I remember eating Chinese rice porridge consisting of soupy rice and chewy bits of unknown morsels when I lived in Malaysia; this simple dish appeared in Chinese homes rather than in restaurants so it remains an unknown dish to many. I loved it at first sight and taste. The Chinese are not the only ones to make rice porridge. Many Asian diets include their own unique versions..

This recipe comes from Joanne Lee Molinaro’s recipe called ‘Mushroom Juuk or Rice Porridge’ in ‘The Korean Vegan Cookbook.’ As I do not eat rice, I decided to try it with cassava orzo. Joanne pairs her porridge with a ‘spicy soy sauce dressing.’ I adapted it to a ‘spicy fish sauce dressing’; It is delicious mixed through the porridge just before serving.

Cassava is heavier than rice so a little of this porridge goes a long way. A ladleful or two (if very hungry) topped with steamed or sautéed vegetables makes a filing meal.

Cassava Orzo Mushroom Porridge With Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing

Ingredients

porridge

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 handfuls fresh shiitake and/or oyster mushrooms, dusted and sliced or dried mushrooms, soaked

pinch or two sea salt

1 cup uncooked organic cassava orzo

several cups of Dashi (water after soaking dried shiitake mushrooms overnight) or soup stock (no salt or fats added)

Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing

4 tbs Redboat fish sauce

2 tsp Korean Chilli paste (recipe on 31 January, ‘Korean Chilli Paste Without Miso Paste For Inspired Dishes

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1/2 scallion, thinly sliced

2 slices red onion, very finely chopped

1 red chilli pepper, very finely chopped

2 tsp pure maple syrup

juice from 1/2 lime

several grinds of black pepper

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

Method

Porridge

In a large pot bring ample water to a boil. Add in one cup of cassava orzo and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Make sure to mix the orzo regularly throughout the cooking to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. After 10-12 minutes, drain the orzo and run cold water through. Put aside.

Heat 1 tsp of sesame oil in a dutch oven and saute the mushrooms with a pinch of salt, covered, for several minutes. If the mushrooms begin to stick, add a small amount of dashi (mushroom water). Add the cooked orzo to the mushrooms with 2-3 cups of dashi and mix through. Simmer the orzo uncovered for about 45 minutes stirring very regularly to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom. The liquid will slowly evaporate. Add more dashi as needed. The end consistency should be like porridge. Do not add salt as the dressing is very salty.

Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing

Finely chop the chilli, red onion, slice the scallion and crush the garlic clove. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Serve the hot porridge with a couple of spoonfuls of dressing. Mix through and enjoy!

Store the porridge in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When heating up left overs, add a bit of dashi until you have a porridge like consistency and heat through.

Store any remaining dressing in a sterilised jar in the refrigerator.