Ginataang Tilapia (Poached Fish in Coconut Milk)
Ginataan is a verb, which means to cook in "gata"
I am on a meatless for lent challenge and to make it more fun and exciting in this space, I’ll be sharing Filipino classic dishes that are fish and vegetable based to show a wider audience that our cuisine is not just about the sisig, adobo and lechon!
#3 in the meatless lent challenge
Ginataan is a verb, which means to cook in “gata” (coconut cream/milk) or alternatively, a noun to refer to food cooked with “gata”.
Ginataang Tilapia.
One of my favourite fish dishes! But rarely cook at home because my family is weirdly put off by coconut. Coconut based dishes are not in their favourites list.
Sigh.
Despite our biological makeup being rooted from the tropics and therefore my expectation is that we are all genetically nuts about coconuts! Actually my family detests anything with coconut - from cakes to soups to stews and chocolates.
They like coconut water, sure! But the intense dislike for coconut dishes intrigues me? *shrugging shoulders*
So by the way, coconuts are not nuts. They are classified as drupes - which are are fruits that are fleshy on the outside and contain a shell covering a seed on the inside
For sake of harmony and understanding, let’s stick to calling coconuts as is and not cocodrupes. Right oh!
As one of the major producers of coconut products (second to Indonesia), naturally the Philippines has endless dishes (and products!) from this tree of life! Imagine the hundreds of by products from a single tree!
From the leaves to the coconut timber!
How about the oils that are used for hair and body treatments! Inay (my maternal grandmother) used to make her own coconut oil used for her beautiful long locks!
From edible to tangible. Have you seen those environmentally friendly coconut bowls used for those beautiful acai recipes.
I will need to round up some “gata” (coconut) based Filipino recipes after this meatless lent challenge! The abundance of coconut in the 7000 islands is an obvious reason for the many uses of coconut in the Filipino cuisine.
Ginataan is a verb, which means to cook in “gata” (coconut cream/milk) or alternatively, a noun to refer to food cooked with “gata”.
The etymology of ginataan stems from the word gata which is the liquid derived from pressing coconut fibres, and the (in) and (an) are the markers indicating the action.
Whichever way you look at it, ginataan dishes are a-plenty in the motherland.
Ginataang tilapia is popular in the Southern Luzon region (the province where I am from) where families and organisations control and sustainably breed this variety of fish - the tilapia. Freshwater aquaculture is one of the major industries in the city of San Pablo Laguna particularly around Lake Sampaloc and Palakpakin, and there are plenty of farm tours, eateries and restaurants where you can eat fresh fish and seafood cooked by locals.
In Australia, there are restrictions in breeding tilapia due to their invasive nature, posing a threat to native biodiversity and are known disruptors of aquatic ecosystems. Apparently tilapia are competing aggressively with local native fish and so are classified as noxious under the Biosecurity Act 2014 in many Australian states including Queensland. In some Australian states, it’s even illegal to possess, sell or release tilapia into waterways.
Tilapia though, gets a lot of bad rap citing bacterial contamination and infections present in the fish in may forums and papers, tracing its origins in Egypt’s Nile River before spreading through other countries. There are claims industrial fish farms use genetic engineering and growth hormones fed into the fish largely for profit. It’s good to be aware of these things. But we can always be conscious consumers without being overly dramatic.
Ingredients
1 piece, about 300-500 gram whole tilapia, scaled and gutted by your fishmonger
2 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
1 medium sized onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 400ml coconut milk
2 long green chillies, sliced
2 red chillies, chopped for topping
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Sprig of coriander or sliced spring onions for garnish
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 bunches bok choy, leaves separated
Method
In a large deep pan, add the oil and turn heat to medium. Add the onions, garlic and ginger in the pan and cook until soft and fragrant.
Add the coconut milk and let is simmer. Add the long green chillies and season with the salt and pepper. Taste. Add more to suit your preference. Optional to use fish sauce.
Add the fish in the pan and let it poach in the coconut milk, simmering for 10 minutes.
Using a flat wide spatula, gently slip the fish to cook the other side. Cook on a low simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Add the bok choy, cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Serve with rice of course!
NOTES:
Any white non oily fish will work for this dish, like barramundi or snapper.
If you’re put off by the fish bones and head, fish that’s filleted can definitely be used. I would stick to thick sturdy fillets like barramundi or cod. If you need more information on what white fish works best for certain dishes, the Kitchn has tips on how to choose the best white fish for a recipe.
This dish cooks really fast - well because it’s fish and you don’t really want to overcook and risk the danger of a fish falling apart before it hits the serving plate. I have added this to my repertoire of 30-minute meals should I ever go into a MasterChef challenge. Not that I will, but hey who knows. LOL!
If you’re a home cook or even if you don’t cook! what would you make for a 30-minute dish challenge? Maybe you can luxe up a pack instant noodles!? Share your 30-minute signature dishes!
Chop suey is my 30-minute dish! It’s my go-to as I am not a big meat eater.
Yummy again! Thanks for the recipe!
As for tilapia: well, my uncle (long retired) who was at UP Los Banos (agriculturalist) also told us that tilapia is "trash fish" and so we've avoided it for years. (I wasn't able to ask him specifically why at the time, wasn't as curious then.)