This is Ginisang Upo at Hipon. Sauteed Bottle Gourd with Shrimp (or Ginisang Upo at Hipon) is a simple dish that can be prepared on any occasion but is most commonly prepared for lunch and dinner. It’s an easy, delicious and healthy Filipino dish. I like to cook it when I want something light and nutritious. There are only two main ingredients. One vegetable, one meat. And since this recipe only require two main ingredients, it is very affordable to make. This is one of my favorite ways to cook the bottle gourd. Enjoy this recipe from all of us at Filipino Chow.
Ginisang Upo at Hipon
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined with heads set aside
- 2 medium sized bottle gourd (upo), peeled then cut lengthwise and cut into cubes
- 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 cups of water
Instructions
- Add 2-3 cups of water to a pot over medium-high heat.
- Bring the water to a boil then add the shrimp heads to the pot.
- Let this boil until the heads turn pink.
- Pour the heads in a strainer over a large bowl and mash the heads with a fork.
- Once all shrimp heads are thoroughly mashed, discard them, but reserve the liquid in the bowl.
- Set this liquid aside.
- Now add cooking oil to a large pan over medium high heat.
- When the oil gets hot, add the garlic to the pan and saute this until it's lightly brown.
- Next add the onions to the pan and saute those until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan then stir briefly.
- Let this cook until the tomatoes have softened.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they turn a light pink color.
- Add the bottle gourd to the pan and stir until well blended.
- Pour the shrimp broth into the pan and bring this to a boil.
- Cook this for 5-8 minutes or until the bottle gourd is cooked through but still crisp.
- Season with the sugar and salt or pepper to taste.
If the interior of the bottle gourd (upo) is too spongy in texture or has mature seeds, remove the flesh inside the gourd using a spoon to scoop it out. You do this after you slice the gourd and inspect the inside.