Arroz Caldo, Filipino Ginger Rice Porridge
Arroz caldo is the Filipino rice porridge eaten for breakfast or on a sick day, a bowl of lugaw heavy with ginger and crowned with fried garlic. The traditional pot simmers chicken and gets its salt from fish sauce, and this version rebuilds the same comfort from plants: short-grain brown rice stirred down to a creamy porridge, mushrooms for savory depth, and a mountain of ginger. The finish is where the flavor lands, so do not skip the dry-toasted garlic, the scallions, the black pepper, or the lime. Stir often while it cooks to release the starch, and thin it with hot water before serving, since porridge always sets as it stands.
Ingredients
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- 3 tbsp Ginger, julienned
- 8 cloves Garlic, minced, divided
- 8 oz Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 3 wholes Scallions, sliced
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, coarsely ground
- 1 whole Limes, cut into wedges
Method
- In a dry pot, cook the ginger and half the garlic in a splash of water over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Arroz caldo is defined by ginger, so use more than feels reasonable; softened in water first, it perfumes the whole pot without any oil to fry it in.
- Add the rice, mushrooms, turmeric, no-salt bouillon, and about 7 cups (1.7 liters) of water. Bring to a boil, then drop to a low simmer and cook, stirring often, until the rice breaks down into a loose, creamy porridge, 35 to 40 minutes. The frequent stirring knocks the starch out of the short-grain rice, which is what makes a lugaw creamy with no milk or cream. The mushrooms give it the savory depth chicken usually would, and the turmeric lends the pale gold color.
- While it simmers, toast the remaining minced garlic in a dry nonstick pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until it turns crisp and golden, about 4 minutes. This is the crowning garnish: fried garlic in the classic, and dry-toasted here, it browns to the same nutty crunch without the oil.
- Loosen the porridge with more hot water if it has thickened past pourable, since it sets as it cooks. Ladle into bowls and top with the toasted garlic, scallions, and a heavy grind of black pepper. Serve with lime wedges. A Filipino cook seasons the bowl with fish sauce at the table, and here the mushroom depth, the toasted garlic, and a hard squeeze of lime do that job, so no salt goes in the pot.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 240 calories, 7 g protein, 4 g fiber, 35 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
