Is it just me or can’t you also get enough of the heavenly Ginataan dishes of Bicol! Ah, the genius combination of the creamy coconut milk and the spicy savory flavors of chilies can never go wrong! It doesn’t matter what the main ingredient is, it could be meat, fish, seafood, or even vegetables. Every Ginataan dish is special and it will certainly blow your minds away!
The Bicolano Region of the Philippines is known for its iconic Ginataan dishes. It is sometimes spelled as “guinataan”, which means food cooked with coconut milk or “gata”. Some of the famous Ginataan dishes in our country include Laing, Adobo sa Gata, Ginataang Tilapia, Ginataang Kalabasa, Gising Gising, and the all-time favorite, Bicol Express. See? All of these dishes are ultimate appetizers that will surely make you go for another round of rice! Whatever it is that you pair with coconut milk and a handful of chilies will surely be a blockbuster dish. Mark my words!
Today, we are lucky because Filipino Recipes Guide will teach us how to cook yet another blockbuster dish that everyone will absolutely love! I’m talking about their Ginataang Tambakol Recipe. Before we begin, let us first know more about our main ingredient, Tambakol. Tambakol is also known as Yellowfin Tuna in other countries. This fish commonly has a mild and meaty flavor. Its firm meat makes it a perfect main ingredient for our Ginataan cooking procedure which usually takes hours. But don’t worry! Everything will be worth it once your family and friends tell you how much they love your new recipe!
Alright. Now that we know everything about our recipe for today, let’s begin. We’ll now start cooking our delicious Ginataang Tambakol!
Ginataang Tambakol Recipe
Oh, you don’t have to worry about anything! All of the ingredients we’ll use for this recipe can easily be found in local markets and grocery stores. The cooking procedure is also simple and very easy so I’m sure you won’t have any problems!
To start, the ingredients we’ll need are garlic, onion, green chilies, red chilies, ginger, salt, pepper vinegar, and of course, coconut milk or “gata” and Tambakol. The red chilies are optional but if you’re into spicy and savory delicacies, then you might as well add lots of them!
We’ll start preparing this dish by thoroughly cleaning the Tambakol. To do that, simply wash it then remove the gills and guts before slicing into bite-sized pieces. After that, make sure to season the fish with salt. Now we’ll proceed on cooking the fish. In a cooking pan, add the fish, vinegar, garlic, onion, and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil with medium heat and keep on cooking the fish for about 5 minutes or until it becomes soft and fragrant.
Once that happens, adjust the flame to high heat and then add the coconut milk. Stir the mixture thoroughly but be careful not to break fish. You would want it to be firm and whole for results! Now, once the mixture comes to a boil, let it simmer for 5 more minutes to achieve that firm and flaky consistency of the meat. While doing that, you can also adjust the consistency of the sauce depending on your taste by adding more water or coconut milk.
Finally, you can now add the green and red chilies to have that extra kick of spice! Season it with salt and pepper according to your preferences and voila! You have now successfully cooked your own version of the Ginataang Tambakol at home. Simply transfer it to a serving plate, partner it with a freshly-cooked cup of rice, and prepare an ice-cold juice or soft drink for the best experience. Enjoy!
How about it? Simple yet tasty, right? I told you it was easy! I’m sure your family and friends will love your newest addition to your menu, the heavenly Ginataang Tambakol. You can also try other kinds of fish, the procedure is quite the same after all, so I suggest you give them a try!
Did you like our Ginataang Tambakol Recipe? Well, you know what to do! For more quick and exciting Filipino dish recipes, follow Filipino Recipes Guide.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole regular sized Tambakol about 1kg or half of a big size Tuna
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 small onion sliced-2 tbsp. palm vinegar
- 3 pcs green chilis
- 1 pc. chopped red hot chili optional if you want it extra hot
- ginger about an inch, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste pepper must be the whole grain but ground a bit
INSTRUCTIONS
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Clean fish by removing its gills and guts then slice to serving pieces. Season with salt.
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Cook the fish by steaming them with vinegar (paksiw). In a cooking pan add the fish, garlic, ginger, onion, and vinegar, bring to boil in medium heat and continue cooking the fish in low heat for about 5 minutes until the meat is soft and fragrant.
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Adjust the heat to high and add the coconut milk (don’t stir too much – so that the fish will not break apart).
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Bring to boil, Simmer for about 5 minutes. Adjust thickness of sauce by slowly adding water up to desired consistency.
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Drop the whole green chilies and the chopped hot chili. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
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Transfer into a serving plate and serve with hot rice and enjoy!
