My mom, Julita, popularly known as Manang Soling, for me, have most powerful culinary skill. Maybe, because, she was the eldest among her siblings and she was in charge of cooking meals for her family way back she was single. I am not saying this because she is my mom, but when she established a mini-carinderya (mini, local version of resto) in front of our Sari-Sari store it became boom, but because of road widening it was removed.

Moreover, one of my favorite dish cooked by her is the Ginataang Hipon (Shrimp), she even put vegetables like papaya, malunggay (Moringa) and many more. My mom even cook it traditionally, she loved using woods in cooking as she believe it’s much more delicious to cook through burning woods. Well, true enough, I loved it.

Before cooking, I asked her to let me have first the ingredients as I wanted to feature her Giataang Hipon on my blog and she agreed.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 kilo of shrimp – Antenna removed
  
• 1 cup Malunggay (Moringa) leaves
• 2 medium green papaya – peeled and cubed
• 2 cups Gata (coconut milk)
• 4 cloves garlic – finely minced
• 1 medium onion – chopped
• 1 knob ginger – peeled and chopped
• Shrimp cube
• 2 spoon Bagoong (Shrimp Paste)
• Pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. My mom, first saute the garlic , onions and ginger
2. She add the shrimp and let it to turn into pinkish color
3. She then add the coconut milk, shrimp cube and little water and let it boil and waited for some of water to evaporate
4. She added the Papaya, shrimp paste and let it cooked
5. She then add the Malunggay and pepper to taste.

What do I like about it is that the papaya flesh absorbed some of the coconut milk and every time you chew the papaya you can taste the creamy flavor. I once cooked this one, but I don’t know why, I can’t be able to catch the flavor that my mom can.