Ambuyat (Sago Palm Starch with Dipping Sauce)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sago starch (ambulong)
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1/2 lb grilled or fried fish
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 red chilies, minced
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste, toasted
• Assorted side dishes: grilled fish, sambal, and vegetables

Instructions

1. 1Mix the sago starch with a small amount of cold water to form a paste in a heatproof bowl.
2. 2Pour boiling water over the paste gradually, stirring constantly and vigorously with a fork or bamboo whisk (candas) until it turns thick, glutinous, and translucent.
3. 3Continue stirring until the ambuyat forms a smooth, sticky, gel-like consistency with no lumps.
4. 4Whisk tamarind paste, sugar, minced chilies, and toasted shrimp paste together to make the cacah dipping sauce.
5. 5Using special bamboo tongs (candas), twirl a small amount of the sticky ambuyat and dip it into the tangy sauce.
6. 6Eat immediately alongside grilled fish, sambal, and vegetable side dishes, swallowing the ambuyat without chewing as is traditional.

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