Ginataang Labong at Hipon

Ingredients

• 1 cup of bamboo shoots (labong)
• 1 pound of shrimp, shells removed and deveined
• 1 can (400 ml) of coconut milk
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled then minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 3 inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced then crushed
• 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• cooking oil

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring some water to boil over medium heat.
2. Add the bamboo shoots to the pot then let it simmer for at least 20 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain the water then set the bamboo shoots aside.
4. In a pan, heat a small amount of cooking oil over medium-high heat.
5. Add the garlic to the pan followed by onions.
6. Add the ginger and saute for about 2 minutes.
7. Next add the shrimp and coconut milk to the pan.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low then begin to continuously stir the mixture to avoid curdling.
9. Now add the cooked bamboo shoots and fish sauce to the pan then breifly stir once more until the mixture is well blended.
10. Cover the pan and allow this to simmer for about 10 minutes while occasionally stirring.
11. Once the coconut milk has reduced to the desired sauce consistency remove the pot from the heat.
12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
13. Transfer this to a serving dish and serve with steamed white rice.

If you don't have fresh bamboo shoots, you can use frozen or canned bamboo shoots as an alternative.