Pinakbet

Pinakbet

A savoury northern Filipino vegetable stew of squash, string beans, okra, eggplant and bitter melon simmered with tomatoes and bagoong, the fermented shrimp paste that gives the dish its deep salty umami. The vegetables are kept distinct and lightly cooked, then served with steamed rice.

Prep

25 min

Cook

25 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• •4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• •1 whole onion, medium, sliced
• •3 whole tomatoes, medium, cored and cut into wedges
• •2 tbsp bagoong, fermented shrimp paste; use bagoong alamang or bagoong isda. It is very salty, so add in stages and taste before adding salt.
• •250 g (9 oz) kabocha or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes
• •150 g (5½ oz) string beans, also sold as sitaw or yardlong beans; trimmed and cut into 5 cm / 2 in lengths
• •150 g (5½ oz) okra, stems trimmed, pods left whole
• •200 g (7 oz) eggplant, cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes
• •1 whole bitter melon, small, about 150 g / 5½ oz; halved, seeds and pith scraped out, cut into 5 mm / ¼ in slices
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) water or unsalted vegetable broth, plus more if the pan dries out
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) ground black pepper
• •1 tsp fish sauce, optional; only if the bagoong alone does not season the dish enough

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oil in a wide pot or deep pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned.
2. 2 Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, pressing them with the back of a spoon, until they collapse into a soft, juicy base.
3. 3 Stir in 1 tbsp of the bagoong and cook for 1 minute, until it smells nutty rather than raw. Do not let it scorch.
4. 4 Add the squash and the water or broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, until the squash is just starting to soften at the edges but still firm in the centre.
5. 5 Add the string beans and okra, stir, cover, and cook for 4 minutes.
6. 6 Add the eggplant and bitter melon, stir gently, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. The squash should crush easily under a spoon; the string beans should bend without snapping; the eggplant should be soft throughout with no raw, spongy core.
7. 7 Taste. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp bagoong only if the dish needs it, then the pepper, and the fish sauce if you are using it. Simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes if the pan is watery; the finished dish should be moist and glistening, not swimming in liquid.
8. 8 Take the pot off the heat and rest for 5 minutes before serving with steamed rice.