Rice Porridge

This is what Cantonese comfort food is all about. It's one of the first food we're introduced to when we were babies. It's what our mother cooks when we're not feeling well. There is a big difference between the home cooked version and the ones you usually get in restaurants. Generally, the ones made at home are thicker, like a 1:6 rice to water ratio. This is especially true if you use a rice cooker that have a 'porridge' setting. The ones you get in the restaurants are made with a 1:12 ratio. And the big surprise you might not know about the resturant version? They soak the rice in oil overnight to enhance the flavor and also helps the rice to break apart easier. So while it may not look oily, it is. As much as I like the resturant versio, when I'm sick, I prefer something a little lighter. I keep containers of chicken broth in my freezer, so I could make rice porridge with very little efforts when I need to. (Of course, water could also be used in place of broth.) I uses my rice cooker, adding a little more water than recommended. You could pretty much put anything you want in there to make it more of a meal. Previously frozen, grilled eel is shown here with a saute of bok choy and a sprinkle of dried bonito flakes, seaweed, and sesame.