Ginataang kalabasa, also known as kalabasa sa gata, is a Filipino vegetable stew made from calabaza in coconut milk and spices. It commonly includes shrimp and yardlong beans and either bagoong or patis. It can also be cooked with fish, crab, or meat and a variety of other ingredients. It is a creamy umami-laden dish that is naturally slightly sweet due to the calabaza. It is a type of ginataan.
Names
Ginataang kalabasa is found throughout the Philippines and is known under a variety of names. It usually anglicized as "squash in coconut milk." It is also known as kalabasa sa gata in Tagalog, kabasi ha gata in Tausug, and nilatik na kalabasa in Hiligaynon. The names can also change depending on the secondary ingredient, like ginataang kalabasa at hipon when shrimp is added, or ginataang kalabasa at sitaw when yardlong beans are added. In some versions, the secondary ingredient is treated as the main ingredient, although they are still just variations of ginataang kalabasa. Examples include ginataang alimango and ginataang alimasag, both of which still include calabaza. When multiple vegetable ingredients are used, the more generalized term ginataang gulay is also used to refer to the dish.
Description
The basic recipe for ginataang kalabasa includes cubed calabaza, coconut milk, coconut cream, ginger, onions, garlic, and either bagoong or patis, and salt and pepper to taste. For convenience, some modern versions substitute the shrimp paste or fish sauce with monosodium glutamate or commercial granulated seasoning. The garlic and onions are first sautéed in oil on a pan, then the coconut milk with the rest of the ingredients are added. It is cooked in low heat until the squash becomes very tender. The coconut cream is added last and cooked in low heat with constant stirring until the broth thickens.
Variants
The dish is easily modified which results in multiple variants. The most common secondary ingredients for ginataang kalabasa are yardlong beans cut into lengths and shrimp. Fish, crab, or meat can also be used. A spicy version is also common with the addition of siling haba and/or labuyo. Other ingredients can include moringa leaves, tomatoes, squash blossoms, eggplant, and okra, among others. The calabaza can be substituted with butternut squash or kabocha, especially in western versions. A vegan or vegetarian version of the dish can also be created by using mushroom sauce in place of fish sauce or shrimp paste and leaving out the meat and seafood. Ginataang kalabasa is differentiated from other types of ginataan which may also use similar ingredients like ginataang hipon and ginataang ampalaya in that the latter dishes do not include calabaza.
