Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Filipino Pinakbet Mixed Vegetables
菲律賓蝦醬雜菜煲
Recipe overview
Filipino Pinakbet braises pumpkin, bitter melon, eggplant, long beans and okra with shrimp paste and a little pork belly into a savoury, lightly sauced vegetable dish without coconut milk.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 150 g Skin-on pork belly (cut into 1 cm strips)
- 250 g pumpkin (peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks)
- 200 g purple eggplants (cut into 4 cm pieces)
- 200 g bitter melon, about 400 g (seeded and thickly sliced)
- 150 g long beans (cut into 5 cm lengths)
- 120 g whole fresh okra (trimmed)
- 2 piece tomato (cut into wedges)
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 piece onion (sliced)
- 3 clove garlic (chopped)
- 15 g ginger (finely shredded)
- 250 ml water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- to taste salt (add only after tasting)
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- small bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- wok
- spatula
- wooden spoon
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the pork belly
Pat the pork belly dry, cut it into 1 cm strips and place it in a bowl.
Step 2
Cut the pumpkin
Peel and seed the pumpkin, then cut it into even 3 cm chunks.
Step 3
Prepare eggplant and bitter melon
Cut the eggplant into 4 cm pieces; remove the bitter melon pith and seeds, slice thickly and drain separately.
Step 4
Cut beans, okra and tomatoes
Cut the long beans into 5 cm lengths, trim the okra and cut the tomatoes into wedges; keep them separate.
Step 5
Mix shrimp-paste broth and aromatics
Stir the shrimp paste into the water; slice the onion, chop the garlic and finely shred the ginger.
Step 6
Render the pork belly
Place the pork belly in a cold wok and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until lightly golden and some fat renders.
Step 7
Sauté the aromatics
Add the cooking oil only if the wok is dry, then sauté the onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Step 8
Cook the tomato shrimp-paste base
Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to soften, pour in the shrimp-paste water, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 9
Braise the pumpkin first
Stir in the pumpkin, cover and braise over medium-low heat for 6 minutes.
Step 10
Add bitter melon and beans
Add the bitter melon and long beans, fold gently from the bottom, cover and braise for 5 minutes.
Step 11
Finish with eggplant and okra
Add the eggplant and okra, fold gently to keep them intact, cover and braise for 6 minutes until just tender.
Step 12
Taste, rest and serve
Taste first and add salt only if needed; turn off the heat, rest for 2 minutes and serve with the small amount of sauce.
Common mistakes
- Adding every vegetable together makes the pumpkin and eggplant overcook.
- Adding salt before tasting can make the shrimp-paste sauce too salty.
Tips
Add the vegetables in stages according to firmness so each keeps its shape.
Shrimp paste brands vary in saltiness, so decide on extra salt only at the end.
