PANCIT PALABOK

Pancit Palabok is a Filipino noodle dish of Chinese origin.  It is called palabok because the thin rice noodles are covered with a bright colored orange shrimp-flavoured thick sauce.  Aside from the sauce, pancit palabok has a toppings of prawns, wedge cut hard-boiled eggs, chicharon (pork cracklings), flaked tinapa (smoke fish), fried garlic and chopped of green onions.  Then finished it with squeeze calamansi (Philippine Lemon) all over.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 8 cups water
• 1 cup mongo sprouts
• 1 lb. pancit bihon (rice noodles) or palabok noodles

Palabok Sauce

• 1/4 cup atsuete (annatto) seeds, soaked in
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups shrimp juice
• 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper,to taste

Toppings

• 1 cup cooked pork, cut into strips
• 2 pcs. fried tokwa (beancurd), cubed
• 1/2 cup flaked tinapa (smoked fish)
• 1/2 cup pounded chicharon (pork cracklings)
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced into wedges
• 1/2 cup shrimps, boiled and shelled
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions, to garnish
• 1 tbsp. fried garlic, to garnish
• kalamansi (Philippine lemon)
  
  Cooking Procedures :
  
• Boil water in a pot.  Place mongo sprouts in a strainer and then add the noodles.  Drop strainer into boiling water.  Cook sprouts and noodles until soft.  Drain well.  Pour noodles with sprouts in a large platter.
• Prepare palabok sauce: Strain atsuete water.  Add to shrimp juice and cook in a saucepan.  Disperse flour in water and add to the pan.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly.  Season to taste.  Remove from heat and pour over cooked noodles.
• Top with pork and tokwa.  Sprinkle with tinapa and chicharon.  Arrange egg slices and shrimps on top.  Garnish with green onions and fried garlic.  Serve with kalamansi.