Pakbet Tagalog

Notice that I used the title pakbet and not pinakbet to what I cooked today. Although some people would take the two terms interchangeably, being an Ilocano, I would like to delineate the two.

Yes, there is a difference between pakbet and pinakbet.

To me, pakbet is the southern vegetable stew while pinakbet would be the northern vegetable stew.  So as you go north (Ilocos) it's pinakbet and as you go towards south (Tagalog) it becomes pakbet.  There is also a difference in cooking.  Pinakbet is stewed while pakbet is more stir-fried.  Pinakbet uses bagoong (fish paste) while pakbet uses bagoong alamang (shrimp paste).  Aside from the staple vegetables: eggplant, string beans, okra, ampalaya and tomatoes, pakbet may also have squash.  And pakbet doesn't use ginger while pinakbet does.

Cooking pakbet is easy enough.  I fried pork in used oil (note that I recycle ingredients) and garlic.  Then I added my vegetables: onion, eggplant, string beans, ampalaya and tomatoes -- these were the only available vegetables in the ref and are almost inedible.  To complicate matters, I added ginger.  I then added the bagoong alamang from the other day's kare-kare.  I used patis (fish sauce) and instant ginisa granules to taste.  I cooked the vegetables until done or have an identity crisis, whichever comes first.

My grade: yummy!  Ate a lot.

Pakbet Tagalog.  Picture taken using iPod touch.