Ginataang Alimango Recipe

How to cook Ginataang Alimango

There are two popular kinds of crab here in the Philippines; it is the alimasag or blue crab which is a natural dweller of the sea and the alimango or mud crab which is often caught in mangroves and usually raised and cultured in ponds. Mud Crab meat has an exquisite sweet taste which is very appetizing than of the blue crabs and the most common way of cooking them is by simply steaming.

To make it more delectable, we are going to prepare Ginataang Alimango Recipe – it is a savory dish which translates to “crabs cooked in coconut milk”. Cooking this is very easy and once you tried this creamy Ginataang Alimango, you probably won’t eat the plain steamed crab the same way again. You may cut the crabs into two in order to make the crab meat absorb the coconut milk and you may also add some veggies like squash and long beans.

Cooking coconut milk with seafood is common in Filipino cuisine, here are a few of them Ginataang Gulay at Hipon, Ginataang Hito, and Ginataang Tilapia.

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• 2 pcs Alimango (mud crabs), cleaned and cut into half
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 2 tbsps Canola oil
• 6 Cloves of garlic, peeled and  minced
• 1 pc onion, sliced
• 1 pc bell pepper, sliced
• 6 pcs Thai chili(siling haba) peppers, chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsps ginger, sliced thinly
• Green onions, sliced
• 3 Cups kangkong (water spinach), separate the stems and leafy part
• 1 Cup sitaw (string beans), cut into two inch pieces
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Wash and thoroughly clean the mud crabs, use a toothbrush to brush the entire shell of the crab to remove all the mud and dirt.
• In a large pot or wok put the crabs, cover and steam for 7 minutes or until the crabs turn dark orange.
• In another large pot, put the Canola oil and sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger
• Add the ground black pepper and coconut milk then bring to a boil
• Add the fish sauce and bring to a boil until the coconut milk’s texture is thick and natural oil comes out of it.
• Add the Thai chili and simmer for 5 minutes
• Put the crabs in the pot and mix until evenly covered with coconut milk. Simmer for 8 minutes.
• Add the sitaw(string beans) then submerged it in coconut milk, then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the kangkong leaves and submerged it also in coconut milk, then simmer for 2 minutes.
• Adjust the taste by adding more patis or salt and black pepper if needed.
• Serve hot and serve it with white steamed rice.

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 Ginataang Alimango Recipe is a creamy, savory and delicious Filipino dish which translates to “crabs cooked in coconut milk”.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.