I grew up eating home-cooked Vietnamese food, but one thing I missed growing up was learning how to cook. My mom would prepare the food, and I would eat it. It was her way of showing me love, but also making me dependent on her.
I would not know how to cook until I left my family at 18 years old and emancipated from foster care. And the first dish I learned how to make was Mexican Red Pozole.
In an effort to reconnect with my Vietnamese roots, I decided to figure out how to cook Vietnamese dishes with the help of my extended family. My aunties were all happy to share their knowledge, and I took what they knew and turned it into my own.
Today, I am recreating a classic Vietnamese dish called Cháo Gà (pronounced “chow? gahh”) or chicken porridge. It’s a soup that most Vietnamese people make when the weather gets cold or when someone in the family is feeling sick.
In other cultures, it may have a different name, such as lugaw (Philippines), asopao (Dominican Republic), congee (Chinese), juk (Korean), and arroz caldo (Latin America).
It can be made with chicken or pork (with offal, intestines, and blood cubes). However, I’ve made it my own and added ingredients that I believe will enhance this comforting and healing dish.
Check out my recipe below and let me know what you think!
Ingredients
- Whole Young Chicken (skin on and bone in)
- 1/2 White Onion Diced
- 6 slivers of Ginger (powder optional)
- 1 cup Jasmine Rice
- 1 cup sliced Mushrooms (optional)
- 1 cup sliced Bamboo shoots (optional)
- Chicken Bouillon to taste (optional)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Fish Sauce to taste (usually around 1 tsp)
- Garnish with: chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, fried shallots/onion, and lime/lemon wedges
Cháo Gà Recipe
Step 1: Add the whole chicken, garlic, ginger, and onion to a pot. Fill the pot with water until the chicken is covered. Let it cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, flip the chicken, and then cook for 30 more minutes.
Step 2: Remove the chicken and let it cool for about 20 minutes. You’ll be shredding the meat later. Remove the ginger and toss.
Step 3: Add 1 cup of washed rice to the pot. The ratio should be 1 cup to the entire pot. Then add fish sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Let the rice cook on medium heat until it expands to twice its size. This should take around 30 minutes.
Step 4: When the chicken has cooled, shred it with your hands. Re-add the shredded chicken and additional veggies to the pot. Cook for another 10 minutes until the veggies have softened. I love to add bamboo slivers and mushroom slices to the pot. It reduces the need for rice and increases my veggie intake.
Step 5: Scoop the porridge into a bowl and top with chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, lemon/lime wedge, and fried onion/garlic. I also like to add chili oil and a century egg to my bowl.
The century egg has a creamy texture and savory taste and is my favorite thing to eat with porridge. It looks intimidating to eat, but you should try it at least once!
Ready to try out our Cháo Gà recipe? Shop the ingredients here:
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