PINAKBET

12 ingredients•Prep: 15 mins•Cook: 32 mins

Tita Becky •

October 9, 2025

As a kid, Pinakbet was one of those dishes I dreaded to eat. A plate full of vegetables with bitter melon, eggplant, okra, squash, and long beans wasn't exciting. My Filipino mom forced me to it eat because of the nutritional value. But tastes change, and Pinakbet is one of those dishes I've come to truly appreciate as an adult. What once seemed like a strange mix of vegetables is now a delicious balance of flavors and textures. The sweetness of the squash, the tender eggplant, the crisp tender beans, and the savory sauce come together in a way I never understood as a child.

It may look intimating to cook because it has so many ingredients, but I mad this recipe easy to follow so you and you family and enjoy. Don't forget the steamed white rice, duh!

Ingredients (12)

Pork belly(½ lb, sliced into strips)
Garlic(4 cloves, minced)
White onion(½ small, chopped)
Tomato
Sautéed shrimp paste, or bagoong(2–3 Tbsp)
I used the brand Barrio Fiesta
Water(1 cup)
kalabasa(¼, sliced into large cubes)
also known as kobucha squash
Chinese eggplant(1 medium, sliced into 1 inch thick on an angle)
American egg plant works too but you need to slice into medium strips

Instructions

Heat a wok or wide sauté' pan over medium high heat. Add cooking oil.
Add porkbelly strips sauté' and let the fat render and let it brown.
Add 1 tsp of cooking oil if you're using a leaner cut of pork belly.
Once the pork belly has browned, add garlic, onions, and tomato and sauté until fragrant for about 2-3 minutes.
Add bagoong and sauté for a minute
Add water, cover and cook for 15 minutes until pork belly is fork tender.
Add kalabasa, saute, cover, and cook for 5 mins.
Add long beans, ampalaya, okra, and eggplant, and season with fish sauce. Sauté until everything is coated in the sauce. Cover and cook until the veggies are tender around 5-10 minutes.
This is the perfect time to add more water if you like it more soupy and adjust fish sauce.
Taste to see if you need to adjust the seasoning and if everything is to your liking then it's ready to serve with steamed white rice, duh!