4 Ways to Make Porridge

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

In Anglo-Saxon countries, porridge is the undisputed star of breakfast. As this is a very simple recipe, everyone likes to customize it in their own way. This article proposes 3 different types of porridge (oat, rice and barley) and suggests how to enrich the standard recipe in an imaginative way. If until now your porridge has consisted of only a few essential ingredients, get ready for a real taste explosion. All recipes are for 4 people.

Ingrediants

Oat Porridge

• 160 g of rolled oats
• 600 ml of cow's milk, soy or water
• Sea salt

• Toppings (honey, brown sugar, fruit, yogurt, etc.)

  Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

  Rice Porridge

  • 1 kg of cooked rice
  • 2 liters of water or broth (depending on the desired consistency)

  • 2 eggs (optional)

    Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

    Barley Porridge

    • 350 g of pearl barley
    • 1, 5 l of water
    • 1 teaspoon of salt
    • 250 ml of milk
    • Fresh cream
    • Brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped roasted nuts (optional)

    • Fresh fruit (optional)

      Cooking time: 60-75 minutes

      Porridge with Bananas and Nuts

      • Skimmed milk
      • 2 bananas
      • Vanilla extract
      • nutmeg
      • Cinnamon
      • Cheap porridge
      • Nuts and seeds as a garnish

      Steps

      Method 1 of 4: Make Oat Porridge

      

      Step 1. Pour the rolled oats and water into a large saucepan over medium heat

      Using water is easier, as the milk can easily burn in the bottom of the pot, ruining the porridge and spreading a bad smell in the kitchen. You can always add milk at the end if you are concerned that the porridge will not be creamy enough otherwise.

      When it's time to buy rolled oats, choose rolled oats. They are preferred because they are whole, natural and have not undergone long treatments. You can also use "steel cut oats" or "quick oats", but the porridge will probably not be as tasty

      

      Step 2. Add a pinch of salt and then mix

      Use a wooden spoon. Some people only use the tip of the spoon as if mixing porridge with a pencil. Keep stirring until it begins to boil.

      Never use a metal utensil to mix food in a non-stick pan. Metal can scratch the coating and microscopic particles can contaminate your food. Use only wooden or silicone utensils

      

      Step 3. Let the porridge boil at a steady rate for about 5 minutes

      When it has reached the boiling point, reduce the heat (especially if you are using milk to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning). Mix it as frequently as possible to give it a smooth and creamy texture.

      If you want a smooth and creamy porridge, add a little more milk or water until it reaches the desired consistency. If you are making it for a group of people, let each person decide whether or not to add more liquid to their cup

      

      Step 4. Add a dash of sugar or honey as desired

      Most people like to start the day with a little sweetness and some choose to add a curl of butter as well. When the porridge is almost ready, consider adding an extra touch of goodness directly to the individual cups. A spoon should suffice.

      If you are looking to cut down on your sugar intake or prefer savory flavors, skip this step. However, you can make changes later

      

      Step 5. Add the toppings and serve the porridge

      There are dozens of ways to spice up porridge for a simple, healthy, yet incredibly tasty breakfast. Here are some ingredients you can add to porridge:

      • Honey and Greek yogurt;
      • Blackberries and raspberries stewed briefly to extract the juice;
      • Slices of banana and maple syrup
      • Cocoa and peanut butter;

      Method 2 of 4: Make Rice Porridge (Congee)

      

      Step 1. Place the leftover cooked rice in a large pot

      This recipe can also be prepared with uncooked rice, but it takes much longer. Use a pot that is large enough to hold a good amount of water as well.

      To make "congee" (Asian rice porridge), you can also use the microwave or rice cooker. Cooking time will vary depending on the method. Essentially "congee" is rice that is cooked with much more water and left to stew

      

      Step 2. Cover the rice with water or broth

      The rice should be submerged in 2-3 centimeters of liquid. The "congee" was born as a recovery dish and is prepared to use leftover cooked rice, so the doses are often not precise. As a general rule, the water should be about double the size of the rice and it should be enough to cover it by 2-3 centimeters.

      • If you want to use uncooked rice, you will need to use four parts of water and one part of rice. During cooking, the rice will absorb the water and increase in volume.
      • You can use broth if you feel like eating something richer and tastier, but it's not strictly necessary.

      

      Step 3. Bring the liquid to a boil, then let it simmer gently for 10 minutes

      Keep stirring to separate the kernels and to give the porridge a creamy texture right from the start. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer slowly for about ten minutes.

      Cover the pot and resist the temptation to check the porridge except once or twice. Each time you lift the lid, you let the steam escape and slow down the cooking process

      

      Step 4. Add the eggs

      You will need to beat them to prevent them from congealing and floating on the surface of the porridge. In traditional rice porridge, the eggs are mixed with the aim of giving it more flavor and not more texture.

      Congee, or rice porridge, is not thought of as scrambled egg porridge. To make sure they mix with the rice and make it creamier, break the eggs into a bowl, beat them with a whisk or fork and only then add them to the porridge

      

      Step 5. Keep stirring until the porridge acquires a smooth, jelly-like consistency

      As the rice grains fall apart in the water or broth, the porridge will begin to thicken until it becomes a single mass. The rice grains will break up and the liquid will become thicker. At that point you will know that you are on the right track.

      Never stop mixing. You need to make sure that all the rice grains cook evenly and that they don't stick to the bottom of the pot

      

      Step 6. Add soy sauce or other seasonings as desired

      Most people like to season "congee" with soy sauce, some choose to add a hint of hot pepper sriracha sauce as well.

      Method 3 of 4: Make Barley Porridge

      

      Step 1. Pour 350 g of pearl barley into one and a half liters of water and add a teaspoon of salt

      Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat. It is important to lower the heat to prevent the barley from burning and the water evaporating too quickly.

      If you are less than 4 people, you can easily cut the recipe in half. However, the doses of the additional ingredients can remain more or less the same, especially if you have a sweet tooth

      

      Step 2. Let the barley simmer for 45-60 minutes or until softened

      Barley is a fairly tough cereal, so it takes longer to cook than rice or oats. Stir it every 10 minutes or so to check its consistency. It is not possible to determine the exact cooking time in advance, as it can vary slightly depending on the type of pot.

      Don't uncover the pot unless absolutely necessary. Just mix the barley every 10 minutes with a wooden spoon. When the water has almost completely evaporated, the barley should be cooked

      

      Step 3. Drain the barley once cooked

      Barley should be drained even if you like the porridge a little liquid. The cooking water is certainly not as good and creamy as the milk.

      The simplest way to drain the barley once cooked is to use a plastic or metal colander. If you don't have a colander available, tilt the pot over the sink with the lid slightly ajar

      

      Step 4. Combine the barley and the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan directly over the heat

      Pour the barley into the pot and add 250ml of milk, a tablespoon of brown sugar and half a teaspoon of cinnamon to turn it into a rich and delicious breakfast. Feel free to change the amount of sugar to taste.

      Milk is needed (the fatter it is, the tastier the porridge will be), but you can change the amount of sugar and cinnamon to taste or replace them for example with honey, fruit juice or yogurt. Experiment to find your favorite combination of ingredients

      

      Step 5. Cook the porridge for 15 minutes, stirring it periodically

      After 15 minutes, the milk should have been almost completely absorbed. In addition to milk, barley will also absorb the sweetness and flavors of the other ingredients.

      The porridge is ready when it has reached a thick, jelly-like consistency. If you prefer it more liquid, you can add a little milk

      

      Step 6. Divide the porridge into the cups

      At this point the porridge is ready, you can enrich and decorate the individual portions with fresh or dried fruit, cream or as you prefer. There are no limits to taste and imagination and it is impossible to get tired of this recipe.

      If you're curious, try personalizing porridge with yogurt, peanut butter, cocoa, honey, or any other ingredient you love to eat for breakfast

      Method 4 of 4: Make Banana and Walnut Porridge

      

      Step 1. Boil the skim milk in a saucepan

      

      Step 2. Add two sufficiently ripe bananas

      

      Step 3. Add a hint of vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon (or your favorite spices)

      

      Step 4. Add the porridge

      

      Step 5. Stir continuously for 4-5 minutes while the ingredients simmer

      

      Step 6. Divide the porridge into the cups

      

      Step 7. Add a mix of nuts and seeds to taste and a dash of milk

      For example, you can use cashews and sunflower, hemp, pumpkin or flax seeds. All of these ingredients can be toasted in the oven in advance while cooking something else.

      

      Step 8. Finished

      Advice

      • Try adding Nesquik to further enhance the taste of the porridge.
      • You can make an ultra healthy version of porridge by using amaranth as a cereal.