Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a classic Filipino mixed vegetable dish.  There are many versions of Pinakbet. In Northern Luzon such as Tarlac, the hometown of my mom, bagoong isda is usually used as a seasoning. It is cooked with tomatoes, garlic, onions and ginger. I grew up eating this version with fish- either Bangus or Tilapia. 

When I got married, I tasted a different version of Pinakbet- the Tagalog version, wherein alamang (shrimp paste is used) it is paired with pork or chicharon. Both versions are super good! The recipe below is the Tagalog version of Pinakbet. 

Just a trivia: Pinakbet according to Wikipedia, is similar to the Provencal (French) vegetable stew Ratatouille, except for the sauce. Hmm..Nice to know. :)

Ingredients:

1 pc. onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 pcs. ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/4 kg pork belly, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 pc. ampalaya, sliced into diagonal, half-inch strips

1/4 kg kalabasa (squash), sliced into 1 inch cubes

5 pcs. okra, sliced diagonally

3 pcs. eggplant, sliced diagonally into 1 1/2 inches

1 bunch of sitaw (string beans), cut into 2 inches strips

1 bunch of kangkong leaves and stalks, cut into 2 inches

2-3 tbsp. alamang (shrimp paste), this can either be cooked or uncooked, but I prefer the cooked.

3 tbsp. cooking oil

salt or patis to taste

a pinch or two of brown sugar

Heat cooking oil in a pan. Add in the pork belly slices, sprinkle some salt and cook until lightly brown. Set aside. Add in garlic and and onion, saute until light brown and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the shrimp paste (alamang) and mix, then add in the cooked pork pieces. Continue to cook for about half a minute. 

Start adding the vegetables- starting with the squash (kalabasa). You can add in about 1 cup of hot water. Cook until almost tender then mix in the rest of the vegetables: string beans (sitaw), okra, ampalaya, eggplant and kang-kong. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. I prefer my vegetables to be half-cooked. I love eating them crisp with all the healthy goodness, still intact. Adjust taste by adding salt, patis or a little brown sugar. Alamang (shrimp paste) can be salty so usually, you don't really need to add in any more salt or patis.