Breakfast in the Philippines is built on sinangag, or cooked rice tossed with garlic and oil. For us, the smell of sinangag cooking is better than waking up to the aroma of coffee. This recipe may garner some raised eyebrows from knowledgeable Filipino cooks because we don’t use leftover rice to make it and we don’t use a rice cooker. Instead, we cook the rice in a pot on the stove over very low heat. The rice kernels stay intact and even a bit dry—much like day-old rice—and thus they hold up to the additions of garlic chips and homemade garlic oil, which make the rice more robust and flavorful.
You can also make sinangag using rice left over from your meal from the previous day. Just heat the rice in a pan with a tablespoon or two of garlic oil. When the rice is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the garlic and a drizzle of garlic oil.
Add eggs and the sweet Filipino cured meat called tocino or the garlicky sausages called Lucban longanisa for a silog; it’s an excellent breakfast.
Recipe information
Yield
2–4 servings
Ingredients
For the garlic oil and chips:
For serving (optional):
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Line a plate with paper towels and set it nearby.
Step 2
Carefully pour the garlic into the hot oil and stir continuously until the garlic is just beginning to lightly brown. Remove the pan from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried garlic onto the paper towel–lined plate; reserve the oil. Set both the garlic and the oil aside while you make the rice. (You can store the garlic chips and oil in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
Step 3
Fluff the hot rice with a fork and toss it with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the garlic oil and 1/2 cup (40 g) of the fried garlic chips. (You will have leftover oil and chips for more rice; or try them on the pansits and soups.)
Step 4
Season the rice with salt and serve right away or at room temperature, with the eggs, if desired.
Recipe notes
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Sinangag was my mom's go-to breakfast, but it's *my* go-to dinner.
