Vegetarian pinakbet, Philippines

Name: Vegetarian pinakbet
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Philippines
Ingredients: 1 bitter melon, deseeded and cut into half-moons; 2 small aubergines, cut into chunks; 150 g okra, stems trimmed; 300 g butternut squash, in large cubes; 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered; 1 onion, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 cm piece of ginger, julienned; 2 tbsp brown miso; 250 ml vegetable stock; 2 tbsp neutral oil; Black pepper

Method

Salt the bitter melon slices and leave them for 15 minutes, then rinse and squeeze to soften the bitterness.
Heat the oil in a wide casserole and cook the onion, garlic and ginger for 3 minutes without colouring.
Add the tomatoes and crush them with a spoon; let them melt down for 4 minutes into a thick sauce.
Whisk the miso into the hot stock, pour it into the pot and bring to a simmer.
Layer the squash on the bottom, then the aubergine, bitter melon and finally the okra on top, without stirring.
Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice rather than stirring, so the vegetables keep their shape.
Season with pepper, rest for 5 minutes and serve with white rice.

Traditional pinakbet takes its salt from bagoong, a fermented shrimp paste; miso gives the same umami depth here. Note that most miso contains barley, so choose a rice miso if you are avoiding gluten.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

How do I take the edge off the bitter melon?

Salt the half-moons and let them sit for a quarter of an hour, then rinse and squeeze them: a good share of the bitterness leaves with the water. It never disappears entirely, and that is the point, since the bitterness is part of the dish.

Why should I not stir the vegetables while they cook?

They are layered by cooking time, dense squash at the bottom and delicate okra on top, where they mostly steam. Stirring breaks them down into a mush; shake the pot once or twice instead if you need to.

Is this dish gluten free with miso in it?

Not automatically: many misos are made with barley. Choose a rice miso if you avoid gluten. The miso stands in here for bagoong, the traditional fermented shrimp paste, and provides the same salty depth.

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Vegetarian pinakbet

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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