Ginisang Upo at Kalabasa  – Sauteed Opo and Butternut Squash

Ginisang Upo at Kalabasa refers to sautéed opo squash and butternut or calabaza squash. There is a bit of sliced pork added in the recipe to provide more flavor to the dish. The latter can be considered as an optional ingredient, especially for vegetarians. This dish is something that can be served for either lunch or dinner on regular days. It is best eaten with warm rice.

I usually have this with fried fish on the side. It makes my meal more enjoyable. My favorite fried fish to pair this with is either fried galunggong or tilapia. I make sure to leave enough sauce on my ginisang upo at kalabasa. Have you tried pouring a bit of sauce over warm white rice and eat it with the veggies and fried fish altogether? Delicious, isn’t it?

I started cooking this dish by searing the pork on a pan until the oil gets extracted. Garlic, onion, and tomato were sautéed using the oil from the pork. Vegetables take only a few minutes to cook.  It is important to ensure that the pork slices are tender before the vegetables are done. For this reason, I add around half a cup of water once the onion gets soft, and then boil the pork on the covered pot until the water completely evaporates.

The vegetables will go in only after the water evaporates. Start with the butternut squash since it takes longer to cook than the upo. Cook it for around 3 to 5 minutes before adding the upo.

Fish sauce or patis is the main and only seasoning for this recipe. You can replace it with salt or even soy sauce if desired.

One more thing, crispy fried dilis can also be added to this dish right after the veggies are cooked. This can be a good substitute for pork.

Try this Ginisang Upo at Kalabasa Recipe. Let me know what you think.

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Ginisang Upo at Kalabasa - Sauteed Opo and Butternut Squash

This is a recipe for Ginisang Upo at Kalabasa -

Course Vegetable

Cuisine Filipino

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author Vanjo Merano

Ingredients

• 1 small upo opo squash, cubed
• 2 cups kalabasa or butternut squash, cubed
• 4 to 6 ounce pork belly sliced into thin pieces
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 medium ripe tomato cubed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce patis
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ to ¾ cup water

Instructions

• Heat a cooking pot.
• Add sliced pork belly. Sear until oil gets extracted.
• Add onion, garlic, and tomato. Saute until the onion becomes soft.
• Pour water. Let boil. Cover the pot and continue to boil in low to medium heat until the water completely evaporates or the pork becomes tender. Note: add more water if needed.
• Put the kalabasa into the pot. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Note: use high heat when sautéing.
• Add upo. Continue to saute for 2 minutes.
• Season with fish sauce and ground black pepper
• Stir. You can add up to ½ cup water if you want your dish to have sauce in it
• Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with fried fish and rice.
• Share and enjoy.