Menu: Pinakbet

Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Ilocano dish, from the northern region of the Philippines, although it has become popular throughout the archipelago. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word "pinakebbet", meaning shrunk or shrivelled. The original Ilocano pinakbet uses Bugguong, of fermented monamon or other fish, while further south, bagoong alamang is used. Usually its most basic vegetables used in this dish include native bitter melon, eggplant,tomato, ginger,okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers and various Filipino vegetables like parda, winged beans, and such. A Tagalog version usually includes calabaza. it is one of my favorite filipino food especially if it was cook properly. cause there are Pinakbet thats just sooooo bitter because of the bitter melon. i love pakbet with lotsa lotsa shrimp and porks. aside from adobo this is one of the Filipino Food you should try.

How To Cook

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound pork/shrimp
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup bagoong
4 eggplants
1/3 cup tomatoes
2 pieces ampalaya or amargoso
1/2 teaspoon MSG Salt.

Slice the pork into strips. Mince the garlic, chop the ginger, and tomatoes. Quarter the eggplant and ampalaya or amargoso.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the pork, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and bagoong. Simmer until the pork is tender.

Add the ampalaya or amargoso and eggplant and simmer until done. Add MSG and salt to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinakbet