Sautéed kabocha squash
Hi, I’m Krizell, a third culture kid and second-generation Filipino American. I’m passionate about preserving our Filipino heritage through food and hope you give these recipes a try!
Krizell•
March 14, 2025
One of my goals when starting this page was to have a record of my family recipes, so it can be passed down from one generation to another. I learned how to make this dish from my dad. It’s one of my favorite Filipino dishes. I love kalabasa aka squash and find it to be such a diverse vegetable. When I asked my dad for the recipe, of course what I got was a rough instruction list with no measurements so I did my best to get it right. 🙈😂 Please, as always, feel free to adjust to your own preference and make this recipe yours. My protein of choice for this recipe is pork and shrimp, but chicken (like in the video) also works!
In a stir fry pan or wok, heat oil (1 Tbsp) and add onions (½ small) and garlic until onions are translucent and garlic is soft.
Add in cubed meat (4 pieces) and cook for a couple of minutes over medium high heat until meat is browned and no longer pink.
Add in tomatoes (2), fish sauce (2 Tbsp), pepper (1 tsp), bouillon (1 tsp), and water (1 cup). Let simmer for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.
Add in squash (½ small) and sitaw, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
When tender, uncover and simmer for 3-5 minutes more until sauce has thickened.
When you’ve reached a good sauce consistency, add in the bitter melon leaves (1 handful) or whatever leaves you are using and cook until leaves are wilted. Some leaves like sili leaves only take a moment to wilt, while others like chayote leaves will take a little longer.
Adjust taste to your liking, add in more pepper, salt or fish sauce for more saltiness, or water if it’s too salty. Adjust to your taste! Serve over a bed of hot white rice.
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