Kinunot with Tilapia (Bicol Coconut Fish) Recipe
Kinunot with Tilapia (Bicol Coconut Fish) Recipe by Chef Luca De Santis, step by step with the cooking video. Tilapia steamed, flaked by hand into big piec
Kinunot with Tilapia (Bicol Coconut Fish)
Tilapia steamed, flaked by hand into big pieces and folded into a gentle coconut milk and cream sauce with ginger, chilli and malunggay, finished with a chef's touch of coconut vinegar.
The story of the dish
Bicol, in southeastern Luzon, is coconut country and loves chilli (think laing and Bicol Express). Kinunot is a gata (coconut milk) dish: the fish is cooked first, then flaked by hand. The classic is made with pagi (stingray) or pating (shark); at home families use tuna, tulingan or tilapia.
The name: The story people tell is that kinunot means 'flaked'.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | EUg · ml | UScups · spoons |
|---|---|---|
| tilapia fillets skinless and boneless | 600 g | 1¼ lb |
| coconut milk | 400 ml | 1¾ cups |
| coconut cream | 150 ml | ¾ cup |
| onion sliced | 150 g | 1 onion |
| ginger julienned, plus a little to garnish | 20 g | 2 tbsp |
| garlic minced | 12 g | 3 cloves |
| green chillies sliced; 2 for less heat | 15 g | 3 chilies |
| malunggay leaves or baby spinach | 25 g | 1 cup |
| Mama Sita's Pang-Gisa Mix | 15 g | 1 tbsp |
| Mama Sita's Sinigang sa Bayabas mix guava souring mix | 20 g | 2 tbsp |
| coconut vinegar | 7½ ml | ½ tbsp |
| cooking oil | 15 ml | 1 tbsp |
| salt | ≈ 3 g | ≈ ½ tsp |
| steamed jasmine rice to serve | ≈ 600 g | ≈ 4 cups |
≈ amount suggested from similar recipes
Tools & equipment
| Item | UAEamazon.ae | USamazon.com |
|---|---|---|
| Steamer | 🛒 Buy | 🛒 Buy |
| Cutting Board | 🛒 Buy | 🛒 Buy |
| Camera | 🛒 Buy | 🛒 Buy |
Also used: saucepan · chef's knife · wide spoon
Method
- Cut the tilapia into large pieces and season lightly with salt. Steam or gently poach until just cooked and opaque, about 5 to 7 minutes depending on thickness.
- Let it cool a minute, then flake it gently with your fingers into large pieces (no fork: small shreds turn to mush).
- Heat the oil over medium-low heat and cook the onion and ginger until soft and sweet, not brown. Add the garlic and green chillies for 1 minute.
- Add 1 tablespoon of Mama Sita's Pang-Gisa Mix and 2 tablespoons of Mama Sita's Sinigang sa Bayabas mix, then the coconut milk. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes: small, lazy bubbles.
- Add the coconut cream and simmer 3 to 5 minutes without boiling, so the sauce does not split.
- Chef's twist: add ½ tablespoon of coconut vinegar, a little at a time, and taste before adding more.
- Fold in the flaked tilapia with two or three slow folds and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add the malunggay just to wilt.
- Serve in a shallow bowl with ginger julienne, a few drops of chilli oil and steamed jasmine rice.
🌡️ Medium-low heat; never boil the coconut cream
- Never boil the coconut cream: the fat breaks free and the sauce splits.
- Fold, don't stir: tilapia is delicate, keep the flakes big.
- No malunggay? Use baby spinach. Less heat? Use 2 chillies.
- Make ahead: reheat the sauce gently and add the fish at the end.
Nutrition per portion estimate · 1 of 4
Allergens
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