Looking for a healthy and tasty main dish? Ginisang Gulay is made of nutritious vegetables and protein-packed shrimp you'll feel good serving the whole family. Plus, it's super easy to make and budget-friendly, too!
G and I chanced upon a farmer's market en route to San Diego last weekend and decided to make a quick pit stop to check what was available. The outdoor market was reasonably sized, housing about a dozen stalls and a wide array of products from cheeses and cured meats, artisan bread, pastries, jams and preserves, herbs and spices, to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Much to G's chagrin, our quick pit stop turned into a good hour as I wanted to stop at every stall and poke around. Ha! He should have known better than to let loose a food blogger in a farmer's market.
I was very pleased with the few things I bought, but I have to say, my best loot of the day was the organic Asian vegetables I scored for cheap. The okra, Thai eggplant, long beans, patola, and kalabasa were far crisp and fresh than the ones I usually find at Seafood City, and I quickly turned them into a pot of ginisang gulay the next day.
If you're looking for a simple and economical dish you'll feel good serving the whole family, this stew must be on your list! With a hodgepodge of nutritious vegetables and protein-packed shrimp, it's healthy as it is tasty.
Ingredient substitutions
- Protein- the recipe uses shrimp, but you can substitute diced pork or grilled fish
- Vegetables- you can also include patani, malunggay, or kamote
- Fish sauce- adds umami flavor; you can swap it with shrimp paste or salt
Quick tip
Add the vegetables according to what cooks longer, such as calabasa first, patola last.
How to serve and store
- Enjoy this nutritious vegetable dish with steamed rice, fried fish, or grilled meat for a delicious lunch or dinner.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals or in a saucepan over medium heat to 165 F.
More vegetable recipes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 cups water
- ½ small calabasa, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 bunch long beans (sitaw), ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 3 Thai eggplants, ends trimmed and quartered
- 2 medium ampalaya, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 8 pieces okra, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 2 medium patola, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add tomatoes and cook, mashing with the back of a spoon until softened and release juices.
- Add shrimp and cook just until color changes.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add water and bring to a boil.
- Add calabasa and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until half-done.
- Add long beans and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add eggplant, ampalaya, and okra, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add patola and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender yet crisp.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
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.”
ruben says
nice recipe, thanks
KB says
After boiling the water, do I leave it boiling or bring it to a simmer?
Jeremy says
Looks simple and easy to cook. But definitely looks healthy and delicious because this is a ginisang gulay recipe.
a. p. zamora says
Hello! Won't the ampalaya be a bit on the bitter side if you just cut it up and cook directly without soaking the strips in salted water?
Marissa T. Dia says
Thank you for sharing your recipes from your book recipes, I surely will try them all specially the vegetables and desserts. God bless you with your advocacy!
Lalaine says
You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the recipes and find them useful 🙂
Clarita says
Hi Lailane I'm so blessed with you recipes in fact I've tried some of them already.Thank you so much in sharing them!
Lalaine says
Thank you, Clarita. I am glad you find the recipes useful 🙂
Teresita Auwaerter says
Hi Lalaine,
Love your website! My family is from Pampanga in a barrio, Margot, Angeles City, next to what was once Clarkfield Air Force Base. We moved to Keywest, FL since 1969 and have not been back since. I learned to cook Filipino foods from my mom’s good friends (Navy wives) and their many, many potlucks. I currently live in Miami, FL, married to an all American guy for 45 years who loves Filipino foods and have since learned to cook his favorites! We both love to cook and I’m always looking for good recipes not just find something new and different but to compare to what I already know.
I don’t have any children but I work in a busy Trauma ICU and I love to bring food to feed all my adopted “work children “. They call me Momma Terry and the Filipinos call me Tita Terry. Love of good food is our common bond, where there are Filipinos there’s good food! I encourage my young friends to cook for their families or just for themselves instead of fast foods, take outs or spending too much money going out all the time. That is why I’m so happy to land on your website I have somewhere to send them for good recipes and learn good methods, not so intimidating for beginners.
Looking forward to this gastronomic adventure with you. Thank you for sharing your talent and heart through your recipes.
Tita Terry
Lalaine says
Thank you so much, Tita Terry, for the feedback. I am glad you're enjoying the recipes 🙂
angelita laxamana says
hi there,
komusta kayu pu? i'm pure kapampangan from San Fernando,Pampanga. ilove to cook
and i'm enjoying your recipes.
nanu ing difference ning menu (ginisang gulay) from our pinakbet?
thanks,
angie
Lalaine says
Almost pareho lang including the vegetables. The difference lang I used fish sauce instead of shrimp paste na ginagamit sa pinakbet 🙂
aravelagrace says
owh....... thanks for share your ideas. to how to make ginisang gulay
Lalaine says
You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
mico says
when would i put the roma tomatoes?
Lalaine says
Hello Mico
I corrected the recipe 🙂
Jhake Orinion says
I just want to say thank you for sharing us your recipes. I may may not be able to use all the recipes now for my household, reading the recipes and looking at the pictures of the finished product makes me happy. It's kinda therapeutic.
Dinah says
Comfort food! brings back memories of my lola going around the bukid and coming back with all these, plus patani for either bulanglang or ginisang gulay! Yummy!
marcelina says
Lalaine I'm in San diego, let me know the next time you are down and have a bit of extra time I'd love to meet you and have you over 🙂 this dish is simple bit SO good ! Comfort food for sure
Lalaine says
Hello Marcelina
Oh wow, what a missed opportunity! I will email you next time. I'd love to meet up and have lunch 🙂