Inun-unan na Bangus
Inun-unan na Bangus (Cebuano)
Cebuano inun-unan na bangus—thick milkfish steaks in clear vinegar-ginger broth with tomato, ampalaya, garlic, and siling haba; sour, clean, and perfect...
Serves 4 · 55m total
The Story
Inun-unan is Cebuano home cooking at its simplest—the name means cooked in vinegar, and the plate in the photo is the everyday version many Visayan kitchens make: thick bangus steaks in a clear, lightly oily broth, not a thick coconut pool.
You layer the fish with ginger, garlic, tomato, and finger-length ampalaya strips, pour in vinegar and a little water, then simmer low until the bangus is flaky and the vegetables have softened but still hold their shape. Whole siling haba on top gives mild heat without shredding the fish.
Some families add a splash of gata for a creamier inun-unan; this recipe follows the photo—sharp, clean, and sour-forward like paksiw, with ampalaya's gentle bitterness balancing the vinegar. Leftovers reheated gently the next day are often even better.
Best paired with
Steaming white rice, patis with calamansi on the side, and ensaladang talong or fresh cucumber if you want something cool against the sour broth.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Do not stir while simmering—shake the pan gently or lift the lid only once or twice so the bangus does not break apart.
- ✦Thick cross-cut steaks (like the photo) cook more evenly than thin tail pieces; ask your fish vendor for steak-cut bangus.
- ✦The broth should stay clear and light; if it looks cloudy, you boiled too hard—keep the simmer gentle after the first boil.
- ✦Whole siling haba gives aroma and mild heat; slit one chili only if your table likes it spicier.
- ✦Salt the ampalaya lightly and rinse after blanching if your family is sensitive to bitterness.
- ✦A splash of gata at the end is traditional in some Cebuano homes—omit it for the sour, clean bowl in the photo.
Substitutions
- bangus → tilapia, galunggong, or salmon steaks
- ampalaya → eggplant strips or extra tomato
- coconut vinegar → cane vinegar or spiced sukang maasim
- clear vinegar broth → add ½–1 cup gata for creamy inun-unan
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Rub bangus steaks lightly with salt. If using ampalaya, blanch strips in boiling water 1 minute, drain, and rinse in cold water to tame bitterness (optional but helps, as in the photo).
- 2
Heat oil in a wide pan. Sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add onion rings and cook until slightly soft.
- 3
Arrange bangus steaks in the pan in one layer. Scatter tomato and ampalaya around the fish. Tuck whole siling haba and peppercorns between the pieces—do not slice the chilies if you want mild heat like the photo.
- 4
Pour vinegar and water over the fish—the liquid should come halfway up the steaks. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer 18–22 minutes without stirring until the bangus is cooked through and the broth is clear and lightly reduced.
- 5
Optional creamy version: stir in gata during the last 5 minutes of simmering until the sauce turns pale and silky (skip for the clear style in the photo).
- 6
Taste and adjust with salt or patis. Serve gently from the pan so steaks stay whole, with plenty of broth over rice.
Kitchen Timer · 25 min prep first
30:00
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