Coconut Squash Stew (Ginataang Kalabasa)
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- soup pot
- sharp knife
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ large kabocha squash deseeded & chopped
- 1 lb (2 cups) long beans chopped into 2" in length
- 1 lb (2 cups) pechay (or bok choy) roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed & minced
- ¼ inch thick ginger minced
- ½ medium yellow onions
- 500 ml (2 cups) coconut milk full fat
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 small bird's eye chili optional
- 1 tsp fresh calamansi or lemon juice optional
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
GREEN BEANS BLANCH INSTRUCTIONS (OPTIONAL)
- Prepare water to boil over a stove top in medium high heat. Wait until water bubbles. On a separate mixing bowl, pour ice cold water to prepare a water bath. Set aside.
- Once the water is boiling, drop in the chopped long beans. And allow it to bowl for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and strain the long beans from the hot water.Immediately drop long beans into the ice cold water to shock. Stir until each bean has submerged in cold water. Your beans should look a little vibrant in color and retain its "crisp" even after cooking when you bite into it.
FOR THE STEW
- Prepare kabocha squash by roughly chopping it into (about 2-inch) cubes. If you are using a whole kabocha squash, cut the squash in half using a sharp knife. Deseed the half you will use and store the other seeded half covered for another time. Then chop into pieces. NOTE: You may peel the squash if you desire beforehand, but using kabocha sqush, I personally leave the skin on as it tenderizes when being cooked. Just make sure it is rinsed off thoroughly.
- Preheat a soup pot to medium heat. Coat the pot with about a tablespoon of oil. Once the pot is heated, sauté onions, ginger, and bird's eye chili pepper until mixture is shimmering and fragrant. Add the garlic and stir. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper.
- Drop in the squash and sauté for a minute with the aromatic flavors. Pour in the water and half the portion of the coconut milk. Stir and place the lid onto the soup pot. Allow it to simmer for about 7-12 minutes (or depending on how hot your stove top is) to tenderize the squash. Check in between to stir. You will know your squash is ready is if you can run a fork through it smoothly.
- Drop in the long beans and stir. If you have blanched your beans beforehand, strain out from the ice cold water and ensure to drain out all the excess liquid. Allow it to simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour the rest of the coconut milk.
- Turn off heat. Add the chopped pechay (or bok choy) and fold into the stew until it shrivels or well combined with the rest of the ingredients. Season with a little bit of salt & pepper to taste to finish and squeeze about a teaspoon of fresh calamansi or lemon juice to balance the flavors together.
- Best served with rice and a side of vegan bagoong.
Notes
Turn this recipe into a heartier stew by adding your favorite plant protein such as tofu, tempeh, soy curls, textured vegetable protein, or even chickpeas.