Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Filipino Ginisang Upo with Shrimp
菲律賓蝦仁炒蒲瓜
Recipe overview
Upo, tomato, onion and garlic are stir-fried with prawns added in two short stages, keeping the gourd tender and the seafood at a safe 63°C without becoming rubbery.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g upo gourd
- 350 g peeled prawns
- 100 g onion
- 10 g garlic
- 150 g tomato
Stir-fry seasoning
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 60 ml water
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Cooking oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
02
Tools
- Chef’s knife and two chopping boards
- Measuring spoons and small bowls
- Wok and spatula
- Probe thermometer
- Clean deep serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the upo
Peel upo, halve it lengthways and scrape out any hard mature seeds with a spoon.
Step 2
Cut vegetables evenly
Cut upo into 1 cm half-moons; dice tomato, slice onion and mince garlic separately.
Step 3
Devein and dry the prawns
Peel prawns, cut along the back and remove the dark vein; pat them dry.
Step 4
Mix the fish-sauce seasoning
Whisk 1 tbsp fish sauce, 60 ml water and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a small bowl before heating the wok.
Step 5
Heat the wok
Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat for 1 minute until it shimmers.
Step 6
Part-cook the prawns
Stir-fry prawns for 60–90 seconds until the outsides turn pink, then lift them to a clean bowl.
Step 7
Soften onion and garlic
Lower to medium heat and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes until translucent.
Step 8
Cook tomato into a light sauce
Add tomato and cook 2 minutes, pressing it until it releases a light sauce.
Step 9
Cover-cook the upo
Add upo and the measured fish-sauce water; cover over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Step 10
Reduce the released liquid
Uncover and simmer 2 minutes until upo is tender and the released liquid lightly coats it.
Step 11
Return prawns to 63°C
Return prawns and stir 1 minute; the thickest prawn must reach 63°C and be opaque.
Step 12
Taste and serve promptly
Taste, transfer upo and prawns to a clean plate, and serve within the 30-minute window.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the prawn vein gives grit and an off flavour.
- Cooking prawns through twice makes them tough.
- Adding too much water dilutes the tomato sauce.
- Serving prawns before they are opaque and 63°C.
Tips
Remove mature seeds because they stay hard after quick cooking.
Lift prawns early; returning them only at the end prevents a rubbery texture.
Upogourd releases water, so do not add extra liquid beyond the measured amount.
