Pinakbet Recipe

Pinakbet Recipe is something that I learned a long time ago from my Grandma. Pinakbet is a favorite, mixed vegetable Filipino dish composed of eggplant (talong), bitter melon (ampalaya), lady’s fingers (okra), sweet potato (camote), squash (kalabasa), shrimps, and shrimp paste (bagoong hipon). Some pinakbet recipes have more vegetables but these are actually the basic ones or the most common vegetable ingredients. String beans, tomatoes, patani, and cadios can also be added but its just optional.

Although pinakbethas become a very popular and favorite Filipino dish throughout the Philippines, pinakbet actually originated in the Ilocos Region, which is located in the northern part of the Philippines.

 Here is my pinakbet recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 pc. big onion, sliced
• 2 pcs. tomatoes, cut into pieces
• 1 pc. ginger about 2 inches
• 1/2 kg. pork, cut into cubes
• 1/8 kg. shrimps
• 1 c. shrimp broth/ knorr or maggi shrimp cubes
• 1 pc. medium-sized camote, cut into quarters
• 3 pcs. ampalaya, cut to 1 1/2" long
• 6 pcs. eggplant, cut into quarters
• 1 pc. medium-sized kalabasa, cut into cubes
• 1/2 c. bagoong Ilokano/bagoong hipon
• 3 pcs. okra, sliced into half
• 1 tsp. salt to taste

Cooking Procedure:

• Heat oil in a sauce pan
• Sauté onion until translucent
• Add tomatoes, ginger, pork, shrimps,
• Add shrimp broth
• Boil for a few minutes or until pork and shrimps are partially cooked
• Add camote, kalabasa, ampalaya, okra, and eggplant
• Season mixture with bagoong and cook until done
• Salt to taste

Hot Tip:

• Add coconut milk and simmer for 2-3 minutes.