This Ilocano pork-and-veggie dish is traditionally made with bagnet, which is deep-fried pork belly (also an Ilocano specialty). Try this pinakbet recipe without pork—this bittermelon and okra stew is also good without pork.
Pinakbet Recipe
This bittermelon and okra stew is also good without pork (Ilocanos use bagnet!).
Ingredients
Pinakbet Ingredients
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1/8 kilogram shallots (sibuyas Tagalog) chopped
- 1/4 kilogram tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons fermented fish (bagoong isda)
- 3 tablespoons ginger sliced thinly
- 1/4 kilogram eggplant cut into half
- 1/4 kamote (sweet potato) cut into big cubes
- 1/4 kilogram sitaw (string beans) sliced into 3-inch pieces
- 1/4 kilogram okra trimmed and sliced into 3-inch pieces
- 1/8 kilogram Chili Pepper (Siling Pangsigang)
- 1/8 kilogram Ampalaya (Bittermelon) cut into half
Instructions
- Add garlic, shallots, tomato in a pan and saute until the juice from the tomatoes dries out and the oil separates.
- Add the bagoong isda. Continue to cook to reduce the liquid.
- Layer the vegetables in the palayok or pot in this order: ginger, eggplant, kamote, sitaw, okra, siling duwag. Ampalaya should be on top.
- Lower heat for the vegetables to sweat without browning and leave the pot covered until the vegetables are cooked.
- Hold the pot on both sides, begin to toss the pot in a circular motion to move vegetables around.
- Cook until the sauce thickens. The sauce should not be too thick. It is ready once you see the oil starts to separate from the sauce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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