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Pinakbet

Name: Pinakbet
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Philippines
Ingredients: 1 Eggplant; 150g Squash; 6 Okra; 10 Green beans; 100g Pork; 2 tsp Shrimp paste; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 Tomato

Side Dish

⏱ 30 min

👥 Serves 2

Difficulty ⭐

Eggplant, squash, and okra seasoned with fermented shrimp paste — a traditional dish from northern Luzon.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

A vegetable dish believed to originate in the Ilocos region of northern Luzon in the Philippines. Local vegetables — eggplant, squash, okra, bitter melon, green beans — are used generously, seasoned with the fermented shrimp condiment "bagoong." The name is said to derive from the word "pakbet" (to shrink), referring to how the vegetables are cooked down until tender. Adding a small amount of pork for extra richness is also common, making it a well-balanced, nutritious home dish.

🌆 Where it's eaten: In the fields of Ilocos, between farm work, freshly harvested vegetables are cooked and eaten the same day — a simple home flavor that feels the bounty of the earth.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 2)

Eggplant 1
Squash 150g
Okra 6
Green beans 10
Pork 100g
Shrimp paste 2 tsp
Garlic 2 cloves
Tomato 1

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Cut the eggplant and squash into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic and cut the tomato into wedges.
If using pork, sauté it with the garlic in a pot.
Add the tomato and stir-fry, mashing it down.
Add the squash and a small amount of water, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the eggplant, okra, and green beans.
Dissolve in the shrimp paste and simmer until the vegetables are tender to finish.

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