Pinakbet is a tasty vegetable dish made-up of different fresh vegetables, pork, and shrimp paste. This Pinakbet Recipe is a variation of the popular Tagalog version of this dish, Pakbet Ilokano, that originated from the Ilocos Region.
This Pinakbet recipe is comprised of different vegetables such as eggplant (talong), squash (kalabasa), sting beans (sitaw), ampalaya (bitter melon), okra, and others. Since there are quite a number of ingredients required, I usually carry a shopping list and buy the freshest produce from a nearby market on the day that I’ll cook them. When it comes to the Shrimp paste, I always buy an extra bottle from the Asian store so that I won’t run out of stock.
Before I forget…have that rice cooker going because you might need some extra rice. Oh…one more thing. Have a cold soda (soft drinks) on your side or some cold juice to get rid of that shrimpy taste after you’re done. You will surely love this Pinakbet recipe. Happy cooking!
Try this Pinakbet Recipe recipe and let me know what you think.
- ¼ lb pork, thinly sliced
- 1 large egg plant, sliced
- 1 medium-sized bitter melon, chopped
- ¼ lb squash, chopped into 2x1 inch cubes
- 3 pieces large tomato, sliced
- 1 piece onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 to 8 pieces okra
- 1 bunch string beans, cut in 3 inches length
- 4 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Heat the pan and put the cooking oil.
- When oil is hot enough, saute the garlic, ginger, onion, and tomato
- Add the pork and cook until color turns light brown (about 5 to 8 minutes)
- Put-in the shrimp paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until pork is tender
- Put-in the squash and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until texture becomes soft
- Add the remaining vegetables and mix with the other ingredients.Simmer for 5 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked. (Do not overcook the vegetables)
- Serve hot with steamed white rice. Share and Enjoy!
