Pinakbet ( Bagoong Balayan )
In the Philippines, a staple dish is pinakbet. This vegetable stew is popular in the Ilokano region, where it is typically cooked until almost dry. The dish is enhanced by shrimp paste and other meats. Like its Provençal cousin, ratatouille, it also has a similar flavor but without the sauce. In the Pinakbet Recipe, you can substitute the shrimp paste with patis, fish sauce, and tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 5-7 cloves Garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 whole Onions chopped
- 2 pcs Tomatoes quartered
- 300 g Squash peeled and cut
- 200 g Okra Ladyfinger , cut
- 200 g Green beans cut
- 1-2 pcs Eggplant cut
- Spanish mackerel fillet tanigue
- 1 ½ tbsp Fish paste Bagoong Balayan,
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp Cooking oil
- ⅓ cup Water
Instructions
- Marinate the Spanish Mackerel fillet with salt and pepper.
- Fry in a pan under medium heat. 4 minutes per side.
- Cut the fillet into 4.
- Set aside.
- Pour oil on the same pan under medium heat.
- Saute the garlic until it turns golden.
- Add in the tomatoes. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
- Add in the onions. Stir until sweaty and wilted.
- Season the dish with fish paste. Stir well.
- Add in the squash, eggplant, ladyfingers and beans. Stir well.
- Add the water. Cover the dish.
- Simmer for 2 minutes or until the dish starts to boil.
- Season the dish with salt and pepper according to liking.
- Add the fish.
- Gently stir to avoid breaking the fish.
- Turn off the heat.
- Transfer to a plate or serving dish to avoid overcooking with remaining heat from the pan.
- Serve with hot steamy rice.
Notes
I prefer cooking under medium heat, especially with pinakbet, because the vegetables are very sensitive to heat. I want to cook them fast under the pan.