This spicy-sweet-funky Filipino condiment is delicious on grilled fish, chicken, tacos, sandwiches, grain bowls, noodles, eggs, burgers... pretty much anything you can think of will be improved by a dab or two.
Ingredients
Makes about 4 cups
1
16
6
¼
1½
1
1
6
3
1
Preparation
Step 1
Cut coconut in half by holding it in one hand and striking firmly with the back (blunt side) of a heavy knife or cleaver, rotating the coconut and hitting around the equator until it splits. Whack coconut halves with the back of knife to loosen meat from shell. Shred coconut meat using the large holes of a box grater or the shredding blade of a food processor.
Step 2
Pulse chiles in a food processor until finely chopped (this is to save your hands and nose from their intense heat; if you chop by hand, use gloves!). Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 3
Grind mushrooms in spice mill or with mortar and pestle (you can also use food processor again) until reduced to a powder.
Step 4
Toast coconut in a dry wok or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until deeply browned in spots (just this side of burnt) 15–20 minutes. Transfer to another small bowl.
Step 5
Heat oil in wok over medium-low. Cook garlic, ginger, and scallions, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in chopped chiles, mushroom powder, toasted coconut, lime leaves, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown and very aromatic, about 5 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Step 6
Do Ahead: Palapa can be made 3 months ahead. Cover and chill.
Leave a Review
Reviews (8)
Back to TopAwesome stuff! I used shredded dried shrimp instead of mushrooms (saw in the previous comment that's a more traditional ingredient....and I happened to have some in the freezer) and finished with a quarter cup of coconut milk to loosen, a bunch of chopped cilantro and MSG. Super good.
Tom
Los Gatos, CA
5/31/2021
@Gekidan, it's the Maguindanao palapa, not Maranao. Though the original one doesn't have shiitake.
DerangedBxtch
Mindanao, Philippines
2/23/2021
Tried cooking this. Really yummy and savoury. I am Pinoy and however as much as I would like to support this, I feel the need to point out that the Maranao Palapa is nowhere near this iteration. Ingredients and cooking style are nearer to Indonesian Serunding Kelapa (Spicy Coconut Floss) than Filipino Palapa. Mushrooms are substituted for small dried shrimps in the original Indonesian version.
Gekidan
Bacolod City, Philippines
9/21/2019
This was delicious BUT mine was not nearly as paste-y/moist as the photo. I measured out 4 cups of shredded coconut, per the recipe that was linked to the Grilled Shrimp with Palapa, and the result looks more like dry coconut flakes than this pasty goodness, which makes sense as it is supposed to stick to the shrimp and this condiment I have was much too dry to stick..... thoughts???
Anonymous
10533
5/29/2019
this sounds wonderful. thanks, y'all!
hollis5
Vero Beach, FL
3/18/2019
I made this recipe last night! It's really good ! Not disappointed at all! Will definitely make this again !
Anonymous
Canada
7/31/2018
Wondering if "fresh coconut" means a young coconut or just a mature brown one in whole form?
Anonymous
1/2/2018