5 simple and comforting porridge recipes to cook for your family

By Kwan Yiu Kan, executive Chinese chef at Man Fu Yuan, Intercontinental Singapore

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
3 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1/4 cup glutinous rice, rinsed
2 litres water
4 tsp cooking oil
2 abalones, sliced
3 dried scallops, soaked for 30min and shredded
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
1 knob ginger (3cm long), peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp salt

To garnish:
1 sprig coriander, chopped
2 sticks you tiao (fried dough fritters), cut into pieces
4 wanton skin, deep-fried and cut into 2-cm strips

DIRECTIONS
1 Place the jasmine rice, glutinous rice, water and oil in a pot over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30min to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.
2 Stir in the abalone, dried scallops, spring onions, ginger, chicken stock powder and salt. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then simmer for 10min over low heat.
3 Top with coriander, you tiao and fried wanton skin.

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By Kwan Yiu Kan, executive Chinese chef at Man Fu Yuan, Intercontinental Singapore

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
3 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1/4 cup glutinous rice, rinsed
2 litres water
4 tsp cooking oil
1/2 chicken, bones removed, diced and parboiled for 5min
2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

To garnish:
3 dried scallops, soaked for 30min and shredded
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
2 sticks you tiao (fried dough fritters), sliced thinly
4 wanton skin, deep-fried and cut into 2cm strips

DIRECTIONS
1 Place the jasmine rice, glutinuous rice, water and oil in a pot over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30min to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.
2 Add the chicken, chicken stock powder, salt and pepper and bring to the boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10min.
3 Top with dried scallops, spring onions, you tiao and fried wanton skin.

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By Kwan Yiu Kan, executive Chinese chef at Man Fu Yuan, Intercontinental Singapore

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
3 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1/4 cup glutinous rice, rinsed
2 litres water
4 tsp cooking oil
2 century eggs, peeled and quartered
2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

For the meatballs:
300g minced pork
10 Chinese mushrooms, soaked for 30min and diced 
2 tsp sesame oil

To garnish:
1 stalk spring onion, thinly sliced
2 sticks you tiao (fried dough fritters), sliced thinly
4 wanton skins, deep-fried and cut into 2cm strips

DIRECTIONS
1 Place the jasmine rice, glutinous rice, water, and oil in a pot over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30min to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.
2 Meanwhile, mix all the meatball ingredients together and set aside for 15min. Roll into balls about the size of ping pong balls.
3 Add the meatballs to the congee. Bring the congee to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 10min.
4 Mix in the century eggs, chicken stock powder, salt and pepper. Top with the spring onions, you tiao and fried wanton skin.

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By Eric Neo, executive chef at Intercontinental Singapore

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
500g chicken thigh, bone-in
2 litres water
3 stalks spring onions, tied into a knot
1 knob ginger (2cm long), peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup jasmine rice
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
50g dong cai (preserved cabbage)*, rinsed and roughly chopped
A pinch of white pepper

DIRECTIONS
1 Combine the chicken, water, spring onions, ginger and garlic in a pot. Bring to the boil, skimming away any surface froth.
2 Simmer for 30min over low heat, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Turn off the heat.
3 Scoop out the chicken, remove the bones and coarsely shred the meat. Return the bones to the pot and set the meat aside.
4 Add the rice to the pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 30min to prevent sticking. Remove the chicken bones and spring onions.
5 Stir in soya sauce and sesame oil. Top with a handful of shredded chicken, dong cai and pepper.

*Made by fermenting shredded cabbage with salt and garlic, dong cai is commonly added to steamed minced meat and fishball soup. Available from www.redmart.com and Chinese dried goods stores.

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By Eric Neo, executive chef at Intercontinental Singapore

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
300g mackerel, sliced 0.5cm thick
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cornflour
2 litres water
50g dried shrimp, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
1 tbsp tee poh* (dried sole fish) powder
1 stalk spring onion, finely sliced
1 stalk coriander, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chicken stock powder
1 tbsp garlic oil*

*Dried sole is available from the dried goods section at Fairprice supermarkets. Toast it in the oven until crispy, then grind it into a powder in a food processor. To make garlic oil, fry 50g minced garlic in 250ml cooking oil until golden brown, then strain for the oil.

DIRECTIONS
1 Marinate the mackerel with salt, pepper and cornflour. Set aside for 30min.
2 In a pot, bring the water to the boil. Add the dried shrimp and rice, and simmer over low heat for 30min.
3 Add the marinated mackerel to the porridge. Return to the boil, then simmer for 10min over low heat, until the mackerel is cooked.
4 Stir in the dried sole fish powder, spring onions, coriander and chicken stock powder.
5 Drizzle garlic oil over the porridge before serving.

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