Ginataang is a term used to describe a variety of Filipino comfort food cooked with coconut. Rich, fragrant canned goods can be prepared in no time. Lawrence Letrero of Bayan Ko, Chicago, shared this recipe, which includes vegetables such as hearty sweet potatoes, colorful Japanese eggplants, and snappy haricots vertes in the Filipino dish. Feel free to customize this and use your favorite seasonal vegetables to make it famous year-round.
“Ginataang Gulayis a traditional Filipino dish,” Letrero says. In Tagalog, “gulay” means “vegetable,” and “ginataang” means to cook or do with coconut milk. At the restaurant, we like to keep our dishes traditional but add our twist. Bayan Ko’s version of ginataang gulay cooks the vegetables separately to maintain their integrity.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces haricots verts, halved crosswise (about 1 1/4 cups)
- Two medium zucchini cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons (about 3 cups)
- Three medium Japanese eggplants cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons (3 cups)
- One pound of sweet potatoes peeled into 1-inch pieces and about 3 cups.
- Three tablespoons of canola oil
- One large white onion, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- Ten garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about two tablespoons)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 (13.6-ounce) cans of unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus mint leaves for garnish
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
- Three tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- One teaspoon of sambal oelek or chile paste
- Serve cooked jasmine Rice with lime wedges.
Directions
- Bring a large pot with salted water to a high boil. Cook the vegetables in separate batches (in this order, haricots verts, zucchinis, eggplants, and sweet potatoes) until they are almost al dente. For haricot verts, it takes 1 minute 30 seconds; for eggplant and zucchinis, 2 to 3 minutes; and for sweet potatoes, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a baking tray and set aside.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven on medium. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onion has softened.
- Stir in coconut cream, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to remove browned bits. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Fold in spinach for about 1 minute until it starts to wilt. Stir in the reserved vegetables. Stir occasionally while cooking on medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro, mint scallions, lime juice, and sambal. To taste, season with black pepper and salt. Serve with lime wedges and rice, and garnish with mint and cilantro leaves.
