I was hyperactively excited for this month’s Kulinarya theme. Althea of Busog Sarap and Asha of Fork Spoon and Knife are the hosts for July’s Kulinarya theme and I couldn’t be any happier… they chose Gata or coconut milk-based dishes.
Anyone who knows me well knows that dishes made with coconut milk are one of my most favourite in the Filipino culinary world. I remember as a kid, I would always request Mum to cook Ginataang kalabasa at sitaw (pumpkin and snake beans with coconut milk). I love mashing the soft, sweet pumpkin on the rice and finishing off with a generous amount of the coconut milk sauce.
But how could you make this better?
Add some seafood of course. Blue swimmer crabs, that is.
This was Mum’s Sunday best lunch. I remember waking up at 7am on Sundays, drink my hot Milo, get out of my jammies and run to the car and excitedly go with Mum to the markets. My sisters thought it was crazy to wake up that early on a Sunday, but even thought it crazier that I actually wanted to visit the smelly, wet, putrid fish markets back in the Philippines. But it didn’t matter – I wanted to go food shopping with Mum and I was in my element.
This recipe is one of Mum’s magical Sunday lunches that I will always remember as one of the best meals if my childhood, and what better way to share this than through a feature for Kulinarya Cooking Club?
Ginataang Alimango at Kalabasa (Crab and Pumpkin with Coconut Milk)
Makes 4 servings
4 blue swimmer crabs
1/2 medium Japanese pumpkin, peeled and sliced into big chunks
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
Ginger the size of a big thumb, sliced thinly
300ml coconut milk
- In a big pan, saute ginger, garlic and onions with olive oil. Add fish sauce.
- Add the pumpkin and cook until just soften.
- Add the crabs and cook for 6-10 minutes (depending on pan size, crab size and heat distribution).
- Once the crabs are cooked, add the coconut milk and bring to boil.
- Serve with vinegar with garlic and chilli – or just by itself will do!
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13 Comments
hee i have happy memories of visiting the fish markets with my dad in the early hours too! the crabs look fab dude!
I’ve never cooked crab (not easily available from where I’m from), but it’s fascinating! Are those eyes..?
Nom Nom Nom. I love crabs. This recipe looks very good.
Crab and coconut milk are the perfect pair!!!
) Gorgeous creation Trish!!! You must really really love this dish to make it before you left on vacation!! 
)
That looks wonderful. I love crab, I could probably eat the whole batch.
Trish – super job on the ginataan – I recall this dish but it is usually served with prawns instead right? You’ve just upped the ante! When are you back from the US?
This is one of my favorite dishes…I mash my pumpkins too and drink as much of the soup as possible
Mmmm, could I have some soft sweet bread to mop up the sauce please?
this is friggin mouth watering. i recently bought swimmer crabs from my local fishmonger and to my disappointment they don’t have a lot of meat in them. if i can find myself buying freshwater crabs, this will be the menu. cheers!
oh yum! that looks so delicious I wish I could have some..I love to eat this with my hands, with plently of rice and a glass of coke!
Yum! Looks so very tasty! And crab and pumpkin is a very unusual flavour combo for me – but then I like both separately so I’ll probably love them married together in this dish. I want some!!
Shopping at the fish markets is exciting even when it’s smelly. Your mum’s Sunday lunches must have been fabulous if this is anything to judge by!