Ginataang Galunggong Recipe

This Ginataang Galunggong Recipe or Short fin Scad simmered in a savory spicy creamy coconut sauce is an affordable yet delicious dish that’s sure to fill you up and satisfy your tastebuds. All you need are galunggong and eggplants, fried then taken out to make the base sauce made of ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, coconut milk, fish sauce, vinegar, pechay, green and red chillies. It’s a quick 5 step dish that’s sure to be your go-to meal when you want something healthy and easy to make.

Ginataang Galunggong Recipe :

Ingredients :

• 1 kilo galunggong
• 2 pieces eggplant ( sliced )
• 1 thumb-sized ginger ( sliced )
• 3 cloves garlic ( minced )
• 1 medium onion ( sliced )
• 2 medium tomatoes ( chopped )
• 2 cups coconut milk
• Pepper to taste
• Fish sauce to taste
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 bunch pechay
• 3 – 5 green chilies
• Red chillies
• Oil for frying

Steps :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the eggplants until golden. Take these out. Fry the galunggong until golden, flipping if needed. Set aside.

2. In another pan, heat some oil and saute ginger for a bit before adding the garlic, cooking until aromatic. Then add in the onions and cook until slightly softened.

3. Add the tomatoes and saute for a minute. Pour in coconut milk, turn the heat to low and bring to a boil. Mix in pepper and fish sauce, cook for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens.

4. Add in vinegar and let this simmer until the smell evaporates. Add back the fish and cook for 5 – 7 minutes or until the sauce has reduced. 

5. Add in green chillies, pechay, fried eggplants, and red chillies. Cook until the pechay looks wilted. Serve.

Why are Galunggong so Popular in the Philippines ?

Galunggong or “Round Scad” is a well abundant fish found in the Philippines. These small fishes usually live in coastal areas and are often the more affordable option compared to other fishes in the wet market. It’s a relevant inexpensive product so commonly bought and eaten it’s seen as a barometer of the Philippine’s economy. Not only are these cheap yet healthy, it’s also a versatile fish that can be cooked, sautéed, simmered, stewed, frilled, or boiled. A staple of many households, you can find a long list of recipes from the traditional Paksiw na Galunggong or Adobong Galunggong to the more modern dishes like Ginataang Adobong Galunggong and many more.

Read more about Galunggong history, health benefits, and Yummy recipes here “What are Galunggong” ?

How to cook this  Ginataang Galunggong Recipe?

Sometimes called “Ginataang Galunggong with Pechay” or “Ginataang Galunggong with Talong” depending on the vegetable being used or added. To make this humble scad fish and vegetable stewed in a savory spicy coconut sauce dish. All you need to do is; first fry your choice of vegetable. For this dish, we’re using eggplants, which are sliced in half then sliced again to make it easier to cook and plate. Once both sides have been fried, take these out and fry the galunggong in the same pan. After it looks golden, take these out as well. 

In another pan, saute your aromatics-ginger, garlic, and onions until these smell aromatic and the onions look tender. Then add in the tomatoes to give the dish a savory richer taste, cooking until these are easy to crush. Then pour in the coconut milk. Let this simmer at low heat before adding in the ish sauce and pepper. Simmer just until it thickens then pour in some vinegar. You want to leave this unmixed until the vinegary aroma slightly or fully subsides. This will give you a nice smooth tangy flavor rather than a really strong sharp tangy taste. Place in the fish and cook for a few more minutes just to reduce it further. Then add in your leafy vegetables like pechay, add back the eggplants, and depending on how strongly spicy you want it to be add a handful or less of green or red chillies. Simmer for a few minutes, giving it a taste and add more fish sauce or pepper if needed before serving with a side of freshly cooked rice.

Questions

• Using other meats
  • You can also try other fishes like Jack / Cavalla or Pompano to make “Ginataang Talakitok Recipe” . The Talakitok or Pompano has a delicately subtly sweet and mild flavor.
  • Or try using tuna, or Filipino tuna. How to cook Ginataang Tulingan? Simply prepare your tuna, ‘steak cut’ to really help absorb the sauce. Pat dry with a kitchen towel before following the recipe below.

• Additional Ingredients 

There are a lot of gintaang version of this dish. The most popular are the galunggong recipes with gulay ( or vegetables stewed in coconut sauce ). The most common combinations like “Ginataang Galunggong with Kalabasa” or the recipe below just with the addition of squash. For a more fibrous option, “Ginataang Galunggong with Malunggay” is also a well liked version of the dish.

Try our other Gintaang Recipes :

• Ginataang Manok at Kalabasa Recipe ( Chicken and Squash simmered in coconut stew)
• Pork Ginataan
• Shrimp in Coconut Milk  
• Coconut Macaroons
• Maja Blanca ( Filipino Coconut Pudding )

Ginataang Galunggong Resipi ( Tagalog ) :

Mga Sangkap :

• 1 kilo galunggong
• 2 piraso ng talong ( hiniwa )
• 1 daliring luya ( hiniwa )
• 3 butil ng bawang ( tinadtad )
• 1 sibuyas ( hininwa )
• 2 kamatis ( hiniwa ng maliliit )
• 2 tasa ng gata
• Paminta panlasa
• Patis panlasa
• 3 kutsarang suka
• 1 bungkos pechay
• 3 – 5 siling mahaba
• Pulang sili
• Mantika panprito

Paano Lutuin :

1. Maginit ng mantika sa kawali. Lutuin ang mga talong hanggang mag-golden. Tanggalin sa kawali at iprito ang mga galunggong. Pag nag kayumanggi na ang bawat gilid nito tanggalin at itabi.
2. Sa ibang kawali, uminit ng mantika at lutuin ang luya bago haluan ng bawang, lutuin hanggang bumango. Haluan ng mga sibuyas at lutuin hanggang lumambot.
3. Haluan ng mga kamatis at lutuin ng 1 minuto. Buhusan ng gata, ibaba ang init at pakuluan. Haluan ng paminta at patis, lutuin ng ilang minuto o hanggang kumapal ang sarsa.
4. Ihalo ang suka at pakuluin hanggang mawala ang amoy nito. Ibalik ang isda at lutuin ng 5 – 7 minuto o hanggang kumonti ang sarsa.
5. Haluin dito ang mga siling mahaba, pechay, pritong talong, at nga pulang sili. Lutuin hanggang lumanta ang pechay. Ihanda habang mainit pa.