Binagoongan Fried Rice made with day-old rice and pungent shrimp paste. Full-flavored and delicious, it’s best enjoyed with chopped juicy tomatoes and tart mangoes.
Since I am mostly the only person at home who eats white rice, I like to steam a huge batch once a week which I then portion out into resealable bags to keep in the freezer for future use. Why turn on the rice cooker and waste energy every day for only one serving, right?
Not only does cold, day-old rice reheats well in the microwave, it also makes a delicious canvas for any leftover bits and pieces of meat, seafood, and veggies you might have in the fridge. With cooked rice on hand, a satisfying meal such as this binagoongan fried rice is just a matter of minutes.
Here are a few helpful tips on how to make binagoongan rice:
- Use cold, day-old rice that has had a chance to dry out. If starting with freshly-cooked, spread out rice on a shallow baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for about 1 to 2 hours to draw out moisture.
- Make sure your wok or pan is very hot and cooking is done on high heat so the rice grains do not stick to the pan. To check if the pan is ready, add a few drops of water and if they immediately sizzle and evaporate, the pan is hot enough to add the oil. Swirl the oil to make sure the bottom of wok or skillet is coated and heat surface of the pan shimmers.
- Ginisang bagoong (sauteed shrimp paste) is best to use for this dish. You can use the already sauteed ones available in stores or make your own. I included the procedures for using either “raw” or “ginisa” in the recipe instructions.
Binagoongan Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked cold rice
- oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginisang" shrimp paste or "raw" shrimp paste or
If Using Raw Shrimp Paste
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- With hands, break rice until grains are separated and there are no more lumps. Set aside.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until aromatic. Add tomatoes and cook, mashing regularly with the back of the spoon, until softened.
- Add "ginisang" (sauteed) shrimp paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. If using "Raw" shrimp paste, add the shrimp paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until color darkens and browns. Add vinegar and sugar and allow to boil, without stirring, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat a wok or wide skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat bottom of the skillet and heat oil until the bottom of pan appears to shimmer.
- Add the rice and spread on entire cooking surface of pan for about 45 seconds or until grains start to sizzle and then toss to redistribute, breaking apart pieces with back of spoon. Spread rice on surface again for about 45 seconds and then toss to redistribute. Repeat a few times until rice is lightly toasted and heated through.
- Add sauteed shrimp paste. Continue to cook, tossing gently to combine, for about 1 to 2 minutes until rice is coated with shrimp paste and heated through. Serve hot.
Hi Lalaine,
Made this together with leftover brown rice and it was very good! Only complaint from Filipino bf was that there wasn’t enough shrimp paste but I suspect that he’ll eat that stuff straight from the jar. Salamat!
Hi Harvey
Haha, your BF is not alone. Filipinos do love our shrimp paste. I drive everyone crazy at work when I reheat this bagoong rice in the breakroom’s microwave, they hate the smell but to me, it’s the most appetizing aroma 🙂