Pinakbet

Pinakbet

( Vegetable Stew in Shrimp Paste)

Famous dish from the northern Ilocos region, where the people need to make something

from their harvest. Eggplants, okra, stringbeans and other vegetables are stewed 

with their famous Ilocos fermented fish.

Ingredients :

• Milkfish
• 4-6 pcs malunggay fruit (remove the skin and cut to 1 1/2- 2  inches long)
• Small pcs of squash
• 1 pcs eggplants
• 1 pcs bittermelon
• 6-8 pcs of stringbeans
• 8-10 pcs of okra
• 10 stalks of kangkong
• 2 tbsp sauted shrimp paste 
• 1 cup water
• 1 tomato
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Cooking oil for frying
• Salt

Directions :

• In a cooking pot, boil the shrimp paste in water, until dissolve.
• Add the vegetables in a layer, start with tomato, onion, bittermelon, eggplant, stringbeans, malunggay fruit okra squash and garlic.
• Layer the fried or grilled fish, cover and cook on high and when it starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer.Cook for about 20-25 minutes.
• Add the kangkong leaves, and simmer for few minutes. 

Cooking Tips :

• Pinakbet is done, when vegetables appear wrinkled.
• Do not mix the vegetables while simmering.
• Grill the fish to reduce fats.