HOW TO COOK GINATAANG KUHOL (SNAIL IN COCONUT MILK)

Ginataang Kuhol is one of the exotic dishes in the Philippines. To those who were born with a golden spoon in their mouth, Ginataang Kuhol is gross but to others like me who used to eat the “farmers foods”, It is a mouth watering dish. I did not know that Ginataang Kuhol is served in some restaurants in the Philippines until I hangout with some of my friends in a small restaurants somewhere in Nueva Ecija. I was amazed because they served Kuhol in 3 different dishes. We tried the Ginataang Kuhol because it is my Favorite Kuhol dish. We asked the waitress where the Kuhol came from and she said they grew the Kuhol themselves that we don’t need to worry about if it]s clean or not. Here is how to cook Ginataang Kuhol, one of my exotic recipes.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 Kilo of Snail (Kuhol)

* 2 cups of pure coconut milk (or instant)

* 1/2 head of Garlic (crushed)

* 2 medium size Onions (sliced)

* 2 Tbsp. of Ginger (sliced)

* 2 Tbsp. of Shrimp Paste

* 2 cups of String bean 

* Salt to taste

* Hot chilli pepper (optional)

* ½ tsp of ground pepper (or more as desired)

* 1 cup of water

COOKING PROCEDURE

1. In a Casserole, put all the ingredients except Kuhol.

2. Boil and simmer until the coconut milk becomes a little bit thick and when the string bean is cooked.

3. Add the Kuhol and reboil. When boiling, lower the heat.

4. Add chopped red hot chilli.

5. And serve.

HOW TO COOK PINANGAT NA TILAPIA

 

This Pinangat Na Tilapia recipe is very common. I found this recipe in a cookbook a few years ago. I did not know how to cook Pinangat when I was in college and I thought this dish was kind of Advanced cooking dish until I found out that Pinangat is one of the easiest to cook dishes in the planet. You can use tons of fish in Pinangat. You can use Galunggong, Bangus, and even Gurami. I am going to share with you how to cook Pinangat Na Tilapia, the easy version of this dish and then you can make a little twist when you cook it.


INGREDIENTS
1 kilo of Tilapia
Salt to taste (2 tbsp would be advisable)
½ cup of tomatoes (diced)
½ cup of onions (diced)
1 tsp of Tamarind Sinigang Powder

Water

COOKING PROCEDURE:
1. Clean the Tilapia. 
2. Put all the ingredients in a pot except for Tamarind. Make sure that the amount of water will not cover the fish.
3. Simmer until the fish is cooked.

4. Add the Tamarind powder.

5. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

6. Let it rest for 15 minutes and serve.  

IMAGES FOR PINANGAT NA TILAPIA 

HOW TO COOK PINAKBET (TAGALOG STYLE)

Here is another recipe, the Pinakbet which is an authentic Filipino dish. Pinakbet is actually an Ilocano dish but because of its delicious combinations of vegetables it became popular in the country until it became one of  the Traditional dishes here in the Philippines. There are many ways to cook Pinakbet. One of these ways and variations is the Tagalog style Pinakbet which is a version from Bulacan, a province in the Philippines. It is more on like a Ginisa than Being Sinabawang gulay that the Ilocanos used to cook. The Ilocanos are known for being frugal and this dish reflects their being frugal because Pinakbet is cheaper than the other vegetable dishes (my Ilocano brothers and sisters, please, take it as a compliment). I knew how to cook Pinakbet in Ilocano way but what I am going to share with you in this recipe is how to cook Pinakbet in Tagalog way. Here is my recipe:

INGREDIENTS

½ kilo of boneless pork (diced)

6 cloves of garlic (crushed)

2 medium size onions (sliced)

¼ cup of boneless alubaybay fish sauce (bagoong isda)

2 cups of water

5 regular size eggplants (cut into desire sizes but don’t cut too small)

5 pieces of medium size tomatoes (cut into 4 pieces each)

6 pieces of Okra (cut into 2 pieces each)

1 cup of Ampalaya fruit, cut into 4 pieces each (Bitter gourd)

¼ cup of vegetable oil

COOKING PROCEDURE

1. Saute garlic and onions until light brown.
2. Add the pork, stir-fry until the pork appears to be light brown.
3. Add the eggplant, Okra and Ampalaya.
4. Add the water and Bagoong.
5. Simmer until the Vegetables are cooked.
6. And serve with rice.

IMAGES FOR PINAKBET (ILOCANO STYLE)

HOW TO COOK PATATIM (PATA TIM)

This Patatim recipe is not mine. I just got this recipe from my friend because she asked me to blog it. I did not make any adjustment on the amount of the ingredients as well as the procedure. Patatim is not in my frequently cooked dishes list but i can guarantee you that this dish could be one of your favorite dishes because of the good combination of pork and sauce. My mother knows variations of Patatim but she said this one is different, she tried to cook Patatim using this recipe and the outcome was very good. The taste was different but as delicious as the other versions of it. Here is how to cook it:

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp cup vinegar
6 cups of Pork broth
1 pcs medium size pork hind leg (cut into serving sizes)
1 tbsp cornstarch

Fish sauce to taste

2 pcs bay leaves

1 tsp peppercorn

1 tbsp vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic (minced)

1 medium size onion (minced)

½ cup of brown sugar 

COOKING PROCEDURE

1. Boil the pork until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bones.

2. In a pot, sauté the garlic and onions until light brown.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the pork.

4. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce is thick.

5. Put the pork in a serving plate.

6. Scoop some sauce and pour over the pork and serve. 

HOW TO MAKE PALITAW

This is a tutorial of how to make Palitaw. Palitaw is a traditional food in the Philippines. The locals call it as one of the mga kakanin sold in small food shops, street vendors, and some native cake stores. Palitaw is one of the best snacks I ever had because it is very delicious yet cheaper than the burgers and pizzas. Palitaw is very easy to make but it has one ingredient that is not easy to find-the galapong. Galapong as the main ingredient in making Palitaw is not common in supermarket and groceries but there is one place where you may ask for it, it is the rice store. Supposing you have your galapong already and you are about to make Palitaw now, I am going to walkthrough you with this recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 lb of Galapong or malagkit na bigas (rice dough)

4 cups of grated coconut

1 cup of white sugar

Sesame seeds (toasted)

Water

COOKING PROCEDURE

1. Make fractions of the galapong into several pieces according to your desired size.

2. Make a ball-like shape and flatten to make a saucer-like shape.

3. Boil some water about 6 inches deep. Drop the galapong into the boiling water. To know if the galapong is cooked is when it surfaces.

4. Remove the cooked galapong out of the boiling water.

5. Scatter some grated coconut, sugar and sesame seeds over the galapong and serve.