Never heard of Ginataang Langka with Pork? Well, congratulations. Today I’m going to show you how to cook it.
Anyway, the first time I tasted this dish was when I was at a 60th birthday party neighbor. Since she is already in her senior years, the menu was full of veggies and fruits, and this dish was on the list, but minus the Pork as they wanted to keep it healthy.
My young and innocent taste bud was nothing but hesitant about whether I would like it or not, and you know what, I liked it.
Thus, since then, my mom has been serving me slightly healthy dishes. Without a doubt, that birthday party was one for the books.
What Is Ginataang Langka
Ginataang langka, is a vegetable stew made from unripe jackfruit in coconut milk and other spices, and it is Filipino in origin. Though it seems like a vegetarian dish, a variety of secondary ingredients and add-ons, like seafood and meat are included.
Others even have meat broth to add meatiness to the stew. The most commonly added ingredient is shrimp paste, and it may be spiced with green chilies.
Because of the Gata or coconut milk and the Jackfruit’s texture, the stew is a little thicker. With basic ingredients, the dish tastes much like a healthy one with a hint of saltiness from the fish sauce.
Ginataang Langka, unlike other Filipino dishes with coconut milk, is simpler and cheaper.
With its easy to cook ingredients, it will only take you 30-35 minutes to prepare it: 5-10 minutes of preparation time, and 25-30 minutes actual cooking time.
Benefits Of Ginataang Langka Ingredients
Since the first time I tried this was when I attended a senior citizen birthday party, sure eating this dish has many advantages. For your sake, I have below two of its ingredients with their health benefits.
Langka – is a large fruit grown in tropical countries, like the Philippines. Some people find its smell a little stinky, but not one denies that when it’s in a dish, its tastes just hits the heart of the one eating it. Also, it is beneficial too. Thus, I have listed below its health benefits.
- Jackfruit is low in calories has zero fat, so it’s perfect if you are trying to lose weight.
- Jackfruit lowers the chances of strokes and heart attacks, for it controls and even reduces blood pressure, and it’s all because it is high in potassium.
- It is rich in antioxidants and phytonutrient properties and also has a vitamin C, making it helpful in treating different types of cancer. Also, it improves one’s immune system.
- It helps in improving bowel movement, so and in improving digestion.
- Jackfruit is beneficial for our eyes because it is rich in Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene). It prevents our eyes from acquiring viral infection and helps our eyes get rid of free radicals.
- With its high amount of calcium, Jackfruit is just so helpful in strengthening our bones.
- Jackfruit helps thyroid function well with the help of the copper present in it.
Coconut Milk – this another most dominant ingredient is just as almost equally beneficial as the jackfruit. Thus, it’s just right that we give its benefits the limelight they deserve.
- Coconut Milk is helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, resulting in a better heart health.
- Coconut milk is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Both strengthens bone structure and density.
- With the help of Lauric acid found in coconut milk, it surely improves immune system.
- Coconut has a significant amount of Iron, which is important in the formation of healthy red blood cells, so consuming coconut often might help you avoid anemia, which is somehow a result of intaking inadequate iron.
- It’s good for the hair and skin. It reduces dandruff and scalp itchiness with the help of its lauric acid that has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Also, the antibacterial property helps in preventing acne.
Ginataang Langka Variations
With its simplicity, it appears to be a white canvass that lets creative cooks have their twists. Thus, I have listed below the many variations you can choose incase you want to put a twist on your simple Ginataang Langka.
Ginataang Langka With Shrimp
Shrimp is just a perfect add-on to this healthy dish. This favorite seafood fresh taste blends with the healthy vibe of the Jackfruit and with creamy texture of coconut milk. Sure there is a shrimp-coconut milk, but this one stands out as it’s no longer a duo but a team that’s complete with Jackfruit and spices.
Ginataang Langka With Bagoong
Bagoong or Shrimp paste is found in many dishes with coconut milk, like Bicol Express.
Thus, this is a no brainer when talking about Ginataang Langka. It adds savory and salty flavors to a dish that is very creamy.
Ginataang Langka With Dilis
Another Favorite partner of coconut based dishes, Dilis is just small enough to add texture to the dish. With the dilis’ a little salty taste, it is just perfect for the creaminess of the milk and sweetness of the jackfruit.
Ginataang Langka With Sardines
With lots of Sardines in Cans in the market, it’s up to you which ones to use for this variation of Ginataang Langka. Sardines in cans, might be salty with a great amount of sourness with the help mato sauce in it. Aside from the taste, the color of the can goods is just perfect to improve the taste and visual appeal of Ginataang Langka.
Ginataang Langka With Daing
Since the texture of Ginataang Langka is soft soft soft, it’s just a good idea to add crispness to it. Daing just does the job well as Daing is dried fish, so with it, you’ll enjoy the dish more as there is something that pops in your mouth.
Ginataang Langka With Tinapa
This is smoked fish with a salty flavor. It could be different types of fish but the most common ones are Galunggong/Mackerel Scad and Milkfish. Just add the chewy tinapa shreds to your Ginataang Langka, and you will have an improved Ginataang Langka.
Ginataang Langka With Ground Pork
Pork is without a doubt a favorite stew partner. Because of its meaty flavor, stew dishes, whether tomato or coconut milk based, and whether with bulky veggies or soft veggies, it just goes along with them. Luckily, this is the version that I’m going to teach you in the latter part of this content.
Common Ginataang Langka With Pork Taste Issue And How To Fix It
Too Salty – The tendency for dishes with coconut milk based sauce is to be salty. Cooks, especially beginners, find it hard to measure the amount of salt agents to add. Thus, when your dish turns out too Salty, just add water and coconut milk and let boil again to cook the coconut milk.
Interesting Trivia About Ginataang Langka With Pork
- Ginataan just means to cook something with “coconut milk”.
- Coconut is abundant in the Philippines, 3.1M hectare is for coconut of the 12 million hectare of farmland, so it is not surprising that there are a lot of dishes cooked with coconut milk, and this Ginataang Langka with Pork is just one of those.
Tips in Cooking Ginataang Langka With Pork
- Buy fresh coconut then squeeze it yourself as Ginataang Langka’s taste depends on how good the Gata or coconut milk is.
- To avoid over saltiness, do the add-taste-add-taste trick.
- It’s almost undiscussed, but let me tell you this: Ginataang Langka must use Young Jackfruit or unripe Jackfruit, so make sure to use that one.
Ginataang Langka Best Partners
Dishes, especially with veggies as dominant ingredients, are for the health conscious I must say. Although it tastes good already, those who don’t understand fully what this dish is for, will surely have something on the side to eat or drink. Thus, below is a list of possible partners for this dish.
- Fried Fish – although it can be an actual add-on that is cooked together with the Ginataang Langka with Pork, some prefer to have it on a separate plate.
- Fried Chicken – there’s already a meaty ground pork in the dish, but it is still possible to have fried chicken as a partner to it.
- Hard-boiled Egg – this idea is not in anyone’s radar, but hard-boiled egg’s bulkiness and nutritional benefits are just enough reason to have this as this Ginataang Langka’s buddy.
- Rice – hot steamed rice, as always, is almost any dishes’ perfect partner. Need I say more?
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Recipe
Best Ginataang Langka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jackfruit unripe, peeled, and shredded
- 2 cups Coconut cream
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 pc Onion medium size, cubed
- 2 tablespoon Fish Sauce or patis
- 3 cups Water
- 2 pcs Red Chilies
- ½ cup Ground Pork
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
- In a pot, boil the jackfruit for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry the pork meat until lightly browned. Then add the garlic and onions. Saute until softened.
- Add the fish sauce and ½ cup of water. Stir well until it boils.
- Then, add the boiled jackfruit. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Pour 1 cup of coconut milk and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining cup of coconut cream and red chilies. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve while hot!
