Waking up early in the morning, readying up, and then proceeding to the kitchen to prepare coffee, a nice and salty tuyo, and a sweet bowl of Champorado. Sounds like the perfect morning to start your day, right?
And if you’re no longer living with your parents, it surely reminds you of the simpler times when you’re watching your mother prepare you this bowl of pure goodness.
So in the recipe article, we’re going to help you cherish all those memories by learning how to make your own traditional Champorado or the Filipino chocolate rice porridge! It is sure to perk up your day so be sure to read on below to get some tips and tricks, and some trivia about our beloved Filipino chocolate rice pudding.
What is Champorado?
Champorado is a popular porridge that originated in Mexico but has since then been adapted in the Philippines. It is sweet and creamy rice pudding combined with the subtle flavors of dark chocolate.
The original one is actually called champurrado and is a drink in Mexico. Because of the galleon trade and the Spanish influence, champurrado was introduced in the country and through time, it is changed and modified to what it is now called the champorado.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Rice
Glutinous rice or sticky (malagkit) rice is traditionally and commonly used for this dish. If you don’t have this, an alternate hack would be to use long grain rice instead, but add rice flour to create a sticky texture.
Tablea
If you want to stick to the traditional champorado as much as possible, then what you need are the cacao tablets or cacao tablea. These are made out of pure chocolate which are then turned into tablet shapes.
But since it might not be available for everybody, an alternative you can use is cocoa powder, since it also gives that subtle sweet taste of chocolate.
Aside from these, we will also use other regular pantry ingredients like sugar and milk. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot (Kaldero)- Champorado is a one pot dish and you will be needing the same cooking pot or deep casserole for the whole process. In case you are not cooking a large quantity, you can also use a deep sauce pan.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Champorado
Making champorado is easy-peasy! It is actually something you can do quickly and easily so you’ll have more time to prepare for the day.
Here’s how it is if you want to keep things simplified: Once you got the ingredients ready, all you’re going to need to do is to boil some water and then toss in the other ingredients while stirring from time to time. You will know that your champorado is ready once it’s mixed well and is thick enough.
Champorado for Breakfast
You might think that since this food is made out of chocolate, would it rather be better as a dessert or an afternoon snack? Well, yes, it can be a great food to eat during the afternoons after an exhausting day, but not so much as a dessert.
For one, the champorado is actually made to be not that sweet. The bittersweet flavor of the dark chocolate is more highlighted than the topping. Another is it includes rice, which is a heavy food, and it means you’ll get full easily. So in conclusion, this porridge is actually preferred for breakfasts.
Type of Rice used in Champorado
Do take note that the champorado doesn’t use any of the usual kinds of rice (long-grained and translucent) that is partnered with regular dishes. The champorado uses what you call glutinous rice or rice which are short-grained, in general. This is because these types of rice usually have high starch content and so they tend to be sticky.
Topping Choices for Champorado
In this recipe, the toppings recommended for the champorado is condensed milk, or evaporated milk, or maybe a little bit of both. But there are other options you can add and it is definitely not restricted to one. Some of the common ones are:
- Milk powder
- Crushed cacao nibs
- Fresh milk
How to Serve Champorado
This delectable dish is ideal for breakfast, but can also be enjoyed as a snack. It is delicious on its own, but for a little extra creaminess, add a bit of sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk on top. The addition of dairy also helps balance the richness of the chocolate.
To complement the dish, you can also enjoy it with tuyo, a type of dried fish, on the side. Although it may seem unconventional, the combination of savory and salty flavors is surprisingly delicious.
How to Store and Reheat Champorado
In case you have leftovers, transfer to a clean food container with lid. You can refrigerate this for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply pour into a pot of adequate size and apply low-medium heat until hot enough to eat. Alternatively, you can also use a microwave oven.
Other Breakfast Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Easy Champorado Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice (malagkit), or sticky rice
- 5 cups water
- 5 pcs cacao tablea
- ½ cup sugar
- condensed milk (or evaporated milk), to taste, for topping
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom sauce pot, pour-in water and bring to a boil.
- Add-in glutinous/ sticky rice. Simmer uncovered while stirring every 3 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes or until it thickens.
- Add-in the cacao tablea, and sugar. Mix until well-incorporated and stir until the ingredients have melted.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with condensed milk as desired. Serve hot or chilled. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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