Pinakbet Tagalog is also known as Pakbet is a Filipino dish with a colorful mix of vegetables. This Tagalog-style sautéed dish is tasty, flavorful, and nutritious.
As a kid who grow up being trained to eat all kinds of vegetables, pakbet is always present on our menu. We have a garden to malunggay, grow bitter melon, eggplant, okra, string beans, squash, and tomato which are some of the main ingredients in pinakbet Tagalog. One of the main ingredients as well as fish or shrimp paste, which is my favorite to season this vegetable stew.
The origin of pinakbet or pakbet is the North Luzon Region where the word is the contracted form of the word “pinakebbet” meaning shrunk or shriveled in Ilokano. Ilokano is one of the few dialects in the Philippines which I speak.
Pinakbet Ilokano and Pinakbet Tagalog are very similar and one of the differences is the method and technique of cooking. Although in this recipe, we are going to cook pinakbet Tagalog style dish, both of these dishes are very delicious and nutritious in every bite. As a main dish, it is always paired with plain rice or fried rice on the side.
Why you will love this
- Pakbet Tagalog is loaded with health benefits. It is made with different variety of colorful and vibrant vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals that are great for your body. There are so many health benefits to eating this dish that’s why everybody has to try it.
- Easy and simple to cook. Pinakbet is worth making at home. It takes 30 minutes to cook and it is fun preparing all the vegetables that go with the dish.
- Most vegetables are easy to find in grocery stores. If you live in the United States, Asian Stores are your way to go shopping for the ingredients.
Main Ingredients for Pinakbet Tagalog
- Shrimp paste or fermented fish
- Pork
- Onion, garlic, and ginger
- Tomatoes or kamatis
- Okra
- String beans or sitaw
- Eggplant or talong
- Squash or kalabasa
- Bitter melon or ampalaya
- Leafy greens such as spinach or malunggay
Instructions
Before we start cooking, let’s do one of the fun parts which are preparing the vegetables by washing, slicing, and chopping them.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté your ginger, onion, and garlic until aromatic.
- Next, add your tomatoes, pork sliced in cubes, and shrimp paste. Cook them all together until the pork is lightly brown and tender.
- Add squash and cook for 5 minutes. Squash is longer to cook than the other vegetables.
- Add the rest of the vegetables except spinach and cook on medium heat until they are tender for about 10-15 minutes.
- Lastly, add spinach or any leafy greens and cover with a lid. Turn off the heat. The steam will continue to cook the spinach while it’s hot. Serve and enjoy with rice on the side.
Pro Tips
- Sliced your vegetables in the same sizes to cook them evenly, check the ingredients photo above. Squash should be cooked first among other vegetables since it is longer to cook firm vegetables. Make sure to peel the skin and slice with a sharp knife.
- Leafy vegetables such as spinach or malunggay should be the last to add since they are the fastest to cook. I usually turn off the heat after adding them and cover them with a lid so the steam will continue to cook them.
- To lessen the bitterness of bitter melon, soak cut slices in water with a bit of salt for 30 minutes before cooking. If you don’t have time, just sprinkle salt, massage for a minute, and squeeze as much water as possible.
Storage and reheating tips
- Storage: Cool your leftover dish completely and transfer it into air-tight glass containers.
- Refrigerator – Store your pinakbet in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
- Freezer – You can also store your leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-friendly container. It will last up to 3-4 months when frozen properly. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and it is ready for the next morning.
- Reheating: To reheat, transfer it to a saucepan, add a few tablespoons of water if needed, and reheat over medium heat until warm through. You can also use a microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to reheat this delicious pakbet.
More recipes you might like
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Pinakbet Tagalog Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 inch minced giner
- 1 medium sliced yellow onion
- 1 pound pork cut in cubes
- 2 large tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons shrimp paste
- 1/2 large butternut squash, sliced
- 1 large bitter melon, sliced
- 1 large eggplant, cut diagonally about 1 inch thick
- 1/2 pound green beans
- 1/2 pound okra
- 3 large jalapeno pepper
- 1 pound spinach
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute ginger, garlic, and onion until aromatic.
- Add pork, tomatoes and shrimp paste and cook until pork turn lightly brown and tender.
- Add squash and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the vegetables except spinach and cook in medium heat until they are tender for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add spinach and cover with a lid. Turn off the heat. The steam will continue to cook the spinach while its hot. Serve and enjoy with rice on the side.
Notes
- Leafy vegetables such as spinach or malunggay should be the last to add since they are the fastest to cook. I usually turn off the heat after adding them and cover them with a lid so the steam will continue to cook them.
- Slice and chop your vegetables of the same size to cook evenly.
Great yummy recipe. I use fried fish instead of meat and it is perfect.
Thanks for the input. I am glad it definitely worked out with fried fish.