Ginataang Puso ng Saging sa Tulingan

Ginataang Puso ng Saging sa Tulingan or “Coconut stewed Banana Heart and Mackerel Tuna” is a dish that is a simple but very filling, savory, and spicy dish made of puso ng saging ( banana heart ), cooked in water, salt, and vinegar, before being strained and set aide before frying the tulingan ( mackerel tuna ). Later on, make the base sauce of sauteed ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes, pepper, coconut milk, coconut cream, fish sauce, with some green and red chillies. Simmer everything together and you’re done!

Ginataang Puso ng Saging sa Tulingan Recipe :

Ingredients

• 1 medium puso ng saging ( banana heart )
• Water
• Salt 
• Vinegar
• 4 pieces tulingan ( mackerel tuna ), halved with the bones removed
• Pepper 
• 1 thumb-sized ginger ( sliced )
• 4 cloves garlic ( minced )
• 1 medium onion ( chopped )
• 2 medium tomatoes ( chopped )
• 2 cups coconut milk ( pangalawang piga )
• Fish sauce to taste
• Red and green chillies
• 1 cup coconut cream

Steps:

1. Prepare a pot halfway filled with water, add some salt and vinegar. Cut the end of the banana heart, remove the outer part, slice in half and take out the core. Slice thinly.
2. Place the sliced banana heart in the pot of vinegar water. Mix, cover and cook at medium heat for 20 – 30 minutes. Strain and press out the excess water. Set aside.
3. Season the tulingan with salt and pepper. Fry in a pan with some oil until light brown. Then take this out. 
4. In another pan, add a bit of the oil and saute ginger, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Cook till all these are soft and tender. Mix in the cooked banana blossoms.
5. Add in the fried tulingan and coconut milk. Cover and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Add pepper and fish sauce to taste. Then add red and green chillies for a bit of spice.
6. Pour in coconut cream and give this a good stir. Cook at low heat until the sauce thickens. Serve hot.

What is Tulingan ?

Tulingan or in English “Baby Tuna” or “Mackerel Tuna”  is a glistening silver-with a blue colored top fish that is not only high in omega acids, but like other fishes have many benefits to the body such as lowering cholesterol, improving blood circulation, and many more. You can find this fish used in Filipino dishes like Ginataang Tulingan ( coconut stewed ), stuffed Tulingan,  or simply fried. While not many have heard of the term “Tulingan” which is a term coined by some provinces in the Philippines, if one would try to find this fish, it is still more common to hear someone ask for ‘mackerel’, small or ‘baby’ sized mackerel especially at cities.

How to make Ginataang Puso ng Saging sa Tulingan Recipe

To make this interestingly filling and protein filled Yummy dish all one needs to do is prepare the banana heart; to do this prepare a pot of water with some salt and vinegar. Then remove the end of the banana heart, as well as the outer layer till you reach the tender and yellow heart, slice this in half to easily remove the ‘core’ or the hard middle. Discard the outer layer and core, then slice the leftover hearts into thin slices. Place these into the vinegar water, give it a quick mix, cover and simmer for a few minutes till these are tender. This helps with the banana heat’s texture as well as removing the sticky sap or liquid that it has. Strain and squeeze out as much of the water as you can.

To prepare the fish, clean, chop the fish in half, and debone the fish before seasoning these with salt and pepper. Fry these in a pan with enough oil until both sides have turned brown. In another pan, make the base by sauteing ginger, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Cook till these are aromatic and the tomatoes are soft enough to crush. Then add in the cooked banana hearts, fried tulingan, and coconut milk. Cover and cook these all together for a few minutes before adding in pepper and fish sauce for the tangy and salty flavors, mixing then giving this a taste, adding a little at a time. For some spice, add in some chillies then pour in coconut milk to add more of the ‘sauciness’. Mix well and let this cook at low heat to simmer the flavors together and to help thicken the sauce. Serve with some rice on the side.

Other Yummy Coconut Recipes!

• Coconut Banana Blossom Shrimp
• Ginataang Alimasag ( crab with Coconut Milk )
• Fruity Maja Blanca ( a Filipino milky pudding with fruits )
• Coconut Macaroons
• Mango Pudding

Ginataang Puso ng Saging sa Tulingan Resipi: (Tagalog version)

Mga Sangkap :

• 1 piraso puso ng saging
• Tubig
• Asin
• Suka
• 4 piraso tulingan, hiniwa sa dalawa, at tinanggalan ng mga tinik
• Paminta
• 1 daliring luya ( hiniwa )
• 4 butil ng bawang ( tinadtad )
• 1 sibuyas ( tinadtad )
• 2 pirasong kamatis ( tinadtad )
• 2 tasa coconut milk ( pangalawang piga )
• Patis panlasa
• Pula at berdeng sili
• 1 tasa coconut cream

Paano Lutuin :

1. Maghanda ng palayok na pinuno ng kalahating tubig at halulan ito ng asin at suka. Hiwain ang dulo ng puso ng saging, tanggalin ang labas na balat, hiwain ng kalahati at tanggalin ang ubod. Hiwain ng maninipis.
2. Ilagay ang mga hiniwa na puso ng saging sa ginawa na sukang-tubig. Haluin, takpan, at lutuin sa katamtamang init ng 20 – 30 minuto. Salain at tanggalin ang mga sobrang tubig. Itabi.
3. Kuskusin ang mga tulingan ng asin at paminta. Iprito ang mga ito sa kawali na may konting mantika. Lutuin hanggang mag kayumanggi. Pagkatapos, tanggalin.
4. Sa ibang kawali, lagyan ng kaunting mantika at lutuin ang luya, bawang, sibuyas, at kamatis. Lutuin hanggang lumambot. Haluin ang nilutong puso ng saging dito.
5. Isama ang pritong tulingan at coconut milk. Takpan at lutuin ng 10 – 15 minuto. Haluan ng paminta at patis depende sa panlasa. Lagyan din ng mga sili para umanghan.
6. Buhusan ng coconut cream at haluin ng mabuti. Lutuin sa mababang init hanggang kumapal ang sarsa. Ihanda habang mainit.