''Ginataang kalabasa'', also known as ''kalabasa sa gata'', is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

vegetable stew made from

calabaza Calabaza is the generic name in the Spanish language for any type of winter squash. Within an English-language context it specifically refers to what is also known as the West Indian pumpkin, a winter squash typically grown in the West Indies, t ...

in coconut milk and spices. It commonly includes shrimp and yardlong beans and either '' bagoong'' (fermented fish or shrimp) or '' patis'' (fish sauce). It can also be cooked with fish, crab, or meat and a variety of other ingredients. It is a creamy

umami Umami ( from ja, 旨味 ), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It has been described as savory and is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and ...

-laden dish that is naturally slightly sweet due to the calabaza. It is a type of ''

ginataan ''Ginataan'' (pronounced: ), alternatively spelled ''guinataan'', is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with ''gatâ'' ( coconut milk). Literally translated, ''ginataan'' means "done with coconut milk". Due to the general nature of the ...

''.

Names

''Ginataang kalabasa'' is found throughout the Philippines and is known under a variety of names. It is usually anglicized as "squash in coconut milk." It is also known as ''dinuldog'' in Cebuano, ''kalabasa sa gata'' in Tagalog, ''kabasi ha gata'' in Tausug, ''pinggata a babasal'' in Maguindanao and ''nilatik na kalabasa'' in Hiligaynon. The names can also change depending on the secondary ingredient, like ''ginataang kalabasa at hipon'' when shrimp is added, or ''ginataang kalabasa at sitaw'' when yardlong beans are added. In some versions, the secondary ingredient is treated as the main ingredient, although they are still just variations of ''ginataang kalabasa''. Examples include ''ginataang alimango'' (

mud crab Mud crab may refer to any crab that lives in or near mud, such as: *'' Scylla serrata'' *'' Scylla tranquebarica'' *'' Scylla paramamosain'' *'' Scylla olivacea'' *Members of the family Panopeidae, such as '' Panopeus herbstii'' *Members of the ...

s) and ''ginataang alimasag'' (

blue crab Blue crab may refer to: * Blue Crab 11, an American sailboat design * ''Callinectes sapidus'' – Chesapeake or Atlantic blue crab of the West Atlantic, introduced elsewhere * '' Cardisoma guanhumi'' – blue land crab of the West Atlantic * '' Dis ...

s), both of which still include calabaza. When multiple vegetable ingredients are used, the more generalized term ''ginataang gulay'' ("vegetables in coconut milk") is also used to refer to the dish.

Description

The basic recipe for ''ginataang kalabasa'' includes cubed

(''kalabasa'', commonly known in

Philippine English Philippine English (similar and related to American English) is any variety of English native to the Philippines, including those used by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos and English learners in the Philippines from adj ...

as "squash"), coconut milk (''gata''),

coconut cream Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food in ...

(''kakang gata''), ginger,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

s, garlic, and either '' bagoong'' (fermented fish or shrimp) or '' patis'' (fish sauce), and salt and pepper to taste. For convenience, some modern versions substitute the shrimp paste or fish sauce with

monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer wi ...

or commercial granulated seasoning. The garlic and onions are first sautéed in oil on a pan, then the coconut milk with the rest of the ingredients are added. It is cooked in low heat until the squash becomes very tender. The coconut cream is added last and cooked in low heat with constant stirring until the broth thickens.

Variants

The dish is easily modified which results in multiple variants. The most common secondary ingredients for ''ginataang kalabasa'' are yardlong beans cut into lengths and shrimp. Fish, crab, or meat (usually pork) can also be used. A spicy version is also common with the addition of ''

siling haba ''Siling haba'' ("long chili"), ''espada'' ("sword" in Spanish), ''siling mahaba'', ''siling pangsigang'' ("chili for ''sinigang''"), ''siling Tagalog'' ("Tagalog chili"), and sometimes called green chili, finger chili or long pepper, is one of ...

'' and/or ''

labuyo ''Siling labuyo'' is a small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange. It belongs to the species ''Capsicum frutescens'' and is characterized by triangular fruits which grow pointing upwards. The fru ...

''. Other ingredients can include moringa leaves (''malunggay''),

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es,

squash blossom Squash blossoms (called courgette flowers in Great Britain) are the edible flowers of ''Cucurbita'' species, particularly ''Cucurbita pepo'', the species that produces zucchini (courgette), marrow, spaghetti squash, and many other types of squ ...

s, eggplant, and

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

, among others. The calabaza can be substituted with

butternut squash Butternut squash ('' Cucurbita moschata''), known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma, is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has tan-yellow skin an ...

kabocha Kabocha (; from Japanese カボチャ, 南瓜) is a type of winter squash, a Japanese variety of the species ''Cucurbita maxima.'' It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America. In Japan, "''kabocha''" may refer to eithe ...

, especially in western versions. A

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

version of the dish can also be created by using mushroom sauce in place of fish sauce or shrimp paste and leaving out the meat and seafood. ''Ginataang kalabasa'' is differentiated from other types of ''ginataan'' which may also use similar ingredients like ''

ginataang hipon ''Ginataang hipon'' is a Filipino seafood soup made from shrimp in coconut milk and spices. It differs from other types of ''ginataan'' (which also commonly include shrimp), in that it does not use vegetables. It is a type of ''ginataan''. Var ...

'' (shrimp in coconut milk) and '' ginataang ampalaya'' in that the latter dishes do not include calabaza.

References

{{Filipino food Philippine soups Foods containing coconut Vegetarian dishes of the Philippines

Names

Description

Variants

See also

References