Rice Porridge - Comfort Food
When I was little, my mum fed me Rice Porridge whenever I fell ill so Rice Porridge reminds me of a mum's love and care during sickness. Rice Porridge is comfort food to me. I enjoy that slightly gooey but silky smooth texture. It goes well with almost any savoury foodstuff. I love adding different ingredients in my Rice Porridge - fish, chicken, scallops, minced pork balls, sliced beef, egg, etc.Today, I made Chicken Rice Porridge and served it with side dishes - fried ikan bilis with roasted peanut, fried egg with preserved cabbage (chai por omelette) and fried dough stick (you char kway). It was delightful !
Ingredients
1.5 cups of jasmine rice (soaked in water overnight)
3 cups of chicken stock
1 cup shredded chicken meat
1 tablespoon salt
Topping - mix together:
1 tbsp fried shallots
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon cooked oil
Dash of white pepper
Side Dishes:
2 tbsp ikan bilis (dried anchovy) + 1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp roasted peanut
2 beaten eggs + 1 tbsp preserved cabbage
1 piece of fried dough stick (you char kway) - cut into bite size pieces
Method
1. Soak the rice in water, preferably overnight. This will help speed up the cooking process.
2. Poach the chicken meat in some water. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked (i.e. turn opaque and the centre of the chicken reaching a temperature of 160°C, remove the chicken. Allow the chicken to cool before shredding the meat into strips.
3. Drain the rice and add 3 cups of chicken stock. Also, add the water used to poach the chicken. Bring the rice to a boil and simmer for an hour. Give the porridge a stir now and then to ensure the rice is not sticking to the base of the pot. Stirring also helps to break down the rice and produce a smooth texture.
4. When the porridge reach a consistency to your liking (add hot water if the porridge is too thick), add salt and stir in the shredded chicken meat. Turn the heat off. Ladle the rice porridge into a soup plate and top with sesame oil mixture. Serve porridge with side dishes.
5. For side dishes:
Ikan Bilis
Deep fry ikan bilis in 2-3 tbsp of hot oil. Keep stirring to ensure even heating. Once the ikan bilis turn golden brown and crispy, remove the ikan bilis to a paper towel and pour away the oil.
Return ikan bilis to the saucepan and add 1 tbsp of sugar. Stir well to mix and remove to a serving when sugar is melted.
Roasted peanuts
Dry fry the raw peanuts until golden and crispy.
Egg with preserved cabbage
Finely chop the preserved cabbage and add to beaten eggs.
Add a little oil to a pan and add the egg mixture. Stir and fry till cooked and golden.
Fried dough stick (store-bought)
De-freeze and deep fry till golden. Cut into bite size pieces.
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