It is a fact, the popularity of Asian food has been increasing non-stop in the past few years. It is also a fact that people’s palates evolve as the world does. The flavours, the aromas, the textures, even the mix of cultures around the globe are just a few of the reasons that could explain this evident change in what people are looking for when they want to improve their taste and dive into diversity.
From far, far away
And the more we know about Asian cuisine, the more we realize there are no limits to bold ingredients. It’s not only the condiments, it’s the contrasting textures, the colourful plates, the appealing pairing of taste and smell.
No limits, sure, but there is a must: rice, of course! Rice is close to every recipe and it doesn’t really matter if you’re having breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can always get a cup of rice, some herbs, a few more ingredients and there will probably be a myriad of Asian recipes waiting for you.
In Asian cultures, rice is so deep-rooted that it can be found in countless meals and also countless religious ceremonies because it is originally associated with women and fertility. Moreover, in many countries, rice is not only popular, it is considered sacred. No wonder that when it comes to usage, the white rice ratio to other affordable and easy to handle ingredients is at its highest, right?
All in one
Now we’re heading Southeast Asia because Bubur Ayam is a classic Indonesian meal: Bubur means rice porridge or congee and Ayam means chicken. Although it’s a dish eaten for breakfast, people frequently have it for lunch and dinner as well. It has become very popular during Ramadan and also a quite common meal for people when they are out of sorts. Versatility is not a problem with this Babur Ayam chicken and rice porridge, nor is difficulty, since it’s an easy-to-make dish and doesn’t require many ingredients. To top it all, this four-step delight can be frozen for a couple of days and reheated.
As for the taste, you may be wondering if this is a sweet or savoury dish as it can be served at any time of the day. A classic preparation of Bubur Ayam needs chicken so it can be considered a savoury dish, but it is also true that, as versatile as it is, there are a lot of different kinds of Bubur all along Indonesia.
Here is one way to make it. Follow the recipe, try it out, taste Bubur Ayam and travel to Indonesia. You won’t need a ticket, just a spoonful!
Bubur Ayam: Indonesian chicken and rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup of rice.
- 5 cups of water.
- 2 chicken breasts or legs.
- Bay leaves.
- White pepper.
- Salt.
- Onions.
- Shallots.
- Prawn crackers.
- Soy sauce.
Preparation
- In a medium size pot, pour five cups of water, place the bay leaves and season with a pinch of salt and white pepper. Let it heat up.
- Boil the chicken breasts or legs for about 40 minutes. As it boils, remove the foam from the water.
- When chicken is fully cooked, take it out and place it aside. Let it cool down.
- Once its temperature permits, you can peel the skin off and shred the chicken down.
- Using the same water, now a chicken broth, you are going to boil the rice. The ratio to make an appropriate porridge should be one cup of rice to five cups of water. Cook the rice (pot covered) until it gets thick, that should take about 25 or 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, slice the onions and fry the shallots which will top the rice porridge.
- Once the congee is ready, set it on a bowl and top it with the shredded chicken, the fried shallots, sliced onion and the prawn crackers.
- Top it all with soy sauce and enjoy your homemade Bubur Ayam!
Measures of condiments are not included so you can find and create the perfect combination for you. Highly flavoured, subtle, deep… Give this recipe a go and find your own way to discover this classic Indonesian meal. Let your palate and taste experiment. You never know, you may go crazy about it!
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