Bagoong turns a pot of vegetables into something you eat with rice
Sauté tomatoes until they collapse, stir in a spoonful of bagoong, and the air in the kitchen suddenly smells like the Philippines. It is a fermented, briny aroma of the sea, unlike miso and unlike fish sauce. On top go squash, eggplant, okra, bitter melon and green beans, and the whole thing steams in very little liquid.
Pinakbet (also pakbet) is a vegetable stew most often associated with the Ilocos region in the north of the Philippines. The name is usually explained as coming from an Ilocano word connected to "shriveling" or "shrinking," and the vegetables are steamed in a small amount of liquid until their edges just start to slump. If you aim for bright, crisp vegetables, you move away from what makes pinakbet pinakbet.
That said, it isn't a dish you cook to mush either. The squash should only round off at the corners, the eggplant should turn silky, the okra should stay green, and the bitter melon shouldn't be left too bitter. Coat all of that in salty bagoong and you have something that sends you back for more rice. If adobo (in Japanese) and sinigang (in Japanese) are the way into Filipino sourness and braising, pinakbet is the way into how Filipinos cook vegetables.
In English you will see both pinakbet and pakbet. This article uses "pinakbet," the spelling that is easiest to search for.
What is pinakbet? A pot of Ilocos vegetables and fermented seasoning
The National Nutrition Council, a Philippine government agency, introduces pinakbet as a vegetable dish commonly eaten in the Philippines and lists bitter gourd, squash, eggplant, string beans and okra among its vegetables. Recipe sites often describe the Ilocos-leaning version as using bagoong isda (fermented fish), while home recipes also use bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) or fish sauce.
The important thing is not to lock the vegetables into a single correct set. Even in the Philippines, the amount of pork, dried shrimp, fish, bagnet and tomato changes from household to household. Where long sitaw beans, calabaza and ampalaya are hard to find, regular green beans, kabocha or another firm winter squash, and bitter melon make shopping realistic.
| Pillar of pinakbet | Common form in the Philippines | What to protect in a home kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| Fermented seasoning | bagoong isda, bagoong alamang | This is where the pot's saltiness comes from. Don't overdo it; adjust at the end |
| Squash | kalabasa | Cut it thick so it doesn't fall apart, and add it first |
| Bitter melon | ampalaya | Don't slice it too thin; salt it to even out the bitterness |
| Eggplant and okra | talong, okra | Add them later so they keep their silkiness and presence |
| Little liquid | Steamed in the vegetables' own juices | Don't add too much water. The sauce should cling, not pool |
The vegetable people hesitate over most is bitter melon. Take out all the bitterness and the dish loses its character; cut it too thick and the first bite stops you. This recipe slices it 5 mm wide, rubs it with 1/2 tsp salt for 10 minutes and then blots it dry. Some bitterness stays, but it is easy to put on a table with kids or anyone new to bitter melon.
Ingredients (serves 4)
This serves 4 as a main-leaning dish eaten with white rice. The pork belly is there to add a little aroma and fat, so it shouldn't overshadow the vegetables. Adjustments for a meatless version are in the FAQ below.
This dish involves pork, fish and crustaceans. Most bagoong alamang is made from shrimp, so do not use it if anyone has a shellfish allergy. Fish sauce is also made from seafood depending on the product, so check the ingredients before serving.
What to prioritize when shopping
When you shop for pinakbet, the fermented seasoning makes more difference than the vegetables. Squash, eggplant, okra, green beans and bitter melon can usually be found at a regular supermarket or an Asian grocery. The one thing worth seeking out is bagoong, from a Filipino or Asian grocery or online. Miso or soy sauce alone won't give you pinakbet's distinctive fermented aroma of the sea.
| Shopping priority | Ingredient worth seeking out | Role in the dish | What a regular store can cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Bagoong alamang | Builds the saltiness, savoriness and fermented aroma | Miso alone drifts toward a different dish |
| High | Patis, fish sauce | Final seasoning | Nam pla is an easy substitute |
| Medium | Dried shrimp powder | Adds a little sea savoriness on days without meat or fish | Dried shiitake powder takes the aroma in another direction |
| Low | Long beans | Long beans closer to the original | Regular green beans are fine |
| Low | Bagnet | Deep-fried pork, very Ilocano | Pork belly is fine the first time |
Bagoong is also the condiment served on the side with kare-kare. One jar opens up a lot of Filipino cooking. It is strongly flavored, so keep it to 1 1/2 tbsp at first and let people add more at the table; that way you won't go wrong.
Patis is the fish sauce used to set the final saltiness. Nam pla works as a substitute, but if you keep cooking Filipino food, a small bottle of patis also comes in handy for sinigang (in Japanese) and arroz caldo (in Japanese).
On meatless days, or when you want to go easy on the bagoong, adding just 1 tsp of dried shrimp powder brings out the sweetness of the vegetables. If you are avoiding crustaceans, skip it and use 1 tsp dried shiitake powder instead.
Method
Pinakbet is not a stir-fry; it is layered and steamed. The slow-cooking squash and green beans go in first, and the fragile eggplant, okra and bitter melon are saved for the second half. Stir the pot over and over and the squash breaks down until everything turns thick and muddy.
Put the slow-cooking vegetables like squash and green beans on the bottom and layer the eggplant, okra and bitter melon on top. The less you stir, the better the vegetables keep their shape and color.
Common mistakes
Most pinakbet failures come down to water and stirring. Add a lot of water because you're afraid of scorching and it turns into a soup, with the bagoong aroma watered down. Try to drive off the liquid over high heat instead and only the bottom burns while the squash stays hard.
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Watery | Too much water, lid on too long | Uncover and reduce over low heat for 5 more minutes |
| Squash falls apart | Too much stirring, pieces cut too small | Cut 2.5 cm pieces and turn them less often |
| Bitter melon too bitter | Cut thick, not salted | 5 mm slices, 1/2 tsp salt, blot dry after 10 minutes |
| Too salty | Bagoong added without allowing for differences in saltiness | Add 50 ml water and 1/2 tomato and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes |
| Vegetables taste raw and grassy | Steaming time too short | Add 3 minutes over medium-low, keeping the heat where droplets fall from the lid |
| Greasy | Fatty pork belly | In step 2, blot off about 2 tsp fat before adding the vegetables |
Bagoong varies a lot from product to product. The same 1 tbsp can give a different result depending on whether the paste is sweet, very salty or strongly shrimpy. With a jar you've never used, it's safer to add just 1 tbsp in step 2, then add 1 tsp at a time after the rest in step 6.
How it's eaten in the Philippines, and what to serve with it
Pinakbet spread as a dish of the Ilocos region, and the fermented seasoning changes from place to place. In Ilocos it is often made with fermented fish, while around Manila, in the Tagalog region, shrimp bagoong is more common, or so it is often said.
At an Ilocos-style table, pinakbet is sometimes paired with deep-fried pork such as bagnet. You don't need to go that far every time. A little pork belly in the pot, or grilled fish on the side, is enough to make a complete meal.
If you're building a Filipino menu, pinakbet clashes less when it sits next to chicken inasal (in Japanese) or tortang talong (in Japanese) than when served the same day as sour sinigang (in Japanese). Pinakbet brings vegetables and fermented saltiness, inasal brings tang and charcoal smoke, and tortang talong brings the softness of egg and eggplant.
| Menu | Good for | How to pair |
|---|---|---|
| Pinakbet, rice, grilled fish | Weeknight dinner | Go easy on the bagoong and adjust for the saltiness of the fish |
| Pinakbet, chicken inasal, rice | Exploring more Filipino food | Keep the pinakbet on the dry side, separate from the chicken's tang |
| Pinakbet, tortang talong, rice | A vegetable-heavy day | Eggplant appears in both, so cut the eggplant in the pinakbet to 1 |
| Pinakbet, kare-kare, rice | Using up the bagoong | For both, let people add salt at the table |
When eating, don't mix everything together on the plate. Take a little rice, top it with squash or eggplant from the pinakbet, and add bagoong in amounts no bigger than a few grains of rice. It's a very salty condiment, so adding a little at a time from the small dish keeps it from getting tiresome.
Storage and reheating
Pinakbet has a lot of moisture from the vegetables and also contains bagoong and pork, so plan to keep it in the refrigerator until the next day at most. Cool it within 30 minutes, spread it in a shallow container and refrigerate. The squash breaks easily, so packing it into a deep container and pressing down from the top ruins the texture.
To reheat on the stove, add 1 tbsp water per serving and warm over low heat for 5 minutes. In the microwave, spread it on a heatproof plate, heat at 600 W for 1 minute 30 seconds, turn it over and heat for another 40 seconds. Freezing isn't recommended: the eggplant and okra turn watery and the bitterness of the bitter melon stands out.
FAQ
Can I make it without bagoong?
You can, but it won't taste the same. Mixing 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp miso and 1 tsp soy sauce and adding it in step 2 gives you saltiness and savoriness. The fermented shrimp or fish aroma will be weaker, though. If you want it to taste like pinakbet, a small jar of bagoong is worth getting.
Which is better, bagoong isda or bagoong alamang?
For an Ilocos-leaning version, fish-based bagoong isda is usually mentioned. The shrimp paste, bagoong alamang, tends to be easier to find. This article uses bagoong alamang for availability. Saltiness and sweetness differ by product, so start with less and add more at the table.
Someone in my family doesn't like bitter melon
Slice the bitter melon 5 mm wide, rub it with 1/2 tsp salt for 10 minutes and blot it dry. If it's still too strong, cut the bitter melon to 80 g and increase the squash by 50 g. Leaving it out entirely makes the dish lose its edge and taste too sweet, so the first time we recommend keeping a little.
How do I make it without meat?
Leave out the pork belly and increase the oil to 1 tbsp. In step 2, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and bagoong over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add 1 tsp dried shiitake powder or 50 ml kombu dashi. If you're avoiding seafood, you can't use bagoong either, so accept that you're making a different vegetable stew seasoned with miso and soy sauce.
My squash falls apart
The pieces are too small or you're stirring too much. Smaller than 2.5 cm, the corners break down in step 4 before the center is cooked. Once it's in the pot, turn it from the bottom only twice in step 3 and once in step 6. When you want to coat everything in the juices, gently shaking the pot keeps the shape better.
What should I change to make it kid-friendly?
Cut the bagoong to 1 tbsp and the bitter melon to 80 g. This recipe has no chili to begin with, so adults who want heat can add lime or chili at the table. If it needs more salt, it's easier to add a little bagoong to the adults' plates than to the whole pot.
Sources
- National Nutrition Council, Knowing the health benefits of Pinakbet
- Wikipedia, Pinakbet
- Panlasang Pinoy, Pinakbet Recipe
- Kawaling Pinoy, Pinakbet
