Name: Pancit Palabok (Filipino Shrimp Sauce Rice Noodles)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 150 g Rice Vermicelli, soaked until pliable; 150 g Prawns, peeled and deveined; 2 tbsp Dried Shrimp, finely ground; 1 tbsp Annatto Seeds; 1 Egg, boiled and sliced; 1 tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 tbsp Calamansi Juice, for serving; 2 tbsp Spring Onion Greens, sliced; 4 clove Garlic, minced; 1½ tbsp Corn Flour, mixed with 3 tbsp water; 1½ cup Water; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

Pancit Palabok (Filipino Shrimp Sauce Rice Noodles)

50 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

Warm cooking oil with annatto seeds for 1 minute, then strain and keep the orange oil.
1 min
Boil the soaked rice vermicelli for 2 to 3 minutes until tender, then drain and keep aside.
2–3 min
Heat the annatto oil in a pan, sauté garlic for 1 minute, then add prawns and cook until just pink.
1 min
Remove the prawns for topping, then add ground dried shrimp, water, fish sauce, and ground black pepper to the pan.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the corn flour slurry and cook until the sauce thickens.
5 min
Place noodles on a plate, pour the shrimp sauce over them, and top with prawns, boiled egg, spring onion greens, and calamansi juice.

How to tell it's done

The noodles should be soft, the sauce glossy and orange, and the toppings fresh and distinct.

Getting it right

Tip

Keep the sauce pourable but thick enough to coat the noodles; add a splash of water if it becomes too tight.

What to serve it with

Serve immediately with extra calamansi wedges or juice on the side.

Common mistakes

The noodles clump and the sauce becomes pasty.: Drain the noodles well, keep the sauce loose enough to pour, and assemble just before serving.

Substitutions

Rice Vermicelli → Rice Noodles — Use thin rice noodles if rice vermicelli is unavailable.
Calamansi Juice → Lemon Juice — Use lemon juice if calamansi juice is unavailable.

Storing and reheating

Store noodles, sauce, and toppings separately when possible. Refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days and assembled palabok for 1 day; do not freeze assembled noodles.

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Ingredients