Easy Pancit Palabok Recipe

This rice noodle food is one of my family's favorite. 

Easy Pancit Palabok Recipe

Ingredients:
225-250 grams rice sticks noodles (bihon)
cooking oil
seasonings: salt, pepper, soy sauce & fish sauce

SAUCE:
1 liter water
1 shrimp bouillon cube
1 pork bouillon cube
2 1/2 Tbsp. annatto seeds soak in water for 15 minutes. 
1/2 cup cornstarch dissolve in water

TOPPINGS:
pork cracklings
350 grams ground pork 
8 pcs shrimp, chopped 
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 pcs hard boiled eggs
spring onions, chopped
calamansi or lemon wedges

Direction:
1. Soak bihon noodles in water for 1 hour.
2. In a large wok, fry garlic in oil until brown, set aside
3. Next is fry the shrimps. Season with salt & pepper. Stir & fry for a few minutes. Set aside.
4. On the same wok with the remaining cooking oil place the ground pork. Season with soy sauce, salt & pepper and continue cooking until brown. Transfer to a serving bowl about 3/4 of the ground pork leaving 1/4 portion on the wok then add the 1 liter of water, bouillon cubes and the annatto extract. Let it boil. Skim off the scum/foam. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Salt & pepper to taste. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes more.
5. While the sauce is simmering, boil water in a large pot. Drain the soaked bihon and add into boiling water for about 1 minute or til noodles look transparent but not overcook. It won't take long. Drain water immediately and put noodles on a serving bowl.
6. For individual servings, put noodles on plate, ladle enough palabok sauce over noodles, and arrange all the toppings starting with crushed chicharon, followed by ground pork, shrimps, fried garlic and sliced eggs. Garnish with spring onions and serve with calamansi.
Serves 6.

Note: To extract color from annatto seeds soak the seeds for 15 minutes in water. Rub the seeds together until the seeds bleed in bright red orange color. Wear plastic gloves to protect your hands from stain. Strain the seeds. You may add water again to the seeds and repeat.

Photos:

Annatto seeds soaked in water

Palabok Sauce

Crushed Pork Cracklings

Sliced Hard Boiled Eggs (supposed to be)

Fried Garlic

Rice Sticks Noodles

Calamansi (from my backyard :D)

Spring Onion (from my pot :D)

Ground Pork