Pancit Palabok Recipe

It is called palabok because the bright orange sauce and toppings make for an attractive garnishing while the term luglug was derived from the sound that the noodles make when the bamboo steamer is dipped in the boiling water.

Method #1

Ingredients:

• ½ kilo bihon, soaked in water until softened then drained

Palabok sauce:

• ¼ cup atsuete seeds in soaked in
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups shrimp juice
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup water
• salt or patis and pepper

Toppings:

• 1 cup cooked pork, cut into strips
• 2 pieces fried tokwa, cubed
• ½ cup flaked tinapa
• ½ cup pounded chicharon
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled then sliced
• ½ cup boiled and shelled shrimps
• ½ cup finely chopped spring onions
• 1 tablespoon fried garlic

Procedure:

Prepare Palabok Sauce: Strain atsuete then combine atsuete water with shrimp juice in a saucepan. Disperse flour in water then add to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook with constant stirring until thick. Season to taste.

Boil water in a pot. Place noodles in a bamboo strainer or luglugan. Dip in the boiling water and cook until tender but firm. Drain well. Transfer to a platter.

Top noodles with sauce. Over the sauce, arrange the pork and tokwa pieces. Sprinkle with tinapa and chicharon. Garnish with sliced egg, shrimps, spring onions and garlic. Serve with kalamansi.


Method #2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo of white and round miki (noodles)

Garnishing:

• squid adobo (pusit)
• flaked fish meat (tinapa)
• pork sitsaron, coarsely pounded
• powdered pork sitsaron
• fried minced garlic
• cooked shrimps, shelled
• hard boiled eggs, sliced
• chopped springs onions

Palabok:

• 1/2 kilo fresh small crabs (possibly w/soft shell)
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 tbsp. atchuete seeds or 2 tbsp. atchuete oil
• 2 tbsp. patis
• 1 tsp. vetsin

Instructions:

1. Boil 4 cups water, add a little salt.
2. Put noodles in strainer and dip in boiling water for 5 minutes or till noodle is cooked.
3. Drain. Transfer on plate. Top with garnishings. Pour palabok on top.
4. Garnish with sliced cooked eggs and chopped spring onions.

sources: recipesdatabase.com, filipinoheritage.com, photo from mmm-yoso.typepad.com