Pakbet Tagalog

Pakbet tagalog is a tasty vegetable dish made-up of different fresh vegetables, pork, and shrimp paste. This dish is a variation of the popular dish, Pakbet Ilokano, that originated from the Ilocos Region.

This recipe is comprised of different vegetables such as eggplant (talong), squash (kalabasa), sting beans (sitaw), ampalaya (bitter melon), okra, and others. Since there are quite a number of ingredients required, I usually carry a shopping list and buy the freshest produce from a nearby market on the day that I’ll cook them. When it comes to the Shrimp paste, I always buy an extra bottle from the Asian store so that I won’t run out of stock.

Before I forget…have that rice cooker going because you might need some extra rice. Oh…one more thing. Have a cold soda (soft drinks) on your side or some cold juice to get rid of that shrimpy taste after you’re done. Happy cooking!

Try this Pakbet Tagalog recipe.

Pakbet Ilocano

Pakbet or pinakbet is a popular vegetable dish that originated from one of the northern provinces of the Philippines, Ilocos. The vegetables used on this dish are usually grown in the back yard of every villager and are available almost all year long. Bitter Melon, eggplant, okra, and string beans are just some of the vegetables that make-up this delightful dish. Pakbet is cooked in a clay pot called “Palayok” and Anchovy sauce (bagoong isda) is used to add flavor.

As the fame of this dish grew, several versions have sprouted. In the National Capital Region (Manila and the near by cities), Pakbet is cooked with squash (kalabasa) and bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) is used to give flavor to the dish. This variation is known as “Pakbet Tagalog”.

A very easy-to-cook dish packed with different vitamins and minerals (just limit the bagnet if you are conscious of your health), Pakbet is a dish that is really worth trying. By the way, having an extra cup of rice around might help.

Try this delicious Filipino Food : Pakbet.