Pinakbet

A traditional filipino dish that I would qualify as their national ratatouille

Hello dear readers,

Today Mamali is back with a delicious recipe: pinakbet! It is great as a side dish and the shrimp paste brings this delicious umami to the dish, you should definitely try it.

Ingredients for 4 persons

- 100 g (less than a cup) of pork belly;

- One fourth of a red pumpkin, peeled and cubed;

- 2 small eggplants cut in wedges;

- 1 small bitter melon, cut in circles and inside cleared out;

- a hand full of string beans, tips cut off and cut in half if very long;

- a handful of okra;

- 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped into small bits;

- half a medium sized onion, peeled and cut in thin slices;

- half an inch of ginger, peeled and sliced;

- half a medium sized tomato, diced;

- water as needed;

- 2 tbsp shrimp paste (filipino bagoong - found in most Asian stores)

Procedure:

1. Cut up the pork belly long slice into half an inch pieces vertically and horizontally till they are square.

2. Heat 1/4 cup water in a pan and add the pork belly slices till water evaporates and pork belly gives off some of its oil.

3. Toss till pieces are slightly browned and remove from the pan.

4. Add a tablespoon of neutral oil in the same pan and cook the garlic, onion and ginger. When they are slightly toasted, add the sliced tomato.

5. Add the string beans and the bitter melon. Cook with a bit of water, 3 tablespoons at a time so your pan is not dry

6. Then add the okra, eggplants and pumpkin last. Add a bit of water so vegetables do not burn.

7. Add the cooked pork belly.

8. Add the shrimp paste (bagoong) and add more, in small quantities at a time till you have the just right taste, not too salty not too bland.

9. Cook uncovered till the vegetables are not hard when pressed with a spoon, but do not overcook as vegetables can wilt.

10. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Enjoy! Mamali & Audrey