Kinunot na Tilapia

Kinunot na Tilapia is a specialty dish from the province of Bicol, a warm saucy and hearty dish made of coconut milk and cream, cooked and shredded tilapia, garlic, onion, ginger, vinegar, green and red chillies for some spice, malunggay, with salt and pepper to taste. A very simple and easy to do dish that is packed with flavor and nutrients!

Kinunot na Tilapia Recipe:

Ingredients :

• 1 kilo Tilapia
• 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling)
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced
• 1 thumb ginger julienned
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoon vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cups coconut milk
• Red and green chillies
• 3 cups malunggay
• 1 cup coconut cream

Steps :

1. In a pan, place the sliced ginger in one layer before placing the tilapia on top, season with salt before pouring enough water to cover the fish.
2. Cover and boil for 10 minutes. Take the fishes out and let these cool to room temperature before separating the meat and bones. Set aside.
3. In a pan, heat up oil and saute the julienned ginger, then garlic and onions until aromatic. Add back the fish and saute for a minute.
4. Pour in vinegar and let it simmer till it has evaporated. Mix in salt and pepper, then coconut milk. Cover and simmer till sauce has reduced.
5. Give it a mix before adding the green chili and malunggay. Mix until well combined. Pour in the coconut cream, mix and simmer for 5 minutes at low heat. Add red chillies for more spice.
6. Give it a good mix before serving.

A brief history

A Bicol specialty, the term “Kinunot” means “Shredded” or “Flaked” which pertains to how the fish is prepared. Freshly grated coconut, pounded or squeezed to remove it of its milk, using these as the base to be simmered with a number of spices, malunggay (moringa leaves), chillies, and the choice of flaked fish. Depending on the area it is made the fish used can be as easy to find as the Tilapia, to the more ‘rarer’ and unusual shark, sting ray or mackerel tuna which are easily available in this region of the Philippines. Those versions are more so made for very special occasions since these can usually cost a very hefty price. This dish has some semblance to another Bicol delicacy, the Laing, where the main base of coconut is simmered with aromatics and the addition of meats and or vegetables are added. 

How to make this Kinunot na Tilapia recipe?

The Kinunot na Tilapia ingredients are as follows: The descaled tilapia simmered in a bath of salted water and some ginger to help add flavor and remove any foul or fishy smell. Cook till tender then removed to let it rest till the meat is cool enough to pick apart and separate from the bones. Set the meat aside while we cook the aromatics of ginger, garlic, and onions in a pan at medium heat, then place back the shredded fish, pour in vinegar (not stirring) and just let it cook till the smell evaporates. Add in salt, pepper and coconut milk, bringing it into a simmer, cooking till the sauce reduces a bit, add in some green chillies for a slightly sweet and spicy taste, some malunggay for some fiber and color, giving these a good mix before pouring in the coconut cream, adding more sili/chillies if you like it really spicy, give it a taste and add some sugar instead if its too spicy. Simmer till you get a nicely thick texture as you’d like. Serve while it’s still hot!

Other Kinunot dishes?

• Kinunot na tulingan (a version made with ‘Tulingan’ or ‘Mackerel Tuna’)
• Kinunot na pating (uses ‘Pating’ or ‘Shark’) 
• Kinunot na pagi (replaces the typical fish options with ‘Pagi’ or ‘Stingray’)

Other Yummy Tilapia Recipes!

• Sarciadong TIlapia (Fried Tilapia with a rich tomato base sauce)
• Sinabawang Isda (a spicy Filipino fish stew)
• Sinanglay na Tilapia (Stuffed Tilapia covered in pechay and lemongrass)
• Ginataang Tilapia (a coconut stew based fish recipe)
• Pinaputok na Tilapia (baked stuffed tilapia)
• Garlic Butter Tilapia
• Dinengdeng with Fried Tilapia (Tilapia simmered with eggplant and other vegetables in a spicy-fish sauce based stew)

Kinunot na Tilapia Resipi: (Tagalog version)

Mga Sangkap :

• 1 kilo Tilapia (tinanggalan ng kaliskis)
• 1 kutsarang asin (pang kulo)
• 1 hinlalaki ng luya, hiniwa
• 1 hinlalaki ng luya, julienned
• 4 butil ng bawang, tinadtad
• 1 sibuyas, hiniwa
• 3 kutsarang suka
• Asin at paminta panlasa
• 2 tasa gata (pangalawang piga)
• Pula at berdeng sili
• 3 tasa malunggay
• 1 tasa gata (uang piga)

Paano Lutuin :

1. Sa kawali, lagyan ng hiniwang luya bago ipatong ang tilapia, ipahid ng asin bago punuin (hanggang matakpan ang mga isda) ng tubig.
2. Takpan at pakuluin ng 10 minuto. Tanggalin ang mga isda at palamigin bago himayin at alisan ng mga tinik. Itabi.
3. Initin ang mantika sa kawali at lutuin ang julienned na luya, bawang at sibuyas hanggang bumango. Ibalik ang mga isda at lutuin ng 1 minuto.
4. Ilagay ang suka at pakuluin hanggang sumingaw. Haluan ng asin at paminta, pati ang gata (pangalawang piga). Takpan at pakuluin hanggang kumonti ang sabaw.
5. Ihalo ito bago lagyan ng mga ng berdeng sili at malunggay. Haluin ng mabuti bago lagyan ng gata (unang piga) at pakuluin muli ng 5 minuto sa mababaw na init. Lagyan ng pulang sili kung gusto.
6. Haluin bago ihanda.