When I was younger, my mother used to make me rice porridge when I get sick. I didn't like it back then, I found it too liquidy for my liking and I like to have chewy solid foods. Now when I started living alone, I have grown to like porridge and have it often on the cold winter days. It brings me nostalgia for my youth and reminds me of love and care.
Rice porridge is so ubiquitous!
Every culture has a different type of porridge and everyone makes it differently. In Vietnam, it's considered a poor people food due to its inexpensive, accessible ingredients. With just 1 cup of rice and 10 cups of water, you can serve 4 people.
I like to keep it light and simple with basic seasonings, as this is how I remember it, but if you like a stronger taste, you can also add soy sauce or chilli oil. Porridges are the meals for everyone: children, sick people, sad people, or just hungry people in general. Send it to a special someone or make it for yourself and everyone will appreciate this yummy, simple yet nostalgic dish.
What is so special about this recipe?
This recipe is inspired by the chicken rice porridge my mom used to make. Vietnamese rice porridge traditionally only uses rice, water and toppings like green onions. For this version, I add mung beans for protein, carrot and green onions for fiber and king oyster mushroom as a substitute for shredded chicken. King oyster mushroom has a unique and meaty texture, making it look a lot like chicken when shredded with a fork.
I used 13 cups of rice for 1 cup of rice and ½ cup of mung beans, then at the end, I decided to add 3 more. You can add more or less depending on how thin or thick you like this porridge.
Rice Porridge Toppings
For this recipe, I keep it simple with green onions, but you can also add roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, sauté mushrooms. I remember we used to use youtiao or quẩy (fried doughnuts) as a crispy topping (I will soon share the recipe). The possibilities are truly, endless!
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you have a chance to try it, please give me a review and/or tag me on Instagram (@veggieanh). That would support me greatly!
Print📖 Recipe
Vietnamese Vegan Chicken Rice Porridge (Cháo Gà chay)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
Rice porridge is my comfort food, especially when it's cold or when I'm feeling under the weather. It's like a warm hug in a bowl, and give me nostalgia for childhood days. This recipe keeps it simple with rice, mung beans, carrot and vegan shredded chick'n made from king oyster mushroom.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (I used jasmine rice, you can also use short-grain rice or glutinous rice)
- 16 cup water
- ½ cup split mung beans
- 1 thumb-sized ginger
- 1 big or medium carrot
- 150 g king oyster mushroom (or you can use vegan chicken)
- salt and pepper
- 2 stalk green onions
Instructions
- Wash the rice 3 times in a big pot. Boil 10 cups of water. Pour the water in the pot and bring to a boil.
- Slice the ginger (don't have to be too thin).
- Add the ginger slices and mung beans to the pot, close the lid and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash and dice the carrot into small pieces. Shred the king oyster mushroom using a fork or by hand to resemble the chicken pieces. Thinly slice the green onions.
- In the last 15 minutes, add more water to reach the desired consistency. I added 3 more cups of water, as I don't like my porridge too thin. You can add more or less water depending on your liking.
- Add the seasoning, carrot pieces and shredded mushroom into the pot. Simmer for the remaining time.
- Thinly slice the green part of the green onion. Add them to the pot (save about ⅓ for garnish) and mix well. Turn off heat.
- Serve the rice porridge in a bowl and garnish with the remaining green onions.
Notes
This leftover from this recipe can be refrigerated. You can make a big pot, store in the fridge or freezer and pop it in the microwave to reheat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: vietnamese
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