No matter what the occasion, we all have favorites that we can call comfort food. Creamy Filipino dishes, especially those with coconut milk, count as comfort food. It’s indulgent and rich— perfect for down days and unwinding at home.

One example is Ginataang Santol. Commonly known as Sinantolan, it’s a Filipino dish cooked in coconut cream together with ground meat and chili. It’s a combination of sour and spicy flavors in a creamy mix of rich flavors— one best served with steaming white rice. Mommy blogger Ilona Gail Gervasio Nimo (IG: @nanayangge831) shares her recipe for this comfort food favorite with us. Check it out!

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Ginataang Santol Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kilo of santol
• 1/4 kilo of ground pork or ground chicken
• 1 cup of coconut cream
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp of shrimp paste or bagoong (feel free to add more if you want)
• Finger chili or siling labuyo, chopped (quantity depends on how spicy you want it to be)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A pinch of sugar
• Cooking oil for sautéing

Procedure

1. Prepare your santol. Make sure to use the native santol, which has a firmer flesh, versus the Bangkok version. There are two ways to do it:
   1. Cut the santol in half, take out the seeds, and use a traditional coconut grinder (kudkuran ng niyog) to scrape the santol. Make sure not to scrape it too deep.
   2. Peel the santol, remove the seeds, and chop the santol finely. Place in a cheesecloth and squeeze out the juice.
2. In an oiled pan over medium heat, saute your garlic and onions until fragrant. Add your ground pork or chicken along with your bagoong, and saute until well-combined.
3. Pour in your coconut milk, then drop your santol. Mix or press with your spoon to separate the santol. Mix and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, then let the mixture simmer.
4. When the soup starts to reduce, add your coconut cream. Bring to a brisk boil again and then let it simmer on low heat until oil forms.
5. Add your chopped chili and season with salt and sugar. Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve. Enjoy!

What are your favorite Filipino comfort food recipes? Share them with us!

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