Ginataang Yellow Fin Tuna

Ginataang Yellow Fin Tuna is another version of fish cooked in coconut cream. I used yellow fin tuna fillet for this recipe. I got this fish frozen in a package composed of three large fillets. The thing that I was not expecting is the place where I got this. Nearby supermarkets and Asian stores do not have any yellow fin available during that day. However, I saw this frozen package at Target while shopping for other items.

This yellow fin tuna dish is special because I searched almost everywhere during the day to find this type of fish (regardless of its fresh or frozen as ice) and was able to find it almost at the end of the day. I also thought that using coconut cream made this dish richer and flavorful. The greens that I used were fresh frozen bitter melon leaves. These are known as “dahon ng ampalaya” in the Philippines. I also had some fish sauce and red pepper flakes for that extra kick.

The tuna was partially cooked beforehand by pan frying it for a minute on both sides. This helps the fish maintain its shape while being cooked in coconut cream. I also made sure that the garlic, onions, and ginger were cooked enough to the point that the natural flavors just blends-in easily with any ingredient. This makes it easy for the coconut cream to absorb all its flavors, which makes it very tasty.

If you like ginataang tilapia, you will surely love this dish.

Try this Ginataang Yellow Fin Tuna Recipe. Let me know what you think.

Print Pin

Ginataang Yellow Fin Tuna

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 3

Author Vanjo Merano

Ingredients

• 3 fillets yellow fin tuna pan fried for 1 minute per side
• 1 cup ampalaya leaves
• 2 1/2 cups coconut cream
• 2 thumbs ginger julienne
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 5 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Instructions

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Saute garlic and onion.
• Add ginger and continue to cook until the onion gets soft.
• Pour-in coconut cream. Stir and let boil.
• Add the ground black pepper and fish sauce. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Put the fried yellow fin tuna fillet in the pan. Scoop some coconut cream on top while cooking. Cover and cook in low to medium heat for 12 minutes.
• Add the ampalaya leaves. Stir cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add red pepper flakes or fresh siling labuyo.
• Transfer to a serving plate. Serve.
• Share and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 3g