Sinigang Fried Rice

Sinigang Fried Rice, or Sinigang Sinangag, takes everything I love about Filipino sinigang, from that savory, sour tamarind flavor, tomatoes, vegetables, pork, and shrimp and turns it into a fast, satisfying fried rice.

Instead of making a whole pot of soup, we’re using day-old rice and seasoning it with sinigang mix, fish sauce, tomatoes, garlic, and aromatics. The key is to cook those ingredients down before the rice goes in. Let the tomatoes soften and lose some of their liquid, cook the shrimp separately, and add the spinach only at the very end. Then use cold, day-old rice so it can absorb the sinigang flavor without turning soft.

Pork belly gives the rice richness, shrimp keeps it feeling like sinigang, and spinach adds some greens without making the recipe complicated. It’s tangy, savory, a little spicy, and exactly the kind of recipe you make when you have leftover rice sitting in the fridge.

Ing redients

3 cups cold, day-old cooked white rice

½ lb pork belly, cut into small bite-sized pieces

½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, if needed

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ small onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

½ cup sitaw or green beans, chopped

1 to 2 green chilies, thinly sliced

1 to 1½ tablespoons sinigang mix, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon fish sauce, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon sugar

1 to 2 cups fresh spinach

Black pepper, to taste

Green onions, sliced, for garnish

1. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork belly for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and lightly crispy. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the shrimp to the same pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.

3. Add oil if necessary, then sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant.

4. Add the green beans, then tomatoes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and gently mash the tomatoes as they cook.

5. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon sinigang mix, then add the fish sauce and sugar. Toss in chilis and mix thoroughly.

6. Add the cold rice and break apart any clumps. Fry for several minutes, tossing occasionally. Taste and add additional sinigang mix if you want more sour flavor.

7. Return the pork belly and shrimp to the pan and toss until heated through.

8. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Taste, adjust the seasoning, garnish with green onions, and serve immediately.

The sour, savory flavors we love in the soup work ridiculously well in a wok without the broth