Pro Tips
**Chef's Tips & Troubleshooting:**
- Toast the shrimp paste in oil before adding other ingredients — it removes the raw fishy taste.
- Use a good quality bagoong; it's the star of this dish and cheap brands can be overwhelmingly salty.
- Adding vinegar creates a tangy-salty balance that cuts through the richness.
Cooking Tips
Blanch leafy vegetables in boiling salted water for 30–60 seconds, then plunge into ice water. This locks in their bright color and crisp texture. Add vegetables in stages — hard vegetables (carrots, potatoes) go in first, tender ones (leafy greens, beansprouts) at the very end.
Ingredient Substitutions
Short on time? A pressure cooker (Instant Pot) can reduce cooking time by roughly half for most braised and stewed Filipino dishes. Reduce liquid slightly since less evaporates.
Storage & Reheating
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The flavors often deepen overnight, making leftovers even more delicious. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
Pinakbet na Kalabasa
Cubed squash, okra, string beans, and eggplant are stir-fried with garlic, tomatoes, and fermented shrimp paste until tender and coated in a savory, umami-rich sauce that highlights each vegetable's natural sweetness and earthy flavor.
Instructions
- Sauté garlic until they soften and smell nice.
- Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes.
- Add squash, string beans, okra, and eggplant.
- Add fish sauce. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
- Toast the shrimp paste in oil before adding other ingredients — it removes the raw fishy taste.
- Use a good quality bagoong; it's the star of this dish and cheap brands can be overwhelmingly salty.
- Adding vinegar creates a tangy-salty balance that cuts through the richness.
Cooking Tips
Add vegetables in stages — hard vegetables (carrots, potatoes) go in first, tender ones (leafy greens, beansprouts) at the very end.
Substitutions
Storage & Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
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