Pinoy Sinangag Garlic Fried Rice I Trail Cooking

Sinangag Garlic Fried Rice is a simple Filipino fried rice, yet so good to eat. It warms the body, and fills you. And yes, you can make this Pinoy recipe on the trail easily with a few tricks – and no wok needed. It’s pretty close to how I make it at home for my family. What’s good about this recipe is you can control the salt very easily. Add what you want, or don’t want. Add meat to it, for a heartier meal. Fried up, with the eggs, a SPAM Single would be delicious.

Served with warm eggs on top, it’s got protein to fuel you. And the aroma will have you starving, as the garlic goes deep into the oil.

And this is also eaten as breakfast, a savory start to the day.

I am a Tisoy, a person who is mixed race, and this winter into spring I am hoping to convert a few recipes I make at home to trail friendly, to showcase how awesome Filipino food is. And if you have a local Filipino restaurant, go eat there – ask them what they like and try new dishes. You might just find a dish you love so much you want it 4 days into the wilderness. Pinoy cuisine is unique in Asian cooking, with flavors you might have never tried together. I didn’t grow up eating this way (sadly) but have embraced it in recent years to show my children their heritage.

Garlic paste in a tube is great. It’s portable and ready to use. Yes, it’s not light. It is however mess proof (well, mostly, I am sure there are a few of you who could burst the tube….). I have some options in the notes on other forms of garlic to take. But what I liked about using it in this recipe is it’s smooth. It blends right into the oil. You can also find similar in some grocery stores, in the produce department.

As for the Jasmine rice, go for a 8.5 to 8.8 ounce bag of precooked rice. These pouches, the rice is hard, as it is when you make rice at home the day before, for fried rice. I also list options in the notes, of course!

Sinangag Garlic Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 pouch Jasmine rice* (8.5 to 8.8 ounces)
6 to 12 cloves worth of garlic*
2 packets or 2 Tbsp oil, divided
Pinch of sea salt, to taste
2 chicken eggs*

Directions:

The best pot to use for this recipe is a wide/shallow 2 liter pot that has a metal lid, that can be used as a fry pan. I’d suggest non-stick for this recipe, just for ease of cleanup. At home I’d use carbon steel or cast iron, but easy cleanup goes far in the wilds.

If you are using freeze-dried or dehydrated eggs (see notes) add water called for in a small snack size bag, seal and shake well, then set aside.

In the main pot, heat up about ¾ of the oil, reserving the rest for the fry pan lid.

Keep the pot over a low flame, adding in the garlic. Stir (wood or bamboo spoon works best) until it is fragrant. Toss in a pinch of salt, then the rice. You will need to quickly break up the rice, and toss gently to coat in the oil. Watch the flame, lowering as needed, and let cook for around 4 to 5 minutes. While traditionally you’d let the bottom get crispy to a bit, I found with the hot hiking stoves, you really need to keep it all moving. You don’t want the goodness burning!

Take it off the stove, get the fry pan lid on the stove, with the remaining oil, add in the eggs and cook to your taste. I prefer runny eggs, that when poked run all over the rice.

Serve the eggs over the rice.

For easy cleanup, use paper towels to wipe out the pot and lid. For easy cracking of fresh eggs, use a zip top bag to crack into, then you crush the shells in the bag, seal up and toss in your garbage bag.

Serves 1 realistic appetite, 2 if you lie to yourself.

Notes:

There are 2 options for the rice. The first is to use precooked rice that comes in a pouch. The second is to find Minute Rice Jasmine Rice, which does exist, but you might have to hunt down at larger grocery stores. Having said that, it’s better to use the pouched rice, as it is cold. The third option is Minute Rice makes 2 pack cups of precooked Jasmine rice. The 2 single serving cups will make the right amount if both are used.

For garlic you have options. Use freeze-dried diced (I go for 1 tsp per clove), it rehydrates instantly. Use garlic in a tube, as I did in the recipe, this is the brand I used – it can be found in the pasta aisle at many stores. Or if you like fresh, just carry a couple ready to use cloves and slice up. I just prefer not stinking of garlic for days at a time on my hands 😉 But the key is you need to be able to taste and smell the garlic. This is no 1 clove recipe!

Plan to use the leftover garlic paste, if you choose that route, in the next meal or two on the trail.

Eggs? Carry 2 farm fresh unwashed eggs. Wrap in a paper towel, tucked into a mug. They don’t need to be chilled. Now then, I get it…not everyone has access to that, which I do, since we have hens. Instead you can carry 2 egg worth of dry eggs, and rehydrate as called for. Stash the dry eggs in a ziptop snack size bag and note how much water is required on the bag.