Pinakbet Recipe
A famous Filipino stew known for its colorful miscellany of vegetables and pork, pinakbet or pakbet in the Ilocos region, combines local produce, root crops, and beans. These ingredients from the Philippines make a hearty, soulful, healthy dish featured in this pinakbet recipe.
So, if you’re on the lookout for one of the best Filipino dishes without worrying about the calories, pinakbet is a great choice. In fact, pinakbet is at the same level as other well-known Filipino dishes such as sinigang na baboy, chopsuey, menudo, and champorado.
As delicious as this dish is, not everyone can perfect it. But we’re here to help you out. This post features the easiest pakbet or pinakbet recipe you’ll ever get your hands on.
What Is Pinakbet?
Pinakbet or pakbet is a Filipino dish that combines vegetables and root crops abundant in the Philippines. These include okra, eggplant, kalabasa (squash), tomatoes, ginger, ampalaya (bitter gourd), sitaw (Chinese long beans), siling duwag, and kamote (sweet potato).
Traditionally, it comes with a type of fermented fish called bagoong monamon, which adds an exciting layer of flavors and aroma to the stew. Its center meat can be diced pork, shrimp, pre-cooked fish, or bagnet (locally called chicharon in Ilocano or crispy, deep-fried pork belly).
However, variations across the regions of the Philippines have given their own take on this healthy meal without losing its classic flavors and identity. Some pinakbet recipes, such as pinakbet or pakbet Tagalog, use bagoong alamang or shrimp paste to promote its flavors and aroma.
The use of different meat options also makes it an entirely new experience for anyone. Whether you like classic pinakbet or the additional crispy textures of pakbet Ilocano with chicharon, this nutritious vegetable stew from the Philippines is truly a wonderful array of colors, flavors, and nutrition.
Why Is Pinakbet Popular?
Pinakbet or pakbet is one of the staple dishes in the Philippines. Although it originated from the north, different regions of the country enjoy this nutritious option as a standalone dish, paired with steamed rice, or as a side dish to other grilled proteins. Its flexibility with the vegetable options makes it a convenient choice of meal for most Filipino households.
While most of the vegetables and ingredients are available in the country across the year, little variations can be made depending on the availability of produce and root crops in the area. Despite this, it retains its traditional and classic flavors from bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) or bagoong monamon (a type of fermented fish), which Filipinos enjoy.
Families would gather around this hearty meal and share it generously with friends and peers while enjoying its flavor diversity. The preparation and cooking period is as convenient for most Filipino households as it gets.
Pinakbet Recipe Cooking Tips
Here are some cooking tips that’ll save you time and flavor mistakes:
- It is crucial to ensure that the ingredients are cut uniformly for an even cook. Pork should be diced with the same thickness, vegetables should be in identical sizes, and long beans should be in equal lengths.
- There is also a correct order of adding the vegetables into the mix. Because a variety of vegetables are involved, you have to be wary of their different cooking periods. Adding them from the longest to cook to the fastest produces the best result.
- The sturdier ones take the longest to cook. These include kalabasa (squash or pumpkin) and sitaw. Eggplant, ampalaya (bitter gourd), and okra need relatively less time to soften. You can add them later into the mix.
- Pork belly is the preferred choice of meat in this recipe. It has a good ratio of meat and fat, adding the best flavor and texture to the dish. If you want to explore alternative options, leaner pork cuts and other proteins like lechon kawali, fish, or shrimp are excellent choices too.
- Finally, because shrimp paste is added for elevated flavors, you can reduce the fishy taste by cooking it ahead until it reaches a brown color.
- You can use our tablespoon to cup conversion chart for your convenience.
How To Serve and Store Pinakbet
With its generous mix of vegetables and meat of your choice, pinakbet or pakbet as a standalone dish works. However, if you want to immerse in how Filipinos eat this hearty vegetable stew, you can pair it with steamed rice (any rice of your choice) or serve it on the side with grilled meat and other proteins.
Because pinakbet is best served freshly made, allow it to cool first before transferring it to an air-tight container for storage. It lasts up to three days in the refrigerator. To reheat, place it on medium heat until it’s ready to be served again.
Pinakbet Recipe
Cuisine: Filipino/Tagalog
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled, minced)
- 1 tablespoon/15 g shrimp paste
- 0.5 pound/0.23 kg pork belly (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 onion (peeled, chopped)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
- ½ small kalabasa (peeled, cut into pieces)
- 8 okra (ends trimmed)
- 1 large eggplant (ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch thick)
- ½ bunch long beans (ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths)
- 1 medium ampalaya (bitter gourd) (seeded, halved, cut into 1-inch thick)
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and constantly stir until they are cooked and softened.
- Add the pork and stir occasionally until it reaches a light-brown color.
- Continue to cook and add shrimp paste until it browns. Then, add tomatoes to soften and cook. Use the back of a spoon to mash the tomatoes and extract the juice.
- Add water into the mix. Once it boils, lower the heat and cover the pot for about 15 to 20 minutes. Using a spoon or fork, poke or cut the meat occasionally to check if it’s tender. If it’s tender, add more water in half increments to maintain the one-cup liquid level in the pot.
- Add the squash until almost tender. It takes about two minutes, but you can also check if the squash has started to soften.
- Add the long beans and continue cooking until it’s tender and crispy.
- Add the okra, ampalaya, and eggplant and continue cooking for about four to five minutes.
- Check if the vegetables are tender and crispy.
- Note: Regularly check if your vegetables are not overcooked and mushy. They should maintain a crispy yet tender feel.
- Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve while hot and enjoy.
Pinakbet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 15 g shrimp paste
- 0.5 pound pork belly cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 onion peeled, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- ½ small kalabasa peeled, cut into pieces
- 8 okra ends trimmed
- 1 large eggplant ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch thick
- ½ bunch long beans ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths
- 1 medium ampalaya bitter gourd (seeded, halved, cut into 1-inch thick)
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and constantly stir until they are cooked and softened.1 tablespoon canola oil, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the pork and stir occasionally until it reaches a light-brown color.0.5 pound pork belly
- Continue to cook and add shrimp paste until it browns. Then, add tomatoes to soften and cook. Use the back of a spoon to mash the tomatoes and extract the juice.15 g shrimp paste, 2 Roma tomatoes
- Add water into the mix. Once it boils, lower the heat and cover the pot for about 15 to 20 minutes. Using a spoon or fork, poke or cut the meat occasionally to check if it’s tender. If it’s tender, add more water in half increments to maintain the one-cup liquid level in the pot.2 cups water
- Add the squash until almost tender. It takes about two minutes, but you can also check if the squash has started to soften.½ small kalabasa
- Add the long beans and continue cooking until it’s tender and crispy.½ bunch long beans
- Add the okra, ampalaya, and eggplant and continue cooking for about four to five minutes.8 okra, 1 large eggplant, 1 medium ampalaya
- Check if the vegetables are tender and crispy.
- Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve while hot and enjoy.salt, pepper
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
The mixture of pinakbet includes vegetables sautéed in shrimp or fish sauce. The term came from teh contracted form of the Ilokano word pinakebbet, which means “shrunk”. The original Ilocano pinakbet uses bagoong, fermented monamon or another fish as the seasoning sauce.
Pinakbet, also called pakbet, is a kind of Filipino dish. It features local vegetables like bitter melon, squash, eggplants, and green beans mixed with pork. The distinctive flavors come to life with “bagoong isda” or Filipino salted fish sauce.
Pinakbet is healthy because it has lots of vegetables. For instance, squash, the main ingredient, has beta-carotene that helps boost our immune systems. Pinakbet consumption on a daily basis also lets you reap the full benefits of its protein and vegetable components.
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Conclusion
Pinakbet is a hearty Filipino vegetable stew made of an assortment of vegetables and root crops in the Philippines, with pork as the meat of choice. This healthy dish is best served as the main entree, with steamed rice, or as a side to grilled meat or fish.
So, what are you waiting for? Get that pot and start following this pinakbet recipe now!
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healthy meal, very nice