How to Make Pinakbet or Vegetable Stew

Pinakbet or Vegetable Stew Recipe Philippine Cuisine
Ingredients: serve 6
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
4 tomatoes
6 yard long beans(sitaw)
6 baby bitter gourd(ampalaya)
3 winged beans(sigarilyas)
6 baby okra
3 eggplants 6 inches in length
200g squash
50g pork cracklings(chicharron) or lechon kawali
1 liter water with 1 tsp salt for blanching
¼ cup oil
3 tbsp fish paste(bagoong isda)
6 cherry tomatoes for garnish

Preparation:
Crush, peel and mince the garlic

Peel and chop onion

Slice tomatoes into wedges

Cut the yard long bens into 2 in long pieces

Cut the tip of the bitter gourd and press out the inner core of seeds. Leave whole.

Cut the winged beans into 1 in long pieces.

Cut off the okra stems then leave whole.

Remove the eggplant stems and cut diagonally into 1 in pieces. If using the small round eggplant, score the bottom with a knife.

Cut the squash into ¾ in squares.

Chop the pork crackling or lechon kawali into 1/3 squares.

Bail water with 1 tsp salt. Blanch the squash for about 5 minutes and set aside. Using the same water, blanch the other vegetables for about 1 minutes. Immediately cool in an ice bath, and set aside.

COOKING:
Just when ready to serve.

In a preheated pan, sauté the garlic in oil until golden brown.

Add onion and continue cooking until translucent.

Add tomatoes and the fish paste and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Add pork cracking or lechon kawali pieces and turn off the heat. Add the cherry tomatoes. End.