Ginataang Isda (Fish Fillet in Coconut Milk)

Welcome to my kitchen! Today I'm sharing one of my favorite Filipino comfort foods - Fish Fillet in Coconut Milk, or as we call it back home, Ginataang Isda. This dish brings together tender fish fillets simmered in creamy coconut milk with a colorful medley of vegetables and aromatic spices.

It's the perfect balance of rich and savory flavors with just enough brightness to keep you coming back for more. I've been making this recipe for years, tweaking it to perfection, and I'm excited to share all my tips and tricks with you! This one-pot wonder is not only delicious but also packed with nutrition, making it perfect for a satisfying family dinner.

The best part? It's surprisingly simple to make despite its impressive flavor profile. So grab your pot and let's bring a taste of the Philippines to your dinner table tonight!

Ingredients

I've carefully selected these ingredients to create an authentic Filipino flavor profile that's both delicious and nutritious. The wild-caught snapper provides a firm, meaty texture that holds up beautifully in the coconut broth, while the combination of garlic, ginger, and onions creates a fragrant base that's essential to Filipino cooking.

Coconut milk adds rich creaminess without being heavy, and the variety of vegetables like acorn squash, eggplant, and chayote not only adds vibrant colors but also different textures and nutrients. The lemongrass and fish sauce bring that distinctive Southeast Asian depth that makes this dish truly special.

• 2 pieces thick-cut fish fillet (wild-caught snapper with skin on recommended)
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon rock or ground salt
• 4 tablespoon cooking oil
• ½ medium sweet onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ thumb of ginger, chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can (14 fl oz) coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand recommended)
• 1 cup chicken stock (or water)
• 2 small stalks lemongrass, tied firmly in a knot
• 1 medium acorn squash, cut into wedges
• ½ large eggplant, cut into wedges
• 1 medium chayote (sayote), cut into wedges
• 1 cup string or green beans (cut into 2-3" pieces)
• 1 handful sweet potato tops (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (patis)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Dash of chili flakes (optional)

Equipment

• Large pot or deep skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Stirring spoon or spatula

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How To Make

1. Season and Cook Fish: Season fish fillets with salt in a mixing bowl, ensuring all sides are evenly coated. Heat cooking oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the fish for 3-5 minutes per side until golden. Remove the seared fish to a plate and set aside.

2. Cook the Vegetables: Using the same pot with leftover oil, sauté chopped onion until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until soft and skins loosen.

Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock, then add lemongrass and acorn squash wedges. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check that squash is tender using a fork.

Add eggplant, chayote, and green beans. Simmer for another 10-20 minutes until all vegetables are cooked. Reduce heat to medium-low, add sweet potato tops (if using), cover and simmer for another minute.

3. Season and Add the Fish: Season the broth with fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste. Remove the lemongrass. Return the seared fish fillets to the pot and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add chili flakes if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then turn off the heat.

4. Serve: Serve warm with steamed rice and your favorite dried seafood side dish.

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Tips from Lola's Kitchen

• For extra flavor: Let the fish marinate with salt for 10-15 minutes before searing.
• Perfect consistency: If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• Authentic touch: Mash some of the cooked acorn squash into the broth for added creaminess and natural sweetness.
• Heat control: Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil to prevent the coconut milk from separating.
• Make ahead: This dish tastes even better the next day when flavors have had time to meld together.

Substitutions

• Fish options: While snapper works beautifully, you can use tilapia, cod, or milkfish (bangus). You can also substitute with other seafood like shrimp, crab, or a seafood combination.
• Vegetable alternatives: Can't find chayote? Use zucchini instead. Sweet potato tops can be replaced with spinach or bok choy.
• Coconut milk: In a pinch, you can use light coconut milk, though full-fat provides the best flavor and creaminess.
• Lemongrass substitute: If lemongrass is unavailable, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and a tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Stock options: Vegetable stock or fish stock works just as well as chicken stock.

Troubleshooting

• Sauce curdling: If your coconut sauce begins to separate, reduce the heat immediately and gently stir to recombine. Avoid boiling vigorously after adding coconut milk.
• Fish falling apart: If your fish is too delicate and breaking apart, add it later in the cooking process or cook it separately and add just before serving.
• Too watery: If your sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered longer or add a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with water.
• Too thick: Simply add a splash more chicken stock or water.
• Not enough flavor: Add more fish sauce, a squeeze of lime, or a dash of soy sauce to enhance the savory notes.

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigeration: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: While possible to freeze for up to 1 month, the texture of the vegetables and fish may change slightly upon thawing.
• Reheating: Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water if needed to restore consistency. Avoid microwave reheating as it may overcook the fish.
• Serving cold: This dish can also be enjoyed cold the next day – the flavors develop wonderfully overnight.
  

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FAQ

Related

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Ginataang Isda (Fish Fillet in Coconut Milk)

Fish Fillet in Coconut Milk (Ginataang Isda) is a Filipino culinary treasure that transforms simple ingredients into extraordinary comfort food. At its core, it's tender fish fillets simmered in rich coconut milk infused with aromatics and studded with colorful vegetables. This one-pot dish balances savory depth with subtle sweetness, creating a velvety broth that coats each morsel. Neither soup nor stew but somewhere deliciously in between, it embodies Filipino cuisine's knack for melding textures and flavors. The dish exemplifies resourceful home cooking, adaptable to available ingredients while maintaining its soul. Served over steaming rice that soaks up the golden broth, it's everyday luxury that nourishes both body and spirit.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 2 pieces thick-cut fish fillet wild-caught snapper with skin on recommended
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon rock or ground salt
• 4 tablespoon cooking oil
• ½ medium sweet onion chopped
• 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• ½ thumb of ginger chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
• 1 can 14 fl oz coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand recommended)
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• 2 small stalks lemongrass tied firmly in a knot
• 1 medium acorn squash cut into wedges
• ½ large eggplant cut into wedges
• 1 medium chayote sayote, cut into wedges
• 1 cup string or green beans cut into 2-3" pieces
• 1 handful sweet potato tops optional
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce patis
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Dash of chili flakes optional

Instructions

 

• Season and Cook Fish: Season fish fillets with salt in a mixing bowl, ensuring all sides are evenly coated. Heat cooking oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the fish for 3-5 minutes per side until golden. Remove the seared fish to a plate and set aside.
• Cook the Vegetables: Using the same pot with leftover oil, sauté chopped onion until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until soft and skins loosen.
• Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock, then add lemongrass and acorn squash wedges. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check that squash is tender using a fork.
• Add eggplant, chayote, and green beans. Simmer for another 10-20 minutes until all vegetables are cooked. Reduce heat to medium-low, add sweet potato tops (if using), cover and simmer for another minute.
• Season and Add the Fish: Season the broth with fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste. Remove the lemongrass. Return the seared fish fillets to the pot and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add chili flakes if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then turn off the heat.
• Serve: Serve warm with steamed rice and your favorite dried seafood side dish.

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

• For extra flavor: Let the fish marinate with salt for 10-15 minutes before searing.
• Perfect consistency: If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• Authentic touch: Mash some of the cooked acorn squash into the broth for added creaminess and natural sweetness.
• Heat control: Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil to prevent the coconut milk from separating.
• Make ahead: This dish tastes even better the next day when flavors have had time to meld together.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The Story Behind Filipino Fish in Coconut Milk (Ginataang Isda)

Growing up in the Philippines, I learned that Ginataang Isda is much more than just a recipe—it's a celebration of our coastal heritage and abundant natural resources. The Philippines, with its over 7,600 islands surrounded by rich waters, has developed countless ways to prepare seafood, but dishes cooked in coconut milk hold a special place in Filipino cuisine.

Coconut trees line the shores of nearly every island in the Philippines, providing a staple ingredient that has shaped our culinary identity for centuries. The marriage of fresh seafood and coconut milk represents the perfect harmony between land and sea, a connection deeply woven into Filipino food culture. Long before modern conveniences, our ancestors discovered that cooking fish in coconut milk not only created a delicious meal but also helped preserve the fish a bit longer in our tropical climate.

Ginataang Isda varies from region to region across the Philippines. In Bicol, known for its love of spicy food, they add plenty of chili peppers. In coastal Quezon province, they might include young papaya or banana blossoms. My family version—the one I'm sharing with you today—comes from central Luzon, where we embrace a balanced approach with vegetables like squash, eggplant, and string beans that grow abundantly in home gardens.

What makes this dish truly special is its adaptability. Filipino home cooks pride themselves on creating delicious meals with whatever ingredients are available. While traditional recipes might call for specific fish varieties like milkfish (bangus) or tilapia, the technique works beautifully with virtually any fish—making it perfect for adapting to different locations around the world while maintaining its Filipino soul.

The cooking method itself reflects Filipino ingenuity and practicality. By first searing the fish, we build flavor and texture before allowing it to gently finish cooking in the aromatic coconut broth. The vegetables aren't merely side components but integral players that absorb the sauce while contributing their own unique flavors and nutrients. The result is a complete, balanced meal that demonstrates the Filipino approach to nourishment—where deliciousness and nutrition walk hand in hand.

Today, Ginataang Isda continues to be a staple in Filipino households, both in the Philippines and among the worldwide Filipino diaspora. It represents comfort food at its finest—simple yet sophisticated, economical yet luxurious. Whether served for everyday family dinners or featured at special gatherings, this dish connects generations and preserves our culinary heritage one delicious spoonful at a time.