The Foodie Goodie: Ilocano's PINAKBET

Food lovers, have a taste of the very popular ilocano food from the northern regions of the Philippines, although it has become popular throughout the archipelago, the Pinakbet or Pakbet. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word "pinakebbet", meaning shrivelled. The original Ilocano pinakbet uses bagoong, of fermented monamon or other fish, while further south, bagoong alamang is used. 

Image source: Kawaling Pinoy

Usually its most basic vegetables used in this dish include native bitter melon, eggplant, tomato, ginger, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers and various Filipino vegetables like parda, winged beans, and such. A Tagalog version usually includes calabaza (squash).

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kilo pork with fat (cut into very small pieces) or you can use other alternatives like fried fish or shrimp
  
• 3 tablespoons oil
  
• 1 1/2 cup water
  
• 2 medium size Ampalaya (cut into 8 pieces each)
  
• 2 medium size eggplants (cut into 8 pieces each)
  
• 6 pieces okra (halved)
  
• 6 pieces tomatoes (quartered)
  
• 1 small garlic head (minced)
  
• 2 small onions (diced)
  
• 1 small ginger (sliced)
  
• 4 tablespoons bagoong isda
  
• Pinch of pepper

How to cook:

1. In a pan, cook pork until lightly crispy, set aside.
   
2. Saute garlic, onion, tomatoes, and ginger in the pork fat and mix in pork.
   
3. In a pot, boil water with bagoong.
   
4. Add in the pork and spices.
   
5. Add all the vegetables and cook.
   
6. Serve hot.

Reference:wiki