Pumpkin Porridge with Dried Scallops and Minced Meat

With the unusually hot weather since the beginning of this year, I have made it a point to cook porridge or jook at least once a week to cool our body down beside boiling liong-cha. When Darrius started solid some 4 years ago, I will normally cook just a small pot solely for him since PiggyBeng is not a fan of porridge. To him porridge can't fill his tummies (see the plural?) up so he prefered to have rice with dishes.

To many people, cooking porridge is simple and healthier as there are more water content in porridge as compared to cooked rice. Especially when we are sick, a hot bowl of porridge is so comforting! :)

I was never a fan of pumpkin until I was living in Perth many years ago. I was staying with my aunt then and there was once her neighbor gave her a huge pumpkin which she grew in her backyard. Both my aunt and I was cracking our heads on how to finish up such a huge pumpkin! So, I told my aunt why don't we cook porridge with it since the weather was a little chilly then. It was an instant blast!

Then a uni-mate from Norway fell sick and she can't seems to get food into her. So, I offered to cook her some pumpkin porridge with a few other ingredients and she fell in love instantly and told me she has never tasted anything as good as this!

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Ingredients

• 1.5 cup Rice (wash and drained)


• 3L Water


• 150g Pumpkin (you can put more if you like)


• 1 stick Carrot


• 2pcs Dried scallops


• 100g Groundnuts (washed and pre-boiled to remove dirts)


• 150g Mince meat (pork/chicken)


• 1tbsp Oil + salt to be added into rice and soak for 10 mins


• Salt for taste


• Lettuce & Egg omelette cut into strips for garnishing

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Method

1. In a pot, when water is boiling add in the soaked rice and let it boil.


2. Cut pumpkin and carrot into small cubes, wash the dried scallops and groundnuts before  tossing them into the pot.


3. For the mince meat, add a little salt and oil and let it marinate for 30 minutes or so.


4. Stir the porridge constantly every 15-20 minutes so it would not stick at the bottom.


5. Boil the porridge for an hour and when it gets thicken, add in the mince meat and stir so it won't be a big lump.


6. Continue to let it boil for a while but constantly stirring to avoid the bottom from getting burnt.


7. Serve hot with lettuce and egg omelette strips.