How to Make Pugita With Upo (Octopus With Calabash)

I am a chef on a luxury world cruise liner. I love to cook and write recipes that are inspired by foods from all over the world.

Upo is the Tagalog or Filipino word for calabash, also called bottle gourd or white-flowered gourd. It grows on a vine, and it is commonly sold in Filipino marketplaces. Pugita is the Tagalog word for octopus.

Let me share with you my simple yet delicious and healthy octopus recipe. It is can be served as a seafood-vegetable main dish.

Cook Time

The ingredients: sliced octopus.

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Ingredients

• 250 grams octopus, sliced
• 1 medium calabash (bottle gourd), sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 small head garlic, peeled
• 4 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, sliced
• salt
• pepper
• water, as needed
• cooking oil

Utensils

For Preparation:

• 2 medium bowls
• 1 big bowl
• chopping board
• knife

For Cooking:

• cooking spoon
• pan

Instructions

1. In a pan, saute onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes.
2. Add water. Bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, add the octopus. Cover the pan. Cook until almost tender.

Tips and Techniques

• You can cook the octopus faster by using a pressure cooker.
• Add any preferred seasonings.
• Adjust the amount of water if needed.
• The bigger the octopus, the more time it needs to cook.
• To lessen the cooking time, allow the water to come to a boil first.

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