Pakbit

This is an Ilocano dish but it made its way to the Kapampangan kitchen, where it was modified to the Pampanguenos taste. In Angeles City, Pinakbet or Pakbit as they call it, is usually served with steam rice and fried fish. The word "Pinakebbet", meaning shrunk or shrivelled is the contracted word form of the Ilocano word. As its name infers, it is usually cooked until almost dry and shrivelled. In the Visayan regions, they make this dish by combining all kinds of vegetables, bagoong (anchovies) and water and boiling until vegetables are done. The way I cook my Pinakbet, I don't let the vegetables shrivel and I serve the bagoong on the side. I like the vegetables colorful and I dare not use green chilis.

Ingredients:

1 c pork with fat (cut in sm strips)
1 tbs oil
1 sm onion (sliced thinly)
3 med. tamatoes (chopped coarsely)
2 tbs bagoong
2 c squash (cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces)
2 c sitaw (cut into 2-inch pieces)
1 c eggplants (cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces)
5-6 sm okra (cut tops off)
2 c ampalaya or bitter melon (seeded and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces)
1 c water

In a deep pan, heat oil and brown pork. Add onion and tomatoes until onion is translucent and tomatoes are wilted. Add the bagoong and saute for another minute. Add the vegetables and water. Cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked. Make sure not to overcook the vegetables. Serve with steam rice, fried fish and ginisang bagoong.

Variations: You can also saute this dish with shrimps.