Filipino cuisine has many kinds of lugaw (also spelled lugao), the local term for rice porridge. Malagkit or glutinous rice is simmered in water or another liquid—broth or stock if savory, coconut milk if sweet, for example—until thick and creamy. Examples of lugaw include arroz caldo, made from chicken and ginger; goto, featuring beef tripe; and champorado, chocolate rice porridge made with tablea.
This lugaw recipe is a reminder in making the most of shrimp. Its true flavor lies not just in the meat, but in the heads and shells—parts often discarded by most cooks. Save those shrimp heads and shells to create a rich, flavorful stock, then use that liquid to cook the rice.
For lugaw, we generally like equal parts short- and long-grain—malagkit and jasmine—to balance out the creaminess of glutinous rice with fluffier, firmer grains. Experiment with different blends with rice, or stick to 100% glutinous rice.
Ingredients
Shrimp Stock
- 1 kg whole shrimp
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 10 cups water
Lugaw / Rice Porridge
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp dried kasubha (safflower)
- ⅓ cup uncooked malagkit or glutinous rice
- ⅓ cup uncooked jasmine or other long-grain rice
For Serving
- hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
- crispy garlic bits or chips
- minced green onions
- calamansi, halved
- patis or fish sauce
Prepare shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp, discarding the veins and saving the heads and shells. Slice peeled shrimp into medium-sized chunks. Set aside and store sliced shrimp in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make shrimp stock: Heat neutral oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, shrimp heads, and shrimp shells. Stir and cook briefly until fragrant. Use a wooden spoon, potato masher, or the butt of a rolling pin to mash the heads and release more of their juices. Add water, turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, 20 minutes. Strain stock and discard onions, heads, and shells.
Make lugaw: Heat neutral oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and kasubha. Stir to cook, 1–2 minutes. Add malagkit and jasmine rice. Stir and toast the grains until fragrant. Add 4 cups of shrimp stock and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching the bottom, until rice grains are soft and stock has thickened, 10–15 minutes. If your lugaw looks too thick, add 1 cup shrimp stock and stir; repeat until you’ve achieved your desired consistency. Turn off the heat.
Add shrimp: Stir reserved shrimp chunks into the lugaw. Let the residual heat cook the shrimp until pink and opaque—this means it’s cooked through.
Serve: Divide shrimp lugaw between individual bowls. Top with as much eggs, crispy garlic, green onions, calamansi, and patis as desired. Enjoy hot.
Notes
Shrimp stock can be frozen in an airtight container for 3–4 months.
To make shrimp lugaw from leftover cooked rice, boil the rice in as much shrimp stock needed to achieve your desired consistency.
