I still remember the first time I tasted adobong pusit sa gata at my friend's house in Bicol. I love it! My family cooked with coconut milk all the time, so I thought I knew every possible way to use gata. But this recipe is different.

I practically begged my friend's aunt for the recipe and spent weeks trying to cook it. Now I want to share it with you.

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My Ingredients
How I Make My Adobong Pusit sa Gata
My Personal Tips
Related

My Ingredients

2 pounds fresh squid (calamari works too)
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, julienned
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 Thai chili peppers, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
½ cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cooking oil

How I Make My Adobong Pusit sa Gata

First, I clean my squid by removing the head, beak, tentacles, and that clear backbone inside. I cut the body into 1-inch rings and wash everything thoroughly under cold water, then pat it dry.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, I combine the cleaned squid, half of my minced garlic, vinegar, water and bay leaf. I bring this to a boil without stirring (this is really important because stirring makes the squid tough). I cook it for 3 minutes, then drain the squid and save 1 cup of that cooking liquid.
In the same pan, I heat my oil over medium heat. I saute the remaining garlic, onion, and ginger for about 2 minutes. Then I add my diced tomatoes and gently mash them with the back of my spoon while they cook.
Next, I pour in the coconut milk and that reserved cooking liquid. I let this simmer until I see small oil droplets starting to separate from the coconut milk, which takes about 5 minutes.
I lower the heat and return my squid to the pan along with the sliced chilies and fish sauce. I gently simmer everything for 3 to 5 minutes. I taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
The dish is ready when the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and my squid is tender. I serve it hot.
Enjoy your adobong pusit sa gata!

My Personal Tips

I always look for the freshest squid I can find. I never discard the squid ink because that's what gives the dish its authentic dark color and flavor.
Timing is everything with squid. I stick to 3 minutes for the initial boil and 3 to 5 minutes for the final simmer. Any longer and you get rubbery squid.
I let my vinegar boil uncovered to mellow out its acidity, and I watch my coconut milk carefully. When I see those small oil droplets on the surface, I know it's cooked.
After adding the coconut milk, I keep the heat low to prevent curdling. I also wait until the end to add salt since the dish concentrates as it cooks down.
If my squid turns out rubbery, I know I overcooked it. Remember, squid needs either very quick cooking (under 5 minutes total) or very long cooking (over 30 minutes). There's no middle ground.
If my sauce is too watery, I just continue simmering until it thickens. If it's too acidic, I add a pinch of sugar or more coconut milk to balance it out.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

My Adobong Pusit sa Gata Recipe

Adobong pusit sa gata is a Filipino coastal dish where tender squid is cooked in vinegar and aromatics, then simmered in creamy coconut milk with its own ink to create a rich, flavorful sauce.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Filipino

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh squid (calamari works too)
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup vinegar
4 garlic cloves minced
1 onion finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger julienned
2 Roma tomatoes diced
2 Thai chili peppers sliced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
½ cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Method

First, I clean my squid by removing the head, beak, tentacles, and that clear backbone inside. I cut the body into 1-inch rings and wash everything thoroughly under cold water, then pat it dry.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, I combine the cleaned squid, half of my minced garlic, vinegar, water and bay leaf. I bring this to a boil without stirring (this is really important because stirring makes the squid tough). I cook it for 3 minutes, then drain the squid and save 1 cup of that cooking liquid.
In the same pan, I heat my oil over medium heat. I saute the remaining garlic, onion, and ginger for about 2 minutes. Then I add my diced tomatoes and gently mash them with the back of my spoon while they cook.
Next, I pour in the coconut milk and that reserved cooking liquid. I let this simmer until I see small oil droplets starting to separate from the coconut milk, which takes about 5 minutes.
I lower the heat and return my squid to the pan along with the sliced chilies and fish sauce. I gently simmer everything for 3 to 5 minutes. I taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
The dish is ready when the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and my squid is tender. I serve it hot.
Enjoy your adobong pusit sa gata!

Notes

I always look for the freshest squid I can find. I never discard the squid ink because that's what gives the dish its authentic dark color and flavor.

Timing is everything with squid. I stick to 3 minutes for the initial boil and 3 to 5 minutes for the final simmer. Any longer and you get rubbery squid.

I let my vinegar boil uncovered to mellow out its acidity, and I watch my coconut milk carefully. When I see those small oil droplets on the surface, I know it's cooked.

After adding the coconut milk, I keep the heat low to prevent curdling. I also wait until the end to add salt since the dish concentrates as it cooks down.

If my squid turns out rubbery, I know I overcooked it. Remember, squid needs either very quick cooking (under 5 minutes total) or very long cooking (over 30 minutes). There's no middle ground.

If my sauce is too watery, I just continue simmering until it thickens. If it's too acidic, I add a pinch of sugar or more coconut milk to balance it out.