This is the ingredient that makes your fried rice extra delicious
A while ago, we recommended Lap Cheung as the ultimate ingredient for seriously upgrading your rice. You really loved it. But it turns out you can vary things with exciting flavor-makers for your rice. Ginisang Bagoong, for example.
If you’re not very familiar with Filipino cuisine, it’s not surprising that you don’t know Ginisang Bagoong. That’s where this flavor-maker comes from, after all. Ginisang Bagoong is a paste made from fermented shrimp. Alongside shrimp, onion, garlic, vinegar and sugar are the basic ingredients in this paste. So you can imagine that one little jar is an absolute flavor bomb.
Cooking with Ginisang Bagoong
Ginisang Bagoong tastes best in combination with fried rice. There’s also a traditional Filipino recipe for it. This dish is also known as bagoong fried rice, binagoongan fried rice, or shrimp paste fried rice. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of umami; the shrimp paste gives the fried rice exactly that special touch. Try this recipe:
- Finely chop half a medium-sized red onion.
- Heat about two tablespoons of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion. Stir-fry until the edges of the onion become slightly crispy.
- Add one tablespoon of Ginisang Bagoong. The flavor is quite strong; you can also start with a teaspoon if you prefer. Stir-fry the paste until it starts to smell intensely aromatic and sizzle.
- Add about 370 grams of leftover rice. If there are clumps of rice in the pan, break them up with a spoon. Fry until the rice is thoroughly hot.
- Turn off the heat. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper.
Where can you buy Ginisang Bagoong?
There’s a good chance you won’t find a jar of Ginisang Bagoong shrimp paste at your local supermarket. You’ll have better luck at an Asian grocery store. At Toko 4 All, for example, you can get a 250-gram jar for 3.65. Spice lovers can also choose a spicy version at many Asian grocery stores.
We’ll also reveal another well-kept, flavorful secret from Filipino cuisine in this article about Filipino cuisine.
Also read:
- Kinilaw: the Filipino answer to ceviche
- Tip: how to easily make the most delicious coconut rice yourself
- Want to make it: this divine recipe for crunchy rice salad
Recipe: TheKitchn
