Shrimp in Coconut Milk (Ginataang Hipon na may Kalabasa, Sitaw at Malunggay)

Shrimp in coconut milk is a Filipino dish made of squash, horse radish and yard long beans. This vegetable stew is my classic home cooked favorite paired with steamy white rice. The dish has a creamy texture with a nutty flavor from the coconut milk. The squash and the semi-sweet mildly salty shrimp flavors complements the coconut milk really well. Let me tell you the secret on how to make this dish as savory as possible. It might take time to cook but it is totally worth it!

Cooking Tips:

I recommend taking your time boiling the coconut milk in medium to low heat until it releases its natural oil. At the point where the coconut milk starts to release the oils is the stage of heating which generates a distinct taste from the coconut milk that creates a savory flavor but still maintains the creamy texture. In this version of the recipe, I used canned coconut milk since the fresh grated coconut is not available in the grocery near me. But if you can get the fresh coconut milk, it makes the dish even tastier. Fresh ingredients are much better to use in any type of cooking.

As for the shrimp, I used jumbo shrimp with the shell and head still attached. Make sure you clean and wash the shrimp really well, plus do not forget to trim the long tendrils off the shrimp’s head. It may be messy to eat the shrimp with the shell on but it adds most of the flavor you want from the shrimp. After the taste of the shrimp you may want to add more rice onto your plate!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:

• 2 cans coconut milk
• 1.5 lbs. jumbo shrimp head on – rinsed and trimmed tendrils

Note:  The long pairs of threadlike tendrils from the shrimp’s head are trimmed with the use of scissors or a knife.

• 2 cups Yard long beans or sitaw or latoy – cut into 2 inch lengths
• 2 tbsp. shrimp paste or bagoong
• 1 medium sized onion – coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger – finely chopped
• 2 cups squash or kalabasa (calabaza) – trimmed, seeded and cut into cubes
• 8 oz. or 227 grams frozen malunggay or horseradish (moringa oleifera)

     Note: Squeeze out the water from the packaging of frozen malunggay.

• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 red chilis or siling labuyo (capsicum frutescens) – optional
• a pinch salt for taste (add more or less depending on how you like it.)

Instructions:

1. In a pan with heated cooking oil, sautee the garlic until golden brown then add the ginger. In about 1 minute, add the onion and cook until softened in medium high heat.
2. Add the shrimp paste and red chilis. Stir until the aroma of spices and shrimp paste diffuses.
3. Pour in the coconut milk. When the coconut milk starts to boil, adjust the temperature to medium low heat and cook it for 30 minutes.
4. Add the squash and cook it for 7 to 8 minutes. When the squash feels tender but not breaking apart, put in the shrimp for 10 minutes covered.
5. Add the yardlong beans and malunggay leaves and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Season with salt and black pepper.
7. Enjoy with steamy white rice!