Rice Porridge is a smooth textured parboiled rice dish consumed mostly as a breakfast meal. Quite popular in Asian cooking and the dish has different names in almost all the Asian regions. Rice porridge need not be confused with oatmeal or other kind of cereals, as the cooking method is entirely different from the rest.
Preparation of Rice Porridge:
In order to make a tasty rice porridge, good quality long grained rice should be selected. This type of rice breaks down into smaller pieces after constant boiling. The thick texture of the rice porridge comes from the boiling part of the recipe. Due to its high starch content, rice porridge itself makes a heavy meal; but at times it is served with bread-sticks or fish or meat recipes.
Different types of Rice Porridge Recipes:
In India, rice porridge is considered to be a breakfast dish where saffron is used for garnishing the dish. In times of cultural festivals, rice porridge is often served in the form of Prasad (offering for god). Rice porridge, commonly known as ganji in South India is served hot with fish curry.
In China, rice porridge is commonly known as congee and is served with bowlful of pasta, noodles or eggs. Instead of simple boiling, some pepper and soy sauce is added to the mixture of rice porridge. Congee is also popular in Indonesian and Japanese cuisines.