FROM DOROTHY HERNANDEZ
Ginataang gulay is traditional Filipino stew that’s typically cooked with shrimp paste and pork. Ginataang refers to cooking with coconut milk and gulay means vegetable in Tagalog. I started making a vegetarian version for my Filipino pop-up restaurant Sarap as an option for plant-based eaters, and it became one of our most popular dishes. The mushrooms, kombu and soy sauce add a lot of umami without taking away
from the star of the dish, which is the squash. I like to use kabocha because of its flavor and creaminess but you can also use any other hard squash.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces sliced mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster and/or king trumpet)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium white onion, halved and sliced into half moons
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1–2 Bird’s Eye chilies, seeded and minced
- 1 small kabocha squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock, plus more if necessary
- 1 piece of kombu (dried seaweed)
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces green beans
Preparation
METHOD
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high until just melted. Arrange mushrooms in skillet in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until bottoms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper, toss mushrooms and continue to cook—tossing often and reducing heat as needed to avoid burning—until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil on medium high. When it starts shimmering add the onions and cook until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chili peppers and cook for a few more minutes, until it starts to make your kitchen smell good. Add the squash and mix it all up in the onion mixture. Sauté for a couple of minutes then cover with the coconut milk, adding enough vegetable stock to make sure all of the squash is covered. Add the kombu and tamari and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cooking until the squash is fork tender (should take about 25 minutes).
While that’s cooking, boil water in another large pot. Once it comes to a boil, drop the green beans in. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Cook the beans for 3–5 minutes, until crisp tender but still bright green. Drain the hot water and dump the green beans in the ice water to stop the cooking.
Add the green beans to the other pot with the squash. Let everything simmer together for a few more minutes to let it all meld. Remove the kombu.
Ladle the squash mixture into a bowl and top with the mushrooms.
Serve with steamed white rice and enjoy!
