The Humour-mf Congee

I love the name of this porridge :) It came about cos Sito actually doesn't like porridge!



The Humour-mf Congee
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

A handful of ikan bilis
A handful of dried shrimps
3/4 cup of rice - because we're big eaters!
Lots of water - see directions
100g pork mince
1 tsp five spice powder
Dash of pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
Spring onions for garnish

Special equipment:

A strong arm or a porcelain spoon - apparently, with the spoon, you don't need to keep stirring to break up the rice and make smooth congee! I read about it here but haven't tried it..

Directions:

1) Marinate the mince with the five spice powder, pepper, soy sauce and corn starch. Roughly spoon them into tiny balls, not too tight.

2) Rinse the rice and soak it in some water if you have time.

3) Rinse the ikan bilis and dried shrimps and pan fry them with some oil.

4) When the heavenly smells start to make you drowsy, add the rice and about eight times as much water. My water turned brown immediately - I don't know whether it's due to the fried ikan bilis and dried shrimps or because I used the same pot to stir fry garlic vege earlier :p

5) Bring the pot to a boil and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Keep it covered but give it a stir every minute or so. I make chopping actions to help break up the rice.

6) Watch the pot and add more water depending on the consistency you like. When the rice is cooked, add the meatballs, cover and continue to simmer for 5-8 minutes. My meatballs were a little overcooked at 8 minutes, so adjust accordingly.

7) Add more soy sauce to taste and top with spring onions and more pepper if desired. I totally forgot about the soy sauce until I took my first mouthful! So I decided to add DARK soy sauce instead. It was fun! :)