Pinakbet

Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Ilocano dish, from the northern regions of the Philippines, although it has become popular throughout the archipelago. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word "pinakebbet", meaning shrunk or shrivelled.

But I'm going to show you a Kapampangan's version of Pakbet.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 pound pork (liempo with skin & fat)

* 4 Cloves garlic

* 1 Onion medium size

* 1/4 cup Shrimp Paste (Bagoong Alamang)

* 4 Eggplants (Long or round)

* 1 handful of Okra

* 1/2 cup tomatoes

* 2 pieces ampalaya (Bitter Melon)

* Corn Oil

* 1 Pork Cube (Maggi or Knorr)

* Salt

Cooking Procedure:

1. Get a casserole or a wok saute' garlic, onion, pork sliced in strips, tomatoes and shrimp paste.

2. Add the diagonally sliced eggplants, bitter melon and Okra.

3. Add Pork cube and salt to taste.

4. Simmer it until the pork and vegies are cooked.

I prefer the veggies half cooked.

Tip: Some people pour water when they cook Pinakbet but this makes the dish watery unless you want it like a soup. Vegetables already have water in it and it comes out when you cook it.