Ginisang Upo at Sardinas is quick and easy to make in 20 minutes, and economical, too. It's made with sardines and bottle gourd squash for a nutritious and delicious meal the whole family will love.
I have a very simple taste in food for someone who loves to cook and blogs about it for a living.
My idea of a great meal is a simple pairing of ginisang sardinas at miswa and scrambled eggs with piping-hot steamed riceโdefinitely my kind of comfort meal.
Ginisang upo at sardinas is another of my favorite ways to kick up the lowly can (two in this case) of tomato-packed sardines into an impressive dish. If you're looking for something easy and affordable yet hearty and satisfying to prepare for the family, you can't go wrong with this peasant fare.
Chock-full of crisp upo chunks and flaked sardines, it's both nutritious and delicious!
Cooking tips
- Choose young bottle gourds that are firm to touch and have a smooth, light green skin free of bruises spots or yellow discolorations. If the squash is young, the seeds are tender and edible. If more mature, scoop out the seeds and spongy interior as the seeds are too hard for consumption and the spongy flesh can turn mushy during cooking.
- Use a vegetable peeler to pare off the skin by running down the gourd lengthwise. Slice the gourd lengthwise into halves and then slice into uniform thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Cook the vegetable just until tender as it will continue to cook and soften in the residual heat.
- For a hint of spice, add a couple of minced chili peppers or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Want to extend servings? Add misua noodles!
- For variety, swap the bottle gourd with bittermelon.
How to serve and store
- Serve for lunch or dinner with steamed rice with scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs for a delicious and filling meal!
- Store leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. This dish does not freeze well as the bottle gourd becomes too mushy and watery from the freezing and thawing.
- To reheat, place in a saucepot and heat to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Ingredients
- 1 large upo
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 cans (5.5 ounces each) tomato-based Sardines
- 2 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut and discard ends of upo. Using a peeler, peel skin. Cut the gourd lengthwise.
- If the interior is "too spongy" and has mature seeds, remove spongy flesh using a spoon and discard. Slice gourd lengthwise into halves and then slice into ยฝ inch-thick pieces.
- In a pot, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until softened.
- Add tomatoes and continue to cook until slightly softened.
- Add fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add sardines and gently break into pieces, if desired.
- Add water and bring to a boil.
- Add upo and stir to combine. Continue to cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until upo are tender yet crisp.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Maria says
If I'm going to use fresh sardines, instead of canned one, how should I prepare the sardines for use with your recipe for "Ginisang Upo at Sardinas"?
Lalaine says
Hello Maria
I am not sure how to go about using fresh sardines in this recipes as sardines have a lot of bones. As far as I know, to make canned sardines, the fish is pressure cooked so the bones turn really soft. You might want to use another type of fish like smoked bangus (tinapa) and then just saute with tomatoes, adding the flaked tinapa at the end. Hope this helps.