In this hot weather, it is such a discomfort to bother much about cooking. In the afternoons, my kitchen is like an oven eventhough I have the fan at full blast. So, lately, I prefer to take a shortcut and prepare something quick and easy so that I don’t need to hole up in the oven.
Comfort food in the form of porridge is a nice idea. So, I grabbed some nice cruellers or yue tiao or yau char kuai or eu char koay from the People’s Court at Campbell Street.
It costs RM1 per piece, which is two of the above stick together.
It is very easy to make porridge or congee. From my understanding porridge is something that is not as gluey and mushy as congee. My kids prefer the rice grains still floating instead of a thick, creamy texture type of rice porridge.
Recipe for dried scallop and oyster porridge
1 rice bowl rice
1 fistful sticky or glutinous rice (optional, it will make the porridge ‘smoother’)
5-6 dried scallops
2 dried oysters
2 dried mushrooms
half a bulb of garlic
few slices of ginger
3 large bowls of water – more to add if porridge is too thick
Quarter of a chicken – Blanch with hot, boiling water
Flavourings – Salt, pepper, few drops of sesame oil
Method – Using an electric rice cooker
Put all ingredients into the rice cooker and cook until the rice is soften. Remove chicken and using hands, tear off the cooked meat. Discard bones.
Serve with yau char kwai, some spring onions and garlic oil.