Pakbet with Bagnet, Pinakbet Ilokano. Pinakbet or Pakbet to Ilokanos is totally different from the Tagalog Pinakbet. The Ilocano Pakbet that I grew up is made up of mostly native vegetable ingredients like ampalaya and eggplant they are smaller in size. Other ingredients that are used are patani seeds and sweet potato or kamote this will add some sweetness. Cabbage is also added when in season. Instead of the using bagoong alamang, the Ilocano Pakbet uses generous amount of bagoong na isda extracts which make the dish on the salty side.
Cooking method is also totally different, Tagalog Pinakbet usualy cook by sautéing the ingredients with garlic, onion and tomato where the vegetables are stir cooked, making sure that the vegetables are just cook or half cooked. While the Ilokano Pakbet the ingredients are arrange in layers in the cooking pan, where vegetables that cook quicker are placed on top. The vegetables are the simmered with the bagoong solution at low heat, this will steam cook the vegetables until they shrivel and wilted or kebbet in Ilocano.
Here the recipe of my Pakbet with Bagnet, Pinakbet Ilokano.
Ingredients:
1/4 kilo bagnet, cut into big cubes
4 small size ampalaya, seeded, quartered
4 small size eggplant, slit half
1 small head cabbage, quartered
2 small size sweet potato, kamote, quartered
1 bundle okra, trimmed
1 medium size onion, quartered
1 medium size tomato, quartered
2-3 thumb size ginger, sliced
1/2 cup bagoong na isda
3-4 green long chili
1/2 cup cooking oil
Cooking procedure:
In a sauce pan pour 2 cups of water and let boil. Add the bagoong diluted in 1 cup of warm water, pass thru a sieve to filter out the fish bones from the solution. Add in the ginger, reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and remove all scams that rises. Add in the cooking oil, kamote, and all the other vegetable ingredients. Leafy vegetables, onions and tomato on top. Cover and simmer at low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables shrivel and wilted and liquid has reduced to half. Top with bagnet and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with a lot of rice.
Check out our other pinakbet recipes;
Pinakbet, Overseas Pinoy Version
Pakbet Ilocano
Pinakbet