I always thought that pinakbet originated from the Ilocos region but my friend says otherwise. She hails from the Southern Tagalog region and says that they have their own version of Pinakbet.
The way I see it is that the difference between the tagalog and the ilocano versions is in the kind of bagoong they use to season their recipe. I stand to be corrected. Alamang is used as seasoning in tagalog and the monamon bagoong is used by the Ilocanos. Anyhow, my version is a modified one. Afterall, pinakbet is known thoughout the Philippines.
I am typically a person who does not add a lot of water in my recipes if it doesn't call for cornstarch and depending on the recipe. Half a cup of water would be plenty and even a quarter might be a bit too much if I add mushrooms to my pinakbet
I use oyster mushrooms to add a little sauce in mine. Fresh mushrooms are very succulent and very tasty and they exude a certain taste that makes my pinakbet inviting to my kids.
As for the choice of bagoong, it doesn’t matter to my kids. I haven’t heard them say “stinky” so far. My cousins’ children are just the worst. They leave their house if the ulam is pinakbet.
My friend who is married to a Caucasian can only eat pinakbet at my place and I am pretty sure you know why.
Things I put in my pinakbet:
3 tbsp of olive oil
½ lb of pork, sliced thinly
I onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
about 2 tbsp of cooked alamang
2 medium eggplants
¼ medium squash, sliced
½ lb of long beans cut into about 2 inches long
1 bittermelon, sliced
½ lb of winged beans, stringed and cut into about two inches long
200 gms of okra
½ lb of oyster mushroom
2 cloves of chopped garlic
Cook pork in a pan until it turns brown. Add oil and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add Tomatoes and the alamang and cook for about 1 minute. Add squash and cover pan. Cook for about 3 minutes adding just about 2 tbsp of water to prevent it from getting burnt.
Add the rest of the vegetables including the mushroom. The vegetables and the mushroom should be able to give off a bit of water enough to make a small amount of sauce to it. If not, add in about ¼ cup. Taste to season. Just before turning off the stove, mix in the chopped garlic.
The way I see it is that the difference between the tagalog and the ilocano versions is in the kind of bagoong they use to season their recipe. I stand to be corrected. Alamang is used as seasoning in tagalog and the monamon bagoong is used by the Ilocanos. Anyhow, my version is a modified one. Afterall, pinakbet is known thoughout the Philippines.
I am typically a person who does not add a lot of water in my recipes if it doesn't call for cornstarch and depending on the recipe. Half a cup of water would be plenty and even a quarter might be a bit too much if I add mushrooms to my pinakbet
I use oyster mushrooms to add a little sauce in mine. Fresh mushrooms are very succulent and very tasty and they exude a certain taste that makes my pinakbet inviting to my kids.
As for the choice of bagoong, it doesn’t matter to my kids. I haven’t heard them say “stinky” so far. My cousins’ children are just the worst. They leave their house if the ulam is pinakbet.
My friend who is married to a Caucasian can only eat pinakbet at my place and I am pretty sure you know why.
Things I put in my pinakbet:
3 tbsp of olive oil
½ lb of pork, sliced thinly
I onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
about 2 tbsp of cooked alamang
2 medium eggplants
¼ medium squash, sliced
½ lb of long beans cut into about 2 inches long
1 bittermelon, sliced
½ lb of winged beans, stringed and cut into about two inches long
200 gms of okra
½ lb of oyster mushroom
2 cloves of chopped garlic
Cook pork in a pan until it turns brown. Add oil and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add Tomatoes and the alamang and cook for about 1 minute. Add squash and cover pan. Cook for about 3 minutes adding just about 2 tbsp of water to prevent it from getting burnt.
Add the rest of the vegetables including the mushroom. The vegetables and the mushroom should be able to give off a bit of water enough to make a small amount of sauce to it. If not, add in about ¼ cup. Taste to season. Just before turning off the stove, mix in the chopped garlic.
I cooked a bit more supposedly for my lunch today but it was all gone last night.
4 comments:
of course, pinakbet or pakbet originated from ilocos. the name itself clearly prove it. "pinakbet" is an iloko word. it's actually a contracted "pinakebbet" meaning shrinked or shrivelled.
the original ilokano pinakbet use only the bugguong which is monamon or other fish. but not bagoong alamang or aramang. also, the original pinakbet has no squash in it. usually its most basic veggies are only ampalaya (the round native ones are preferred), talong, kamatis, ginger (okra and/or sili is optional as are the other veggies). and as its name denote, it is actually cooked almost dry, shrivelled, shrinked.
anyway, i know your version of the pakbet is masarap. i'll try it when i have the ingredients. i am an avid reader of you food blog, anyway, and i am trying to cook myself some of your recipes.
rva
http://mannurat.blogspot.com
Thanks for the visit Mr. Mannurat. I know that pinakbet is an Iloco word because my mother's origin is from Ilocos Norte. But this friend insists that they have their own version too. Well, I can only acknowledge that they have their own version too. But while I've got you, I have a photo of an almost real Iloko Pinakbet that I want to post and can I use your explanation? Thanks in advance.
thank you, ting-aling. diak ipagarup nga ilokanaka met gayam!
anyway, pinakbet is not anymore strictly ilokano, it's now a national dish, a truly filipino dish and anybody can have its own version or variation and called it pinakbet and it is pinakbet.
you can also refer to manong ken's pinakbet page at http://www.tribo.org/filipinofood/recipes/pinakbet.html (although the pinakbet picture there has a kalabasa) which mentions that "no one cooks as deliciously as the Ilokanos" (but that's not always true because i know of non-ilokanos who equally or who can cook the pakbet better than genuine ilokanos).
you can also refer to this article in the inquirer which noted, among others, that "full-blooded Ilocanos would not dare add squash" (but then, again, that's not always true because there are also full-blooded ilokanos who like squash or even camote in their pinakbet).
thanks again!
rva
i forgot to include the link of the inquirer article, sorry.
it's here: http://www.inq7.net/reg/2003/nov/26/reg_8-1.htm
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