Pinakbet : a delicious vegetable meal of the Philippines

Pinakbet Tagalog or Pakbet is a Filipino vegetable dish that is flavorful & colorful. It is composed of a variety of vegetables like squash, eggplant, okra, yard-long beans, and bitter melon. Pork, shrimp paste, and tomatoes are used to give it its distinctive taste and it also has a protein component. I made use of lechon kawali or crispy deep-fried pork belly for this recipe. This recipe is a variation of the popular Pinakbet Ilocano.

The difference between the two versions has something to do with the type of bagoong used. The Tagalog version makes use of bagoong alamang or shrimp paste. It is made from krill, which are small shrimp-like crustaceans found in the waters of Asia. The Ilocano version uses fermented fish or bagoong isda. Bagoong Terong and Bagoong Monamon are the common fermented fish used to cook it.

Instructions
Heat cooking oil in a pot. Saute onion and garlic. Add ginger and continue to cook until the onion softens.
Add lechon kawali. Saute for 1 minute.
Pour water. Let boil.
Add Knorr Shrimp Cube. Cover the pot and cook in medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add tomato and bagoong alamang. Stir. Cover the pot. Cook for 3 minutes.
Put the kalabasa and kamote into the pot. Cook for 7 minutes.
Add sitaw, okra, ampalaya, and eggplant. Stir. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
Season with ground black pepper and add remaining lechon kawali. Cook for minutes.
Transfer to a serving plate. Serve. Share and Enjoy!