Fish Pochero Recipe

This Fish Pochero Recipe is a healthier take on the classic meaty Filipino stew. A 45 minute dish that perfectly balances sweet, savory and tangy flavors. A quick to do great filling dish, great for lunch or dinner.

A healthier alternative to the usual pochero. While the classic dish makes use of meats like beef, chicken, or pork, adding in various greens, and saba banana, with some adding chorizo, root crops, and even baked beans. It really depends on the household and sometimes what’s leftover in the pantry. This versatile dish is a nutritious option but still delivers a rich and comforting taste.

Fish Pochero Ingredients :

• Tilapia or Milkfish – or any type of fish. If it’s big, make sure to slice this in half to make it easier to cook. Smaller fishes like Galunggong ( mackerel scad ) just need to have a few slits on both sides.
• Semi-ripe Saba Bananas – make sure these are not too ripe so that it won’t be too mushy when cooked. 
• Potatoes – to fill up the dish, it also has a natural starch to help thicken up the sauce later on.
• Garlic and Onion – aromatics that’ll enhance the dish’s fragrance and taste.
• Green beans – adds a nice crunch into the fish.
• Napa Cabbage – for fiber and texture. It’s best to separate the thicker stalks to the leaves. Stalks take longer to cook, if you cook the leaves and stalk together the leaves may be too fragile and break apart easily when mixed with all the ingredients later on.
• Tomato sauce – where the base flavor of the dish will come from.
• Water – helps with the simmering, to avoid the ingredients from burning at the bottom of the pan.
• Fish sauce – adds a nice fishy tang.
• Salt and Pepper – to taste
• Pork n’ beans – has a nice distinctly sweet and savory taste, depending on the type it might have a smoky and tangy flavor which adds to the richness of the dish.

How to make Fish Pochero

Ingredients :

• 1 kilo tilapia or milkfish ( or any fish, halved )
• 3 – 4 pieces sliced semi-ripe bananas ( saba bananas )
• 2 medium potatoes ( chopped )
• 5 cloves garlic ( minced )
• 1 large onion ( chopped )
• 1 bunch green beans ( sliced )
• 1 bunch napa cabbage ( separate the leaves and stems )
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup pork n’ beans

Steps :

1. Prepare the fish by seasoning with salt. Set aside.

2. Fry the saba bananas in a pan with a bit of oil until light brown. Set aside. Fry the potatoes until light brown and set aside.

3. In the same pan, fry the fishes until both sides have browned. Set aside. Repeat until all the fishes have been fried. Set aside.

4. In another pan, add a bit of oil. Saute garlic until aromatic. Cook in onions until lightly soft. Saute in green beans for a minute.

5. Add in cabbage stems first and cook for a few seconds before pouring in the tomato sauce. Mix well. Pour in the water, add more or less depending on how saucy you want it to be.

6. Bring to a boil at medium heat. Once boiling, season with fish sauce, salt and pepper. Add in a cup of pork and beans, and cabbage leaves. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Add back the fried potatoes and bananas. Give it a little mix before adding back the fried fish. Baste the sauce over the fish. Simmer for a few minutes to let the fish soak in the sauces.

Why should you try this Fish Pochero Recipe? This healthy but still flavorful twist to your usual Porchero recipe combines the rich savory taste of tomatoes, natural sweetness from saba bananas, and tender cooked fish creating a light but filling wholesome meal that’s perfect for any occasion. 

Try our other Yummy Fish Recipes :

Questions: 

• How to fix this Fish Pochero Recipe if it’s too salty?

Make sure to give the dish a taste before adding the fish. If it tastes too salty add a teaspoon or 2 of sugar at a time, mix well. Once it tastes balanced, place in the fish.

• How to store and reheat this dish ?
  • To Store; Cool at room temperature before placing in an airtight container with a lid, or you can also cover this with cling wrap or aluminum. 
  • This can be kept in the fridge for 1 – 2 weeks, and in the freezer for almost a month.
  • To reheat; Place in a microwavable bowl with a lid, heat up for 1 – 2 minutes. Give it a good mix before heating up for 1 more minute. If it’s still lacking, heat up in one minute increments.
  • If using a pan or pot, place the pochero in a pot with ¼ to ⅓ cup of water to avoid the bottom of the pan from burning. Cover the pot or pan, simmer at medium heat until it starts to bubble before serving.
  • If frozen, make sure to thaw it out for 20 -30 minutes before heating.

Simple Fish Pochero Recipe ( Tagalog )

Mga Sangkap :

• 1 kilo tilapia o bangus ( o khit anong isda na hinati sa dalawa )
• 3 – 4 piraso ng saba, hiniwa ng malalaki
• 2 patatas ( hiniwa )
• 5 butil ng bawang ( tinadtad )
• 1 malaking sibuyas ( hiniwa ng maliliit )
• 1 bungkos ng sitaw ( hiniwa )
• 1 ulo ng napa cabbage ( hiwalayin ang tangkay sa dahon )
• 2 tasa ng tomato sauce
• 1 ½ tasa ng tubig
• 2 kutsarita ng patis
• Asin at Paminta panlasa
• 1 tasa pork n’ beans

Paano Lutuin :

1. Ihanda ang mga isa, timplahan ang isda ng asin. Itabi.
2. Iprito ang mga saba sa kawali na may konting mantika hanggang mag kayumanggi. Itabi. Iprito ang mga patatas hanggang mag kayumanggi din at itabi.
3. Sa parehong kawali, iprito ang mga isda hanggang mag kayumanggi ang bawat gilid. Ulitin hanggang ma prito ang lahat ng isda. Itabi.
4. Sa ibang kawali, mag init ng konting mantika. Lutuin ang mga bawang hanggang mabango. Isama dito ang sibuyas at lutin hanggang lumambot. Lutuin dio ang sitaw ng 1 minuto.
5. Ihalo dito ang tangkay ng repolyo ng ilang segundo bago ibuhos ang tomato sauce. Haluin ng mabuti bago haluan ng tubig. Dagdagan o bawasan depende sa gaano ka kapal mo gusto ang sarsa.
6. Pakuluin sa katamtamang init. Pag kumulo na, timplahan ng patis, asin, at paminta. Haluan ng pork and beans at mga dahon ng repolyo. Pakuluan ng 2 – 3 minuto.
7. Ibalik dito ang prinitong patatas at saba. Haluin ng konti bago ibalik ang pritong isda. I-baste ang isda ng sarsa. Pakuluin ng ilang minuto para ma sipsip ng isda ang sarsa.