Tokwa’t isda sa gata (fish and tofu in coconut milk)
August 3, 2006
Filed under Cooking with Tofu, Filipino food, Seafood recipes
Coconut and coconut products, including gata or the liquid extracted from grated coconut meat, have gotten so much bad press in the past for their alleged high fat content. There’s been a coconut oil fad lately with its movers and shakers claiming that virgin coconut oil is practically a cure-all for just about any ailment.
There was this doctor on the news a few days ago saying that there has been no sufficient study to prove the health benefits of virgin coconut oil. Well, that’s not the same as saying the benefits are illusory. They might be illusory. A lot of people are suckers for miracle cures. But it is quite possible that doctors are resisting because the fad is bad for the medical and pharmaceutical business.
My position is this: Filipinos along with the natives of dozens of other tropical countries have been coconut consumers for centuries, and high blood pressure and other related ailments have not been a real problem until the fast food culture, along with the addiction to processed food (including canned meat, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, etc.), became a way of life in the Philippines. In short, I don’t care about whatever bad press there may be against coconut and its by-products. I love coconuts and so does my whole family. And those who have not experienced coconuts for having been pre-empted by the bad press do not know what they’re missing.
Tokwa’t isda sa gata (fish and tofu in coconut milk) may not sound kid-friendly but my kids love anything with gata. They even prefer their abobo with gata. My younger daughter isn’t a big fan of tofu although she’s a fish and gata lover just like the rest of the family. They’re all going to enjoy this dish, for sure.
Ingredients :
500 g. of fish fillet (I used blue marlin fillets but any fleshy fish will be good)
1 large cake of tokwa (firm tofu)
half a head of garlic
1 large white onion
2 plump and juicy tomatoes
2 chili peppers (siling haba)
1 tbsp. of chopped wansuy (cilantro)
1 c. of coconut cream or thick coconut milk
2 c. of vegetable cooking oil
salt or patis
Cooking procedure :
Cut the fish fillets into 1-inch cubes. Season with salt.
Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Peel, mash and mince the garlic. Finely slice the onion. Dice the tomatoes.
Cut the chili peppers vertically in half. Scrape off the seeds and membranes and discard. Cut the chili peppers diagonally into thin strips.
Heat the cooking oil in a fryer until it starts to smoke. Fry the tofu cubes until browned. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
Pour off the cooking oil until only about 2 tablespoonfuls remain. Saute the garlic and chili peppers for 15 seconds. Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for another 10 seconds. Add the fish and stir. Add the tried tofu. Pour in the coconut milk. Season with a little salt or patis. Cook gently over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, uncovered, or just until the fish is cooked through.
Off the heat, stir in the chopped wansuy. Leave for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse. Serve with hot rice.
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Hi Connie,
I am happy to inform you that I and my partner have been taking extra virgen coconut oil since 2003. I was diagnosed with a life threatening disease in 2002. My doctor said only God can say if I will still get better. I lost all hope and my weight came down to 89 lbs after my biopsy.
One time, we got to try this one brand sold in megamall. And we have never stopped since. (Just switched to a more affordable brand.)
And though our case may be anecdotal, I must say I and my partner have never felt better. I now weigh 110 lbs and do not tire easily. I remain hypertensive though because I am now 52 but I feel good.
So here’s to more coconuts into our life.
And again, congratulations for such a refreshing style of writing.
Unlike your daughters, I acquired a fondness for anything with gata only when I was living and studying here already. The freedom to eat fatty foods easily wore off and it actually worked where my mama failed.
I read somewhere that the number of people with high-cholesterol level is surprisingly higher in the Northern parts of the Phil. than in Bicol, where practically all our food are immersed in gata.
btw, you can try adding lemongrass to the dish.it’s wonderful with fish or chicken with gata.
My grandparents loved coconuts, from the tuba to ginataang page(string ray) or shark. They were both smokers too. My grandma died in her late 80’s while my grandfather expired at the age of 97, never been hospitalized or diagnosed with hypertension.
My mom got him from his coconut farm in an island in Bicol to enjoy his last few years in the city. Yon pala matetepok sa stroke sa kakain ng karneng mataba.
malou, you\’re not the first person i heard that from. actually, my husband and i tried virgin coconut oil but didn\’t develop the habit of taking it daily. i did discover though that virgin coconut oil is wonderful for cooking.
lemon, i love lemongrass too. it gives any dish a decidedly asian aroma. and bango! i wish fresh lemongrass was readily available here. i was able to buy bottled thai lemongrass at market! market! but, alas, it\’s gone now.
Ca t, way I see it, lifestyle is the real killer. the stressful pace, personal problems… add that to pork and beef fat, patay talaga.
connie, we’ve got plenty of lemongrass planted in our little veggie garden. my dad just got it from one of the farmers in up diliman. madali mo sila makikita dun. dun lang sa may university avenue. sometimes you see them selling their produce dun sa may papuntang c.p. garcia yata yun.
oh wow. like your daughters, i absolutely love any viand with gata. yum yum. this dish looks really really yummy.
I’ve been told many years ago that there was a study conducted by one Ilongga scientist regarding the benefits of coconut oil, and that her findings indicated that coconut oil contains a substance that fights cancer. Her study was funded by an international organization and it was published in a science magazine. I can’t remember the name of the lady scientist but I know she was once included in a “who’s who” list of sorts, together with Cory Aquino. Her study also included a comparison with soya oil, which she found out to be carcinogenic. The rumor was that the result of her research was bought by an association of soya growers, and they made sure that it was not publicized.
I second that Bikoy! I love anything coconut
Tuesday, I think I’ll research on that. That’s a very important angle in this bad press thing against coconut products.
Gata and Curry, just cant stand them. But still love your recipes. Maybe one day, I will give it another chance.
This is one of your best recipes so far. I soaked coconut shreds in hot water. It’s cheaper.
same here. love, love, love anything cooked in gata. especially if the dish is made on the spicy side. i was probably a bicolana in an earlier life?
which is why i love thai food. it’s very close to our taste and style of cooking. unfortunately, i have to resort to canned coconut milk here in the US. but then again, better than nothing. the other day, i made sauteed shrimp and asparagus (inspired by your chicken/asparagus fried rice post) then i added coconut milk and some spicy chilies. it was sooooo good!
HI CONNIE:
GREAT INSIGHT ABOUT COCONUT ING. IN COOKING. I AM NOW ADDICTED TO INDIAN FOOD
(FILIPINO FROM NEW YORK), WHICH USES COCONUT MILK; SINCE I WATCH MY WEIGHT AND FAT CONSUMPTION, I AM STILL VERY APPREHENSIVE ABOUT USING COCONUT MILK, THEREFORE, I USE THE “LIGHT COCONUT MILK” CANNED INSTEAD OF THE REGULAR KIND. JEEZ, I HAVE TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH BEC. THERE ARE SO MANY CONFLICTING ONES.
CAN YOU PLS. POST YOURS AS YOU FIND MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER IT IS REALLY SOMETHING TO EAT ONLY OCCATIONALLY?
YES YOU ARE RIGHT; THE ADVENT OF FAST FOOD (WHICH I NEVER TOUCH) DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS MALAISE IN OUR HEALTH
CONDITION. KEEP YOUR READERS (OR FANS, LIKE ME, POSTED!).
every dish with coco milk is a piece of heaven!
i don’t believe in some reports that gata can cause high blood pressure, and even if it’s true, i’ll still eat dishes with gata.
i enjoy reading your blog and thanks for sharing your recipes. i’ve tried some already and my husband and kid loved the dishes i cooked for them
i noticed that you use cilantro quite often (btw, i love them) how do you store them, when i buy from the grocery and store it in the ref, they wilt so fast that you have to use it in a day or two.
I love anything with gata. Especially the ginataang langka and laing. If consumers are so worried about the fat content of coconut milk, then just eat it in moderation. It’s not like everyday they’re going to eat viands cooked in gata.
Great recipe connie. I’ll try this one out but I’ll remove the tomatoes and add in some veggies. Can u suggest what kind of veggie should I add to the dish?
BTW, connie i just recalled that cauliflower and tilapia dish that you made. Hehe here in SF, in Friday’s they have this Bruschetta Tilapia that’s really wonderful. You might wanna check TGIFs there in Philippines and try to make your own version of it. It’s really lovely.
Les, I’ll post anything useful and informative about coconut and coconut products. Maybe it’s about time we counter the bad press.
paupau, ah that makes two of us LOL
Mommy S, I have a cilanrtro plant growing in a pot.
Elle, wedges of eggplant and string beans (sitaw) are great with gata. kalabasa too. thanks for the Friday’s tip. I’ll remember that. Last time I was there, I had this huge salmon steak with potato hay. i was really amazed the way the potato hay was cooked.
Hello- I’m glad to find you again! I used to go to your radical chef /sassy lawyer sites a while back and have often printed your recipes and interesting articles. Thanks so much for your recipes,insights, comments-all of which help make my day .Keep up your great work!
Now for the request( parang nagdarasal- palaging may hiling)- do you have the recipe for Pstillas de Leche- yung original na gawa sa San Miguel,Bulacan? I bought some when I visited but hindi sya young orig na nakabalot sa bond paper and manipis na papel. This one was made by Sevilla and tasted of the insisde wrapper na makapal. Since I surely won’t find fresh carabao milk here ,what can I substitute it with?
Maraming salamat,”Panyera”!
Hello- ako uli- kasi i found the San Miguel ,Bulacan website with the recipe for Pastillas de Leche, only walang proportions, and I’m wondering why the pastillas in the pictures are caramel colored whereas the ones I used to buy are white or cream colored.
Anyway, am still wading through all your recipes that I’ve missed, and enjoying every minute . I buy cookbooks everytime I go home to the Phil. and my last buy was Claude Tayag’s “Food Tour: A Culinary Journal” . I look forward to the publication of
your cookbook and hope it includes your interesting comments , opinions and observations. Pls. let me know when and where it will be available.
Thanks and all the best.
Zenj
Re #18. ZENJ, trade secret ng Sevilla’s yun. LOL
I WILL DEFINITELY TRY THIS AFTER MY MENUDO AND CHICKEN EGGS. MY MEMORY IS BAD. I MIX THEM UP IN MY MIND EASILY IF I DON’T DO THEM. SOUNDS AND LOOKS GOOD. YEAH BABY! ANYTHING WITH COCONUT MILK IS GOOD BUT CAN I USE MILK CREAM INSTEAD? LESS CHOLESTEROL ACCORDING TO MY COUSIN’S AMERICAN WIFE WHO LOVES PINOY COOKING. THANKS CONNIE.
sa mother’s side ko,wla akong nabalitaan na nagkasakit or nahighblood dahil sa pgconsume nila ng pgkain na me gata (nakatira sila sa coastal areas),but on my father’s side,na nakatira sa urban, and talagang mahihilig sa karne at fastfood, almost every one, eh, highblood.