Bubur Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Rice Porridge)

Name: Bubur Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Rice Porridge)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 cup jasmine rice; 2400 ml water; 500 g chicken thighs; 1.5 inch fresh ginger; 3 clove garlic; 1 piece pandan leaf; 1.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp white pepper; 2 large eggs; 2 tbsp kecap manis; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 stalk scallions; 2 tbsp celery leaves; 0.5 cup fried shallots; 1 piece cakwe (Chinese cruller); 2 tbsp sambal; 1 piece lime; 4 medium shallots; 3 tbsp neutral oil

A comforting Indonesian breakfast porridge — rice simmered long and slow with aromatics, topped with shredded poached chicken, soft egg, fried shallots and a drizzle of kecap manis. Easy to make and easy to customize.

1 hr 15 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

For the porridge

1 cup jasmine ricerinsed until water runs clear (about 185 g)
2400 ml water
500 g chicken thighsbone-in, skin removed if you prefer
1½ inch fresh gingerpeeled and smashed
3 clove garliccrushed
1 piece pandan leafoptional; tie in a knot
1½ tsp saltdivided
½ tsp white pepperdivided

Toppings

2 large eggssoft- or hard-boiled, halved
2 tbsp kecap manissweet soy sauce; substitute 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp brown sugar if needed (may contain gluten)
1 tbsp light soy saucefor seasoning (contains soy and may contain gluten)
2 stalk scallionsthinly sliced
2 tbsp celery leavesor chopped cilantro
½ cup fried shallotsstore-bought or make below
1 piece cakwe (Chinese cruller)store-bought, cut into thin strips and warmed; optional
2 tbsp sambaloptional
1 piece limecut into wedges

For frying shallots (if making)

4 medium shallotsthinly sliced
3 tbsp neutral oilvegetable or peanut oil

Contains soy, egg, gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

420 kcal30g protein55g carbs9g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear; drain.
Place rinsed rice, water, smashed ginger, crushed garlic, pandan leaf (if using), 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the pot comes to a boil, add the chicken thighs, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
A gentle simmer keeps the porridge broth clear; more vigorous boiling will break up the rice faster but can stick.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a cutting board; let cool 5 minutes then shred the meat off the bones with two forks; discard bones and set shredded chicken aside.
Continue to simmer the rice mixture, stirring every 5–10 minutes to prevent sticking, until the rice has mostly broken down and the porridge is creamy and thickened to your liking, 25–30 minutes. Taste and add the remaining 1 tsp salt and remaining 1/4 tsp white pepper or to taste.
If porridge gets too thick, stir in 1/2 cup hot water at a time to loosen.
While the porridge finishes, soft-boil the eggs: bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil, lower eggs in, and cook 7 minutes for runny to jammy yolks (8–10 min for firmer). Transfer to an ice bath for 2 minutes and peel.
Make fried shallots (if using fresh): heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add thinly sliced shallots and fry, stirring often, until golden brown and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt.
Warm cakwe strips in a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes until crisp (if using store-bought).
Briefly toss shredded chicken with 1 tablespoon kecap manis and a pinch of salt to season.
To assemble: ladle hot porridge into bowls, top with shredded chicken, halve the boiled egg and place on top, sprinkle scallions, celery leaves and fried shallots, add cakwe strips, drizzle extra kecap manis and a little light soy sauce, add sambal to taste and a lime wedge on the side.
Serve immediately — each diner can adjust kecap manis and sambal to taste.

Worth knowing

Use leftover cooked chicken (shredded) and chicken stock instead of poaching raw chicken to cut the active time.
For a silkier porridge cook longer and stir more frequently; for a looser porridge add extra hot water near the end.
Kecap manis is sweet and thick; if you don't have it, mix 1 tbsp soy sauce with 1 tsp dark brown sugar and warm slightly so the sugar dissolves.
Fried shallots can be made ahead and stored in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Dairy-freeKid friendlyMeal prep

More Indonesian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Indonesian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be dairy-free as listed.