Featured Dishes
Ginataang Gulay
Here’s a simple yet satisfying meal that tastes very much like home. Most vegetables or gulay in Filipino cooking are either boiled or sautéed then enhanced with salt and pepper, fish sauce, fish or shrimp paste. Some cook the vegetables in coconut milk (gata) through a process called ginataan. Coconut cream is then added at the end for an even richer flavor and thicker consistency. It’s one comforting dish that’s best enjoyed with a steaming bowl of rice.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup PAMANA fish sauce
- 1 cup canola/coconut oil
- 8 oz. seasonal squash, cubed
- 8 oz. green beans, sliced diagonally
- 8 oz. eggplant, cubed
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 cup red onions, diced
- 1 thumb-sized ginger, minced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, pounded and minced
- 2 quarts vegetable stock (or water)
- 2 cans PAMANA coconut milk
- 1 small squash, roasted, de-seeded and pureed
- 8 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
- 2 tbsp ginisang bagoong
- 2 tbsp dashi (optional)
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced diagonally
- 1 tbsp fried garlic
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In separate bowls, toss the squash, beans, and eggplant with 2/3 of the oil and fish sauce. Coat evenly.
- Lay them out onto a pan lined with baking sheet then roast in the oven until nicely browned and fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Take them out and set aside.
- In a pot, heat the remaining oil over medium to high heat. Add garlic, red onion, ginger, and lemongrass, stirring often until caramelized.
- Pour in 1 quart of the stock and two cans of coconut milk. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer. Make sure to regularly stir to avoid burning the bottom.
- Once it simmers, reduce heat and let it cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the puréed squash to the pot until well blended.
- Stir in the mushrooms and let the umami taste add a layer of flavor to the ginataan sauce.
- Add the bagoong and fish sauce incrementally until you reach the desired saltiness.
- Arrange your vegetables in a bowl, then pour the ginataan sauce over.
- Garnish with scallions and fried garlic, then serve with a steaming bowl of rice. Enjoy.
