Ginataang Tilapia

How to make Ginataang Tilapia or Tilapia in Coconut Milk

Check out my version on how to cook Ginataang Tilapia. This tilapia recipe is packed in flavours and so delicious. As my hubby said "Sauce palang, ulam na at mapapa unlimited rice kapa!

Tilapia is fried and simmered in coconut milk and chilies with malunggay leaves. It is spicy hot and so creamy. It's like I gained 5 lbs after dinner. Also, I have a malunggay tree here in the Philippines so I figure what can go wrong if I add malunggay leaves to this dish. Actually it turned out really good.

Ginataang Tilapia Cooking Video

Don't forget to check related tilapia recipes below. Click on the name links below the pictures to see complete recipes. Follow Casa Baluarte Recipes on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram for more delicious home-cooking recipes and easy to follow cooking videos.

Ingredients:

2 large tilapia, gutted and cleaned well
salt
cooking oil for frying
achuete oil (1 tsp achuete powder + 2 tbsp oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 thumb size ginger, grated
3 siling labuyo, sliced thin 
1/3 cup water
400 ml coconut milk
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 long peppers, sliced
1 cup malunggay leaves

Instructions:

Pat dry cleaned tilapia using paper towel and season with a little salt. Heat pan and add enough cooking oil for frying. Fry tilapia until lightly brown. Remove and set aside.
Using a clean pan, heat and add achuete oil. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Saute for about a minute or until fragrant. Add siling labuyo and cook for 30 seconds.
Push the onion mixtures to the side of the pan and add fried tilapia. Add water, coconut milk and vinegar. Bring into a quick boil and gently stir to combine. Cover pan and simmer over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until tilapia is cooked and sauce starts to thickens.
Season with ground pepper and brown sugar (sugar is optional but it sure do help balance the flavor). Add fish sauce and gently stir.
Add long peppers and malunggay leaves. Cover pan and allow to cook for about a minute. Remove pan from heat, transfer in a serving plate and serve with steamed rice, I mean lots of steamed rice. Enjoy!

Related:

(click on name links below the pictures to see complete recipes)