Ginataang Tilapia

Coconut recipes abound in the Bicol region. A province situated east of Manila. It is the location of the major plantations for coconut in the country. It is very interesting place where the majestic Mount Mayon is situated. This recipe which I now share is a variant of the ‘Pesang Tilapia’ recipe. Nevertheless, it really tastes different and the origin of the recipe is from entirely different province in the Philippines.

Ingredient:

1 kg Tilapia, scales removed, cleaned
1/4 kg Native pechay
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced
¼ tsp. Black pepper powder
1 pc. Ginger, fresh, crushed (about a teaspoonful)
¼ cup Coconut vinegar
2 pcs. Long green pepper
1 ½ cup Water for extracting coconut milk
1 pc. Old coconut (Niyog), grated to prepare for extraction of coconut milk (gata)
½ tsp. Iodized salt

Cooking Instruction:

Place the grated coconut in a bowl and add 1 cup of water. Knead and squeeze coconut cream (kakang gata) through a cheese cloth. Set aside and return the residue to the bowl and add the remaining ½ cup of water and again knead. Repeat the extraction procedure using the cheese cloth and set this less rich coconut milk in a separate container.

In a suitable saucepan, add the ginger, garlic, onion, black pepper, fish, salt, the coconut milk that was obtained from the second extraction and the vinegar. Heat until it starts to boil and cover for about five minutes. After five minutes remove cover and let the broth evaporate to a final volume of about ¼ cup. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside. Place the long peppers first followed by the native pechay on the sauce pan, the tougher parts (stalks) of the pechay first followed by the greens on top. Place the fish atop the vegetables and add the coconut cream. When it starts to boil, cover for about five minutes. After five minutes, remove cover and continue heating strongly to reduce the volume of the sauce to about ½ cup. Serve with steamed rice.



Version II

Tilapia in Coconut Milk 
(Ginataang Tilapia)
Ingredients:
4 pieces of tilapia medium sized. Cleaned and inners removed.
ginger about a thumb sized pounded
2 cloves of garlic, pounded
1 onion sliced
2 pieces of long green chili (siling haba)
1 cup of coconut milk
1 bundle of pechay, cleaned and cut in serving portions
some cooking oil

Procedure:
Start by sauteing the garlic, onion and ginger with the cooking oil. Pour half of the coconut cream, put the vegetables then the tilapia and cover. Simmer it over medium fire. As soon as the vegetables have wilted and the sauce starts to thicken add the remaining coconut milk, the chili and a lit bit of salt to taste. Serve hot with rice.