My Nanay Belen's Paella Recipe

I guess it is most perfect to start with my lola's paella recipe. I grew up watching her cook this special dish and amongst all her apo (grandchildren), i guess there are only two of us who learned this. Mine will never match Nanay Belen's paella but i take pride in the fact that my family and a lot of friends say that mine is the best paella they've tasted. hmm talk about kind persons giving kind comments......Here it is:

simple lang ang paella ko, pinoy style:

Chicken – cut into small pieces (boneless is fine but I prefer bone ins)

Shrimps - as many pcs as you want

Crabs (alimasag) – cut into 4

Tahong in shell

Hotdogs – cut into 1-inch pcs (others use chorizo)

3 tomatoes – chopped finely

2 tsps minced garlic black pepper and salt bell peppers – strips or squares 2 small or 1 large onion – chopped finely

minced siling labuyo or dried crushed pepper if you want it spicy

3 cups tomato sauce (or more)

1 can tomato paste cooked rice (buhaghag rice is better vs sticky, use less water because of the sauce)

Cook all the meat and seafoods first. What I do is - in a pan, I cook the shrimps first (no water) then the crabs. Set aside. Then in the same pan (walang hugasan), boil the chiken until almost done then add the tahong and hotdogs. Cook until all are done/cooked.

In a large kawa, heat 1/2 cup of oil (olive, better). Sauté the onions, garlic, tomatoes. Add the bell peppers and minced sili. Add 3 cups broth from the tahong/chicken/hotdogs mix. Add in the tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil while stirring then add all the meat and seafoods mixing them for 5 mins to blend all flavors.

Set aside in a large bowl leaving only the sauce in the kawa. Then add to the sauce your cooked rice (you may do this in portions para hindi mahirap maghalo). Blend very well until the rice has a uniform color (red orange). Then add back all the other ingredients. Mix mix mix.

Taste then adjust as needed by adding salt / garlic salt and pepper.

Warning: sasakit ang kilikili ninyo the following day sa kakahalo hehehe. But it's worth it..feel free to omit any or add other ingredients as you wish..

Enjoy your paella!

bonus: a friend who supposedly cooks equally yummy paella (but which i havent tasted yet) added:

1. wala akong minced sili at hotdog (i used chorizo sa pinas pero wala kasi dito sa toronto)

2. i use as plenty of white onion as i can (kasi it thickens the sauce)

3. i put baby clams (canned but should be washed) to add texture (pag humalo sa rice).

4. i try to put all colors of pepper (red, green, orange and yellow) para masayang tingnan :)

5. i try to add other seafoods (aside from the required shrimps and tahong) esp.kung walang crab such as baby cuttlefish, scallops, calamari.

totoo, mahirap maghalo but the guests are always happy :) and the paella taste better the day after (kung merong matira)

and I said: "my lola used to put lots of onions din...at super grated din para daw mas masarap. sabi ko na mas matiyaga ka sa akin....ang daming sahog at detalye..gotta taste your paella in the future. i wonder how..:)"

try doing this recipe, folks, then let me know how it turns out...:)