Filipino Bagoong Fried Rice

This Bagoong Fried Rice is vegan “shrimp” paste fried rice is a Filipino take on the Thai shrimp paste rice. It’s packed with a refreshing side of sliced cucumber, mangoes, onion, tomatoes, tofu, and chilli. It’s easily customisable with other toppings of choice. The hearty and salty flavours of the fried rice go really well with the refreshing bite from the crispy and juicy vegetables & mangoes.We Filipinos love eating green mangoes or other mango varieties such as katchamita or Indian mangoes with bagoong or shrimp paste. It’s a common street food and something I grew up eating. This is like eating bagoong with mangoes but in rice form and it’s SO GOOD!

📝 Ingredients

• 1.5 cups leftovers cooked and cooled rice
• Neutral oil (for cooking)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1-2 tbsp vegan bagoong or shrimp paste (plus more to taste if needed)
• Salt (to taste if needed (optional))
• Diced or sliced cucumber
• Diced or sliced green mangoes (I used apple mangoes)
• Diced or thinly sliced red onion
• Diced or sliced tomatoes
• Fried tofu
• Sliced chili (I used siling haba)
• Calamansi or lemon juice (to squeeze (optional))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place the rice in a large bowl and break apart with a spoon to separate the grains. If using freshly cooked rice, leave the rice to cool in front of a fan for 10 minutes for the moisture to evaporate.
2. 2Heat a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Add in some oil. Once hot, sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes until lightly brown. Afterwards, add in the vegan shrimp paste or bagoong. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
3. 3Mix in the rice and turn up the heat too high. Mix the rice until well-incorporated and then cook for 1-2 more minutes. Taste the rice and add more bagoong/shrimp paste or salt, to taste, if needed.
4. 4--- Assembly ---
5. 5Scoop the rice into bowls and pack them tight before flipping the bowl over on a plate to create a rounded shape. Place the sliced cucumber, mangoes, onion, tomatoes, tofu, and chilli, plus other toppings of choice. Mix everything together and finish with a squeeze of calamansi or lemon juice, if desired. Enjoy!