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A mix of vegetables simmered with pork and shrimp paste until just tender, a simple, savoury Filipino vegetable stew.
Pinakbet
- 150 g pork belly, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp bagoong (shrimp paste)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 200 g squash, cubed
- 150 g green beans, trimmed
- 1 aubergine, sliced
- 100 g okra
- 1 tbsp oil
- Fry the pork in oil until browned.
- Add the garlic and onion, and fry until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until softened.
- Add the squash first, since it takes longest, and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the remaining vegetables and the bagoong, stir to combine, and cover.
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, then serve with rice.
What is pinakbet?
Pinakbet is a vegetable stew from the Ilocos region in the north of the Philippines. Local vegetables such as bitter melon, aubergine, okra, squash and long beans are cooked with a little pork and seasoned with bagoong, a fermented shrimp or fish paste.
The name comes from an Ilocano word meaning shrunk or shrivelled, because the vegetables are cooked down until soft and full of flavour. It is eaten with plain rice as an everyday meal.
Ingredient notes and UK swaps
- Bitter melon (ampalaya): sold in Asian grocers. Scoop out the seeds and salt the slices for 10 minutes to calm the bitterness. Leave it out if you do not like bitter flavours.
- Squash: kabocha or butternut squash both work.
- Long beans: fine green beans are an easy swap.
- Bagoong: sautéed shrimp paste in jars from Filipino shops. A little goes a long way, so taste before adding more.
Serving and storing
Serve with steamed rice and fried fish or grilled pork. Pinakbet keeps for 3 days in the fridge and often tastes better the next day. Reheat gently with a splash of water so the vegetables do not catch.
Tips for the best pinakbet
- Add the vegetables in order of how long they take to cook, so nothing turns to mush.
- Do not overcook, pinakbet is meant to have vegetables with a little bite left, not fully soft.
Adding vegetables in the right order
Add the vegetables in order of how long they take to cook, starting with squash and working down to quicker-cooking greens, adding everything at once is the most common reason pinakbet ends up with some vegetables mushy and others still hard.
Vegetable substitutions
Bitter melon is traditional but not always easy to find in the UK, courgette or aubergine make a reasonable substitute if bitter melon is unavailable, adjusting cooking time slightly for the vegetable used.
Frequently asked questions
Is pinakbet vegetarian?
It can be made vegetarian by leaving out the pork and using salt or a vegetarian substitute instead of bagoong.
What vegetables go in pinakbet?
Squash, green beans, aubergine, okra and bitter melon are the most traditional, though the mix varies by household.
What does pinakbet taste like?
Savoury and salty from the shrimp paste, a little sweet from the squash, with a gentle bitterness from the bitter melon.
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Some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, The Asian Larder earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
- Bagoong shrimp paste. The savoury base behind pinakbet.
