Pinangat na Isda – A Classic Filipino Soured Fish Stew

Pinangat na isda is a Filipino fish dish, made by stewing fresh fish in a sauce made of tomatoes, onion, green chili, ginger, calamansi juice, pepper and salt. This recipe for pinangat na isda can be made out of variety of fishes including hiwas, galunggong, tilapia and bangus. A low-calorie way to enjoy your fish without the worry of using oil or fat. Try out this comforting traditional Pinangat na Isda recipe, that uses the humble and affordable galunggong isda fish. Simple, full of flavor a homey meal that anyone would be pleased by.

Pinangat na isda recipes are comforting, flavorful, and a great place to start for those wanting to dive into Filipino cuisine and have a fondness for sour flavored dishes. A classic recipe that features fish simmered with tomatoes, souring agents like tamarind or calamansi, chillies and the usual Filipino aromatics. Choosing the best fish for pinangat na isda is the key to making the whole dish as yummy as it can be. Commonly used varieties are bangus ( milkfish ), tilapia, or galunggong ( mackerel scad ). Explore the traditional version or give your own spin on this pinangat recipe. We’re sure you’ll enjoy this home-cooked Filipino food.

Pinangat na Isda Ingredients

• Galunggong – affordable and flavorful. You can also choose to use other types of fishes.
• Tomatoes – a natural souring agent that also adds richness into the soup base.
• Onion and Ginger – adds aroma, warmness, and helps with removing any foul smells the fish may have.
• Green chili – for spice.
• Calamansi juice – gives the dish it’s main source of sourness.
• Salt and Pepper – to taste.
• Water – to simmer everything together.

Pinangat na Isda Recipe :

Ingredients :

• ½ kilo galunggong
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 3 to 5 pieces green chili
• 3tablespoons calamansi juice
• 1 ½ thumb-sized ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2cups water

Steps :

1. Prepare the galunggong. Clean the fish and remove the insides. Score or slit the body of the fish.

2. In a pan, layer the half of the ginger, tomato and onions. Arrange the galunggong in the pan. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ginger, tomato and onions on top of the fish. Add some whole green chilies.

3. Pour the calamansi juice and water. Cover the pan and simmer the pinangat for 15 to 18 minutes using medium heat or until the fish is fully cooked. Baste the sauce onto the fish while cooking to distribute the flavor.

4. Transfer the pinangat into a serving plate and serve with hot steaming rice. Have some fish sauce and chili on the side and enjoy!

Why try this dish ?

You may know GG as galunggong, but here at Yummy Kitchen, we do things extra and the new GG now stands for Gorgeous Galunggong! #Bongga

The word pangat means “to cook in broth for a sour and savoury flavor”. Some people confuse the pinangat with sinigang, mainly because both dishes involves sour fruit like tomatoes or tamarind. One main difference is that pinangat is not that soupy and has a light and simple taste. There are two versions of pinangat: the sour version which uses tomatoes or tamarind and the creamy version popular in the Bicol region which uses gata for ginataang pinangat (” Pinangat na Isda sa Gata Bicol “). This recipe will introduce you to the sour version. This fish entrée best enjoyed with hot steaming rice during lunch.

Try our other Fish dishes :

Questions :

• History of Pinangat

Pinangat na Isda in English literally translates to “To cook fish in a sour broth”.

Pinangat na Isda origin ? Sometimes called “Pangat na Isda” is a Souther Luzon dish that is made by simmering fish or any type of seafood in a sour stewed broth with fruits like tomatoes, calamansi, tamarind, santol, bilimbi, or using vinegar as it’s souring agent. It tastes close to sinigang but not as tart. While it cannot be traced specifically to a certain area in Luzon as these also have many different meanings depending on the region. There are a few notes to know it’s timeline. For example, this was Emilio Aguinaldo’s favorite home cooked dish.

• Pinangat na Isda Calories
  A serving can have around 140 calories.
• What can you add into this Pinangat na Isda sa Kamatis Recipe
  • Pinangat na Isda sa Kamias Recipe – How to cook Pinangat na Isda sa Kamias ? Simply add kamias into the broth with the fish and chillies. You can also give these small slits around the edges for a stronger taste.
  • Pinangat na Isda sa Tuyong Kamias – if you do not have fresh Kamias on hand, you can also buy the dried version and add in a half or a whole handful of these with the fish and chillies, letting it simmer together to bring out the flavor.
  • Pinangat na Tilapia sa Sampalok – For a Pinangat na Isda sa Sampalok recipe, add in the cleaned, slightly crushed sampalok into the pan with the fishes. You can also simmer the sampalok with some water, boiling it together for 20 – 30 minutes, mash, then strain. Using the ‘Sampalok broth’ instead of water for the soup base.
  • Pinangat na Isda sa Suka Recipe – how to cook pinangat na isda sa kamatis but make it more sour? Just add 2 – 3 tablespoons of vinegar into the soup base.
  • “pinangat na isda sa dahon ng saging”

*Do note that if you find the dish too sour, you can add a bit of fish sauce or sugar at a time.

• Other fishes to try :

The more popular options are :

• Pinangat na Tulingan ( Tuna )
• Pinangat na Pampano sa Kamatis
• Pinangat na Bangus sa Sampalok ( Milkfish and Tamarind )
• And other fishes like : Alakaak ( Croaker ), Bakoko ( Bream ), Bisugo ( Threadfin Bream ), Hito ( Catfish ), Bugaong (Silver perch ), Kitang ( Spinefoots ), or Sapsap ( Slipmouth ).

Cooking this very delicious fish recipe is very easy. Basically, you are gonna place everything in a pan and let it cook. Sounds easy, right? Once you have prepared the galuggong, layer them in a pan and let the fish sip in the variety of flavors from the aromatics. Remember to use plump tomatoes for a juicier and sweeter twist! The acidity from the calamansi juice will help get rid of the strong fish smell of the galunggong. Add just enough water. The pinangat is known to have a sauce which almost dries up, or more commonly known as “paiga na”. The sauce may only be a little but do not underestimate the power and burst of flavors in it! The pinangat is done once all of the ingredients are fully cooked. Serve this with hot rice and it will surely boost your day!

Paano magluto ng Pinangat na Isda

Mga Sangkap

• ½ kilo galunggong
• 2 malalaking kamatis
• 1 piraso ng sibuyas
• 3 hanggang 5 piraso ng siling pangsigang
• 3 kutsarang calamansi juice
• 1 ½ thumb-sized luya
• asin at paminta
• 2 tasa ng tubig

Paano Lutuin

1. Ihanda ang galunggong. Linisin ang isda at tanggalin ang mga lamang-loob nito. Hiwaan ang dalawang gilid ng isda.
2. Maglagay ng isang layer ng hiniwang luya, sibuyas at kamatis. I-arrange ang mga galunggong sa ibabaw ng mga ito. Budburan ng asin at paminta ang mga isda. Ilagay ang mga natitirang luya, sibuyas at kamatis. Maglagay ng chopped chilies.
3. Ilagay ang calamansi juice at tubig. Takpan ang kawali at hayaan itong maluto ng 15 hanggang 18 minuto gamit ang katamtamang apoy o hanggang maluto ang isda. I-baste ng sabaw ang mga galunggong habang naluluto para madistribute ang flavor.
4. Ilipat ang pinangat sa isang serving plate at ihain kasama ang mainit na kanin. Enjoy!

This Pinangat na Isda sa Calamansi recipe is a delicious regional take on the classic Filipino Fish dish. Known fir it’s tangy rich flavor and simple preparation. This Pinangat na Isda Recipe Filipino style is popularly make in many households and street-stall cafeterias. A delicious and very flavorful dish you can enjoy with loads of rice, and turn soupy to comfort you during the colder weather months.