What's for dinner tonight? Try this Ginataang Gulay, and make sure to have plenty of steamed rice ready. This vegetable stew with pork and shrimp is creamy, flavorful, and sure to hit the spot!
My daughter came down from Northern California last month to spend her birthday week at home. As usual, our mother and daughter bonding involved delicious trips to our favorite restaurants.
One of these favorite places is an establishment in Artesia called Crispy House, formerly known as Magic Wok. If you ever find yourself near Pioneer and Artesia Blvd and in great need of good Filipino food, I urge you to try this place.
The restaurant itself is far from fancy, just a hole in the wall tucked in the corner of a decrepit shopping center. But, my peeps, the food! Their crispy pata alone makes them, in my book, the best Filipino restaurant in California!
Although there is no one dish on their menu we've tried and didn't like, we mostly order the same two things every time: crispy pata, which the restaurant is primarily known for, and ginataang gulay to pair with the succulent pork morsels.
Guys, I can be pretty badass with a can of coconut milk in the kitchen, but I admit that their version of ginataang gulay leaves mine in the dust! It was so delicious; I had to re-create it at home.
Vegetables to use
I used green jackfruit (langka), eggplant (talong), green beans (Bagiuo beans), and kabocha (kalabasa) in the recipe, but feel free to add or substitute vegetables you have on hand. A few favorites I like to use in ginataan are bittermelon (ampalaya), yard long beans (sitaw), and moringa leaves (malunggay).
Cooking tips
- The recipe calls for frozen or canned green jackfruit which are available at most Asian supermarkets in the U.S.
- If using fresh jackfruit, increase coconut milk to 4 cups and cook longer as the vegetable takes a few more minutes to cook than when canned or frozen.
- If you don't have or don't like shrimp paste (bagoong alamang), you can substitute fish sauce to add an umami flavor.
- For a hint of spice, add minced Thai chili peppers.
Serving suggestions
Serve these creamy vegetables in coconut milk as a main or side dish for lunch or dinner. Pair with steamed rice, fried fish, or grilled meat for a hearty and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ pound pork belly, cut into 1-inch strips
- ½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 2 cans (13.5 ounces each) coconut milk
- 8 ounces frozen young green jackfruit, thawed and cut into 1-inch pieces or 1 (20 ounces) can young green jackfruit
- ½ medium calabasa, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 12 pieces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into halves
- 2 medium eggplant, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch thickness
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Add shrimp and cook just until the color changes to pink.
- Add shrimp paste and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add coconut milk. Simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced.
- Add jackfruit and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add kalabasa and cook until tender but not falling apart.
- Add green beans and eggplant and continue to cook until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Elsa says
Hi Lalaine.
I did a little tweaking on your ginataang gulay recipe. I love ginger, so I added a bit of ginger and a bit of fish sauce. I also omitted the pork belly and the shrimps. It still turned out really yummy! It reminded me of the Philippines. Thank you so much for sharing all your fabulous recipes! : )
Lalaine Manalo says
Glad the recipe worked well for you!
Elsa says
Hi Lalaine.
I did a little tweaking on your ginataang gulay recipe. I love ginger, so I added a bit of ginger and also added a bit of fish sauce. It turned out really yummy! It reminded me of the Philippines. Thank you so much for sharing all your fabulous recipes! : )
MaryGrace Alindayu says
We add some okra! Your dish makes me hungry everytime you posted a recipe. More power Ma'am Lalaine!
How about Laing?
Thank you if you have an original recipe of "Laing."
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi MaryGrace! Okra does sound good. Here is our recipe for Laing.
Cecille says
I cooked this for dinner n we luv it! Green jackfruit - canned or frozen was not available. Substituted it with okra. Yum!
Lalaine says
Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it:)