Sizzling Gambas
Sizzling Gambas is a Filipino-style shrimp dish cooked in garlic, butter, tomato sauce, and chilies until glossy and aromatic. It is often served hot on a sizzling plate as pulutan or as a rich seafood ulam with rice.
Estimated cost: ₱370
Total 20 min · Serves 1
Nutrition per serving: 479 kcal · 50 g protein · 9 g carbs · 27 g fat
Ingredients
- 200g large shrimp
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
- 3 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 piece red chili, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp calamansi juice
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Steps
- Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels, then season with salt, pepper, paprika, and calamansi juice. Let it stand for 5 minutes while preparing the aromatics.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Once the oil looks shiny and moves easily across the pan, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the butter and let it melt gently. Stir constantly so the garlic does not burn; the mixture should smell buttery and garlicky with only light bubbling.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp in a single layer, and cook for about 1 minute per side until the shrimp begin turning pink and slightly curled.
- Add the tomato sauce, sliced bell pepper, and red chili. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens, coats the shrimp, and the bell pepper is slightly tender but still bright.
- Taste the sauce and adjust with a small pinch of salt if needed. Turn off the heat as soon as the shrimp are fully opaque to avoid overcooking.
- If using a sizzling plate, heat it separately for 3–4 minutes until very hot, carefully transfer the gambas onto it, and serve immediately while bubbling.
Prices are estimates based on Department of Agriculture price monitoring. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central, FNRI).