When thinking about a fish dish for a good lunch meal, Ginataang Tambakol might be a top choice amongst local dishes.
This tasty fish meat cooked in rich and creamy coconut milk will surely leave you with a filled and satisfied belly.
In this recipe article, you will learn much about this dish as well as some cooking tips to ensure you get to cook the tastiest Ginataang Tambakol every time.
What is Ginataang Tambakol?
If you are unfamiliar with this dish, it helps that we talk about its main ingredients to get a better grasp of what it is.
First, let us talk about the fish called tambakol. What is tambakol? There might be a lot of confusion on what fish or what tuna it is.
I found out that tambakol is our local Filipino term for several types of local tuna. The most common type of tambakol sold in the markets is the yellow fin tuna. Refer to the image below:
You may be familiar with another local tuna locally known as tulingan. Is Tambakol and Tulingan same? General knowledge about this is that tulingan is a smaller tuna. In a sense this is true since tulingan refers to the smaller types of tuna like the mackerel tuna.
This dish is called ginataan which means “cooked in coconut milk”. Ginataan is a popular cooking method in the country specially in the Bicol region.
Thanks to the abundance of coconuts in our country, we are blessed to get access to this rich and creamy milk that greatly enhances the flavor of our dishes.
We have several ginataan dishes here on our website that you can also try: ginataan dishes. You can also learn a lot more about gata or coconut milk in this article: Gata Vs Kakang Gata.
Now that you know what composes this dish, what does it taste like? Like any other ginataan dish, the coconut milk gives out a creamy sauce that is somewhat lighter in taste compared to dairy-based milk.
It binds together the flavors you get from the aromatics, leafy vegetables, and chilis; and the sauce you get makes your ordinary tambakol extra special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fish
I prefer the steak cut of tambakol for this dish. You can find these cuts in the market or do them yourself by cutting the crosswise.
Leaves
A popular choice would be pechay leaves for this dish. But you may also use mustard leaves (mustasa) or ampalaya leaves instead of pechay.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like coconut milk, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chili, fish sauce, black pepper, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pan (Kawali)- Sinantolan is a one-pan dish and you will be needing a cooking pan to cook the entire dish.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Ginataang Tambakol
You might think that having to cook with coconut milk is something advanced, but really it is as simple as it gets.
First part involves sautéing. A simple yet crucial part since flavors are created by sautéing. We will use several aromatics in this dish like garlic, onion, ginger, and tomato.
The next part involves cooking with the coconut milk or gata. This is pretty straightforward, just remember that you can’t rush this part and cook in low heat. I recommend you add chilies when cooking as it makes any ginataan dish better.
Lastly, we add in the fish and the leafy vegetable. This part won’t take long so be careful not to overcook them.
Cooking Tips
- I recommend that you sear (pasuin) the fish before cooking it later on with the coconut milk. This will result into a juicier meat and better crust.
- When sauteing with tomatoes, it is a good technique that you gently crush them with the back of the spoon once it gets soft. This will release more juices and flavors from the tomato.
How to Serve Ginataang Tambakol
Ginataang tambakol is best served with hot warm white rice and an ice cold drink like soda or juice. There is no need for a complimentary dish but you can still pair it with grilled or fried food if you want to.
How to Store Ginataang Tambakol
Ginataang tambakol like any other ginataan dish has a short shelf life. It’s best if you consume it before 3 days if you store it properly in the refrigerator.
Take note that when reheating it, you may have to add a little coconut milk or water to improve the consistency.
Other Filipino Fish Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Ginataang Tambakol (Tuna in Coconut Milk) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) tambakol (tuna), sliced to serving pieces
- 2 cups coconut milk (gata)
- 1 bunch pechay or mustard leaves, chopped
- 1 pc medium-sized onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 pcs thumb-sized ginger, chopped
- 2 pc medium-sized tomatoes, diced
- 4 pcs green chilies (siling haba)
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Fish sauce (patis), to taste
- Cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
- Heat some cooking oil in a pan and sear (fry) the tambakol pieces until half-cooked. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.
- On the same pan, sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes until aromatic. Gently crush the tomatoes to release the flavor.
- Pour-in the coconut cream and green chilies. Cook in low heat until boiling.
- Season with pepper and fish sauce. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce becomes thick.
- Add-in the seared fish and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce is reduced.
- Add-in the pechay leaves. Cook until the leaves are slightly wilted.
- Transfer the ginataang tambakol to a serving plate. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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