cook for 3 more minutes.
- Now, let’s add in some leafy greens to make it even healthier! Spinach is a great option and only needs 1 minute to cook. Once everything is done, transfer it to a serving plate and serve it hot. Don’t forget to share and enjoy!
Tips and Alternatives to Ginataang Isda
As a stew type of dish, this fish stew is not overly difficult to make. However, like any dish, there are a few things to make it even better. For example, it can help to score the fish to make sure the salt and other seasonings fully penetrate the fish. It also helps to use more oil to ensure an even cooking. Aside from this, you can play around with other leafy greens in the mix. If you want to try another saucy stew dish, there is a twist to a classic called “Vegan Kare Kare.” You can also try other fish dishes like “Fish Escabeche” or “Fried Bangus.”
Otherwise, you can go the complete opposite direction and explore sweet dishes cooked in coconut milk like “Suman sa Lihiya.” You can also try other sweet ginataang dishes like “Ginataang Mais” and “Ginataang Munggo.”
