Ginataang Gulay na may Alimasag

                                    (Vegetables in Coconut Milk With Crabs)

GINATAANG Gulay is a vegetable dish composed of Calabaza squash, string beans, eggplant, ampalaya.The vegetables are cooked in coconut milk or coconut cream. Different kinds of seafood like crabs, shrimps, sometimes meat is used to cook this dish to add more flavor.

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs fresh blue crabs (alimasag)

• 1 lb squash (calabaza), sliced into cubes

•  100 grams ampalaya

• 3 eggplant

• 1 bunch string beans (about 3 to 4 cups), cut into 2.5 inch length

• 3 1/2 cups coconut milk

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cooking Procedure:

• Heat a cooking pot and pour cooking oil.

• Saute garlic and onion.

• Add fish sauce and coconut cream, and then let boil.

• Put-in the ground black pepper, and then cook for 10 minutes in medium heat until the liquid reduces.

• Put-in the crabs and stir. Cook for 10 minutes.

• Add the squash (kalabasa) and cook until the squash becomes a little soft.

• Add the string beans, eggplant and ampalaya stir, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

• Turn the heat off and transfer to a serving plate.

 Serve with hot steamed rice.