authentic Philippine vegetarian cuisine (you can use vegetarian substitutes and omit the shrimp or pork)

 pinakbet (vegetable stew in salted shrimp paste or a vegetarian version of it): There are as many kinds and tastes of pinakbet, i think,  as there are as many regions in the Philippines and as many cooks — some put lots of ginger, some put lots of tomatoes, some overcook and crush their okra (ohw-khra in English. i’m kidding, it’s also okra in English or ladiesfingers), some put crushed malunggay (moringga) vegetable-fruit, some use fish paste, some are “soupy”, or dry, or thick, etc.. i like mine smoking-hot from the stove but not overcooked, thick-stewed, with ginger, squash, tomatoes, sweet onions,  ampalaya,(amargoso in Spanish, bitter gourd or bitter melon in English) eggplant, okra….Happy weekend!