Ecotrain medicinal soup competition: Rice porridge @snownz008

Porridge is a very popular dish in Vietnamese cuisine as well as in Southeast Asian countries. It is made of two main ingredients which are rice and water.

It is not a dish, it is my childhood. In my memory, I didn’t like porridge. I even hated it a lot. How come?

I was born underweight. My body’s defense failed to overcome the cold, flu, and many other common sicknesses during change of seasons and all year round to be exact. Every single time I got ill or just under the weather, my mom treated me with porridge.

A compelling reason is she believes porridge is a medicinal soup. I am not sure but I have to amid that she was right on this spot (haha moms have experience). I felt better after having a bowl of porridge and pills. Therefore, I quickly recovered in a few days or a week.

My brothers and sisters told me that she had to have porridge more than me, not because of sickness, it was hunger. Porridge produces a bigger volume than cooked rice and is easy to feed more people.

Porridge is seasoned with salt, fish sauce, and pepper. It is served with chopped spring onion and chopped purple perilla leaves. Its operating principle is to use heat (from herbs and spice) to fight cold, to restore energy by balancing yin-yang. This concept in Chinese philosophy is about dualism.

Moreover, loss of appetite happens during the period of sickness. I was not eager to eat anything. Chewing and digesting heavy food like meats also cost some energy which is limited in that situation. No worry! Porridge is a liquid food and light in seasoning so it is a gentle choice for my stomach. My body, by that way, absorbs nutrition easier.

To cook this simple dish, you need rice and water, as I stated above. I suggest jasmine rice for a better aroma. Not surprisingly the cost is near to nothing. This soup is costless, easy to cook, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and healthy. It suits a normal diet, vegetarian and vegan.
Do you think of trying at least once?

I sometimes use leftover cooked rice to make porridge. Quality is still the same, but faster. If you use rice, soaking in water for half an hour to an hour may speed up the process. To make different variations, people may add chicken, pork mince, salted egg, fish, vegetable, etc…as demanded to suit their liking.

In Asian cooking, we don’t usually measure by weight, you know, by sense and estimation. Ok, I’ll write down the recipe in case you would like to give it a try.

Ingredients: (enough for 2)

• 100g rice (recommend jasmine rice) or leftover cooked rice.
• 1.5 - 2l water (can be adjusted)
• Chopped spring onion (green part)
• Chopped perilla leaves
• Salt, pepper
• Fish sauce (optional), indispensable in Vietnamese cuisine
• Add on (optional): 1 egg/chicken/pork mince…

Method:

• If you have a pressure cooker, chuck washed rice and water in and press the “Congee” button. Done! Season and enjoy!
• If you have a rice cooker, wash rice and combine it with water. Check regularly until it’s cooked. Easy!
• In case you don’t have both options above, you need a large pot, place in wash rice and water for half an hour.
• Turn on medium heat and stir regularly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Once the water is boiling, simmer on low heat, remove the lid. Stirring every 10 – 15 minutes.
• If you have a small pot, top-up more hot water when needed.
• This is a kind of personal dish. You may add other ingredients to suit your taste, and adjust consistency thick or thin as well.
• If you want an egg, crack an egg into your hot porridge, stir well and enjoy. Don’t worry, the egg will be cooked by the heat.
• Ladle into bowls and top with herbs.

Now I am thousands of miles away from my hometown, away from my family, a bowl of hot porridge is all I need on cold rainy days when I don’t feel very well.

Hope you can use this recipe to strengthen your health. Take care!

All pictures are my own
Some pictures and banner designed by Canva