Savory Quinoa Porridge Recipe

Traditional Chinese Porridge. You can find traditional recipe here.

I wanted to share a recipe of what I make for my mom sometimes on the days that she doesn't want to eat. Rice porridge is pretty common in Asian culture. It's sort of like our version of chicken noodle soup. The taste is not overwhelming and it's super easy to make. Chinese porridge (pronounced "jook" in Cantonese and also known as Congee) is basically rice cooked in a lot of water or chicken stock. It’s a good way to use up the leftover rice. The rice is cooked for a long time until it breaks down and the porridge thickens.

 

I made a different version with quinoa.You can get a four pound bag from Costco for $8 or $9 bucks.

My mom is very much a purist in terms of food and sometimes I'll get away will cooking only quinoa, but most of the time, I use a mix of quinoa and rice so she can't tell. I'm a big fan of quinoa because of it's health benefits. It's high in protein, fiber and a good source of iron, zinc, vitamin E, and selenium. The thing about this porridge is that it's very flexible. You can add peanuts or beans. Use chicken instead of pork. Add yams to sweeten it. Whatever.

Below is my recipe for quinoa and rice savory porridge with carrots.

1. First, marinate a pound of thinly sliced pork butt or loin by combining the following ingredients in a bowl with the meat:

1 teaspoons of light soy sauce

½ teaspoon of rice wine
Sprinkle of ground white pepper
Pinch of sugar

2 teaspoons of corn starch

Leave aside.

*If you prefer this to be meatless, you can skip step 1 and just substitute by adding chicken bouillon later instead.

2. Take half a cup of uncooked rice and rinse it in a bowl until the water no longer has white residue. Then take half a cup of quinoa and pour it into the bowl with rice. Rinse once more.

    

3. Measure a quarter cup of soybeans.

4. Poor all ingredients into a medium pot and fill the pot with water leaving 2-3 inches unfilled.

5. Chop 2 carrots and add to pot.

6. Cover pot and boil. After it reaches full boil, just when it's about to boil over, place lid open just a crack to let the steam escape. Then place on low-medium heat and cook for 30 minutes.

7. Add the marinated pork from step 1 and boil for another 10 minutes, or until it reaches a desired consistency.

8. It's now ready for consumption.

savory quinoa and rice porridge with carrots