Coconuts, we go loco – coco loco, if you must say – over them. Honestly, coconut is such a well loved fruit here in the Philippines. No, scratch that. Coconut, both its fruit and tree itself, is very much adored here in the Philippines because of how versatile it is. It has so many uses and so many benefits – from its leaves, to its trunk, and of course, to its fruits as well.  Indeed, it is a plant that Filipinos heavily depend on, especially because eating coconut is said to be good for health too. For one thing it is undeniably nutritious. With it being rich in fiber and healthy fats, it is said to aid in improving heart health, weight loss, and digestion. Plus, its unsweetened coconut meat is also a wonderful addition to a balanced diet.

Speaking of a balanced diet, other than coconut juice, coconut milk is another goodie that we get from this ever-great fruit and we often used this in cooking too. Coconut milk, also known as Gata here in the Philippines, actually comes from the white flesh of mature brown coconut, and yes, it is the star of the popular Ginataang dishes which we oh-so-love! Believe it or not, there are a bunch of ginataang dishes here in the country and that is because Filipinos really have an immense love for coconut milk. It is used in both savory and sweet food, but this time, we have used it to make a savory viand for us to indulge in and for you to drool over.

Ginataang Kalabasa and Sitaw is a delicious dish that many Filipinos are familiar with as they have grown up eating this with their family over stories at their dining table. That said, this one is a humble dish that takes anyone back to simpler days, but today, we have decided to take it up a notch and make this already awesome dish even more amazing than it already is! Wondering how we did it? With crabs, of course! Yes, you read that right. We have put crabs to this delectable ginataang recipe which even ups its flavor game all thanks to its fresh and yummy seafood flavor. Shrimps, after all, are not the only seafood that taste great with coconut milk.

By adding crabs to our Ginataang Kalabasa and Sitaw, we now have turned a rather ordinary ginataang dish into something extra – Ginataang Alimango with Kalabasa and Sitaw – that is just perfect for when we want to pamper our tastebuds with the lusciousness that only the bounties of the sea could offer. Ginataang Alimango with Kalabasa and Sitaw is a straightforward yet exquisite ginataang dish that is of mudcrabs, squash, stringbeans, and of course, coconut milk. Another version of this is the Ginataang Alimasag with Kalabasa and Sitaw which instead of mudcrabs, blue crabs are used as it is said to be less pricey at times yet gives off that similar seafood yumminess in every spoonful.

That said, don’t second guess yourself if you deserve this because we all know you do! Start preparing your crabs, coconut milk, kalabasa, sitaw, and other ingredients needed to make this splendid and leveled up homey dish now so you can dig into it as soon as possible. Yay!