Pinakbet Recipe – There are many vegetable dishes in Filipino cuisine. Most often than not vegetables are cooked into stews and soups. Among the many stew dishes that feature vegetable, Pinakbet is considered one of the classics. It is a stew that features indigenous produce, root crops, and beans that are accessible and plentiful in the area, plus a protein. What makes it distinct is that it’s flavored with bagoong monamon, a type of seasoning made of fermented fish.
Pinakbet got its name from the Ilocano term “pinakebbet,” which translates to “shriveled.” This name refers to when the vegetables are slowly sweated in the pot over low heat until they become “shrunken.”
Depending on the area, there are different version of the dish. One version uses bagoong alamang or shrimp paste instead of bagoong isda. It also typically includes kalabasa, which adds a touch of sweetness to the dish.
Whatever way you decide to make the dish, you’ll still end with a dish with spoonfuls of deliciously complementary vegetables, crispy meat and a savory, clement soup. Among the many recipes you can try, here’s one Pinakbet recipe you can use to get started.
Pinakbet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 pound pork belly cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 small kalabasa peeled and cut into pieces
- 8 okra ends trimmed
- 1/2 bunch long beans ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 1 medium ampalaya bittermelon, seeded, halved and cut into 1-inch thick
- 1 large eggplant ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch thick
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up some oil in a pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic and cook them until they become nice and soft, stirring regularly.
- Add some pork and cook it until it gets lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in some shrimp paste and cook until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add some diced tomatoes and mash them with the back of a spoon until they become soft and release their delicious juice.
- Pour in some water and bring everything to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for around 15-20 minutes or until the meat becomes tender. If the mixture starts to dry out, add more water in 1/2 cup increments to maintain about 1 cup of liquid.
- Add some squash and cook it for a couple of minutes until it becomes almost tender.
- Add some long beans and continue cooking until they become tender-crisp.
- Mix in some ampalaya, eggplant, and okra and continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through yet still tender-crisp.
- Season everything with some salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve this delectable pork and vegetable stew hot and enjoy with rice or bread.
Tips and Other Options for a Pinakbet Recipe
There are different tips and tricks to making this vegetable stew. When cooking the vegetables, make sure to add the vegetables in the pot according to how long they cook. Sturdier ones such as kalabasa and sitaw go in first followed by eggplant, bittermelon, and okra which take less time to soften. It also helps to make sure that all the ingredients are evenly cut for an easier and quicker cooking time.
If you want to explore other vegetable stew options, you should try “Vegan Kare Kare” it is another classic stew dish that vegetable lovers can enjoy. There is also other vegetable stews/soups like “Ginataang Gulay” and “Ginisang Sayote“. For those that want to try something more exotic, there is “Callos,” which features ox tripe. Another option is a vegetable soup with something different like “Dinengdeng.”
Aside from these stew dishes, you can enjoy other vegetable dishes like “Poqui Poqui“, a delicious omelette made of eggplant that can be enjoyed for any meal. There are also vegan alternative dishes like “Eggplant Adobo.”
