Chicken Arroz Caldo a la Kam (Filipino Porridge with Chicken and Egg)

After a quick hi-hello phone call from my Filipino friends in Iowa, I got envious that they were making Chicken Arroz Caldo - which I think is the best comfort food when the temperature is below freezing.

Arroz Caldo is the Filipino porridge, made with rice, ginger, garlic, onion and safflower. The common additions are chicken and hard-boiled egg. Fancier ones have tripe, pork blood and sometimes fried tofu (this I believe, is goto).


What you need:
Around 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
ginger, size of a thumb, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cubed
dash of fish sauce (patis)

1 cup rice (long-grain is good, sticky/glutinous rice is better actually)
4 cups water (or more if the soup gets thick)
1 chicken cube or around 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon powder
pinch of safflower
pepper to taste

fried garlic, hard-boiled egg and chopped green onions for garnishing


How it's done:
Heat a medium soup pot and add in the oil.
Add the garlic, saute until light golden brown.
Add in the onions and the ginger, saute until onions are translucent.

Add the chicken and cook until pink are gone.
Add a dash of patis.
Put in the rice and mix (this process makes this soup VERY flavorful!)

Add water and chicken cube.
Let boil for around 40 minutes with constant stirring.
Add the dash of pepper and the pinch of safflower (optional)

Serve with hard-boiled egg, fried garlic and chopped green onions on top :)