Learn how to cook Pinakbet, the Tagalog version. This vegetable stew is a healthy Filipino -Ilocano dish using assorted Filipino vegetables.

When I was just learning and beginning to cook for my family, I’ve always wondered why my pakbet or pinakbet, doesnt taste like my fathers Pinakbet Ilocano recipe. My father, an Ilocano from Pangasinan, where this dish originates, cooks it with a bit of soup. I’ve always thought that this might be the difference and why my dish tastes more like ginisang gulay.

It is only later that I realized that the difference is with the use of Bagoong vs Shrimp paste. The original Pinakbet Ilocano recipe uses Bagoong or Fermented fish, and the Tagalog Pinakbet version uses shrimp paste.

The Pinakbet Hack

I heard this joke somewhere. What is the easiest way to cut vegetables? Simple, have your household help do it. While it’s not really funny, okay, it is funny, especially for a lot of Filipino households with household help (which I dont), it works. It’s easier to have someone cut the vegetables for you. They are a lot! The next easiest thing is to buy them prepacked from the groceries. While some might argue that cutting them fresh is the best thing, and I agree, it really helps save time when you buy them packed with all the Pinakbet ingredients.

How to Cook Pinakbet

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 piece onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• ¼ kilo pork
• 1 large egg plant, sliced diagonally
• 1 medium-sized bitter melon, sliced diagonally
• 1/2 squash, cut into cubes
• 3 pieces large tomato, sliced
• 6 to 8 pieces okra
• 1 bunch string beans, cut in 3 inches length
• 4 tbsp shrimp paste
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a pan, saute ginger, garlic, and and onion in cooking oil.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are wilted.
3. Follow with the pork, cooking until pork is “sangkutsado” or brown.
4. Put the shrimp paste and saute till pork is well covered with shrim paste and color has turned reddish.
5. Add water and let it boil until pork is tender.
6. Begin adding the hard veggies like squash or other rootcrops like sweet potato. Cook until squash is soft.
7. Turn heat to high, add the rest of the vegetables and cook quickly while mixing veggies with pork, making sure to also coat the vegetables with shrimp. Do not overcook.
8. Serve with rice!