Ginataang kalabasa

Name: Ginataang kalabasa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Philippines
Ingredients: 800 g kabocha or butternut squash, in 4 cm cubes; 200 g long beans, cut into 5 cm lengths; 400 ml coconut milk; 200 ml water; 5 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 20 g ginger, cut into matchsticks; 2 long green chillies, split; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp salt

This ginataang kalabasa recipe simmers squash and long beans in coconut milk with garlic, ginger and chilli, an everyday Filipino stew.

Published on 15 May 2026·Updated on 25 September 2026

Vegan#squash#coconut#ginger#stew#philippines

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Heat 3 tbsp of the thick coconut cream in a pan until it splits and releases its oil.
Fry the garlic, onion and ginger in that oil for 3 minutes without letting them brown.
Add the squash and turn it through the fragrant mixture for 2 minutes.
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the water. Bring to a bare simmer and never let it boil.
Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes, until the squash yields to a fork while holding its shape.
Add the long beans and chillies, then cook for another 6 minutes.
Season with the soy sauce and salt. Serve with white rice.

Ginataan names any dish cooked in gata, coconut milk. Heating the thick cream first to render out its oil builds a rich base for the stew. A lazy simmer keeps the milk from curdling into grains, which is what a hard boil does within a minute or two.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 304 kcal
Protein: 7.1 g
Fat: 21.5 g
Carbohydrate: 27.3 g
Fibre: 2 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

My coconut milk split into curds. Why?

It boiled. Coconut milk breaks the moment it goes past a gentle simmer, and nothing brings it back. Keep a lazy uncovered simmer throughout and drop the heat as soon as the surface starts moving.

Why heat the thick coconut cream first?

You heat it until it separates and releases its oil, giving you a fragrant fat to fry the garlic, onion and ginger in. Skip that and the aromatics simply poach in liquid, leaving the stew flat.

My squash collapsed into mush. How do I stop that?

Cut 4 cm cubes and stop as soon as a fork goes in while the cube still holds its shape, around 12 minutes. Butternut holds up slightly better than kabocha, which is starchier and breaks down faster.

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