Pinakbet, Overseas Pinoy Version

Pinakbet, Overseas Pinoy Version. When overseas and whenever we crave for Pinoy food we Overseas Pinoy will innovate and substitute ingredients that are not available in our location. This is not the first time that OPC have featured Pinoy dishes using alternative ingredients. Living in rural Australia or any remote areas around the world will of course not hinder us from cooking our favorite Pinoy dishes.

Today I would like to share another popular Pinoy dish Pinakbet using alternative ingredients. The usual vegetables ingredients of pinakbet like the okra, ampalaya, sitaw and kangkong are not available here. I have always thought that zucchini and yellow squash button will make a good vegetable substitute for Pinakbet. This is my first time to cook pinakbet with zucchini and yellow button squash, to cook the dish I just tried to stick to the traditional cooking method of pinakbet. The resultant dish was superbly good, the crispy half cooked zucchini and yellow button squash blended well with the bagoong alamang ingredients. Here is the recipe of my Pinakbet, Overseas Pinoy Version, try it.

Ingredients:

1 large size eggplant, cut into wedges
1/8 of a whole squash, skinned, deseeded, cut into wedges
3 medium zucchini, cut into wedges
5 pieces yellow squash button, cut into wedges
1 medium size bell pepper deseeded, cut into wedges
1-2 pieces long green chili cut crosswise
1/2 kilo pork belly cut into large strips
1/4 kilo small to medium sized shrimps, shelled
2 medium size onion, chopped
2 medium size onion, chopped
1/2 head garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped
2-3 thumb size ginger, skinned, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup bagoong alamang
1/4 cup fish sauce
cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

Place the pork in a large sauce pan, add in 1 1/2 cups of water bring to a boil and simmer until all the water has evaporated and start to render fat, add in more oil if required. Now add in the garlic and ginger and stir cook until fragrant. Then add in the onion and tomato and stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add half of the bagoong alamang, fish sauce and shrimp, continue to stir cook for about a minute. Add in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water and the squash. Let boil and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the eggplant stir cook for about a minute then add in the rest of the vegetables and remaining bagoong alamang and continue to stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are half cooked. Season with fish sauce if necessary cook for another minute. Serve immediately.

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