Cultural Connections: Pakbet

It’s time to show your Culture foods again…Show us your country’s soul through the food you eat.

Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Filipino dish of mixed vegetables and pork stew cooked with bagoong or shrimp paste (anchovies).

Ingredients:
1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces
2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces
2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces
5 pieces of okra, cut in two
1 head garlic, minced
2 onions, diced
5 tomatoes, slice
1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced
4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang
3 tablespoons of oil
1 1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

*In a cooking pan, heat oil and fry the pork until brown, remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

*On the same pan, saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.

*In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.

*Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéed garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

*Add in all the vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done, careful not to overcook.

*Salt and pepper to taste.

*Serve hot with plain rice.