Introducing Nhem

Originally from Pangasinan, Nhem has always been interested in cooking. Inspired by her mom, Mama Bing, she makes a lot of Filipino dishes. “Mahilig ako magluto dahil kay Mama,” [I like cooking because of my mom] she says. 

Nhem has an impressive repertoire of recipes, from Cantonese classics like steamed fish to sweet & sour pork, from other cuisines like chicken Kyiv to a lovely beef stew. “Gusto ko talagang matuto magluto ng iba’t ibang putahe. Kahit kapag makasama kami ni Anne, partner ko, ako ang mas madalas na nagluluto,” [I love learning how to cook different recipes. Even when Anne, my partner, and I are together, I am the one who often cooks] she shares.

Both Nhem and Anne live and work in the outlying islands of Hong Kong. “Swerte nga kami kasi may oras kami para gawin yung gusto namin dahil sa working hours namin sa aming mga employers,” [We have been lucky that both of us have time to pursue our interests because of our favourable working hours] Nhem says. She aims to continue learning, not only with her cooking, but in life in general.

A brief history of ginataan

Ginataan refers to the Filipino term that describes food that is cooked in gata or coconut milk. It can be a savoury or sweet dish and covers a wide range of dishes from across the Philippines.

You can make any meat and vegetable into a ginataan dish. In this version of ginataang kalabasa na may hipon, patis or fish sauce is not used as the main source of umami, but rather bagoong or sautéed shrimp paste.

Ingredients

• 500g kalabasa or any squash, cubed
• 10 pcs tiger prawns, deveined and legs cut off
• 10 stalks of yardlong beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 cans of 400ml coconut milk
• 2 boxes of 200ml coconut cream
• 1 tbsp bagoong
• 10 pcs okra
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2-inch finger of ginger, julienned
• 2 tbsp cooking oil, salt/pepper to taste

Method

1. Sautè the shallots, ginger, and garlic until soft and translucent. Add a dash of salt to flavour the base.
2. Add the kalabasa and mix in well in the pan for about 5 minutes
3. Pour the coconut milk and coconut cream; when it simmers, lower the heat to a low-medium and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir often so the coconut milk does not burn at the bottom of the pan; cook for another 10-15 minutes
4. As soon as the kalabasa is soft (you can check by poking it with a fork), add the bagoong, okra, yardlong beans and prawns. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes
5. Serve over steamed rice