Filipino-Style Congee (Lugaw)

A soft rice porridge flavored with chicken, ginger, and garlic, this Filipino-style congee, known as lugaw, is an all-time comfort food.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 51 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 16 mins
• Calories: 552 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ground black pepper to taste
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 2 tablespoons sliced onion
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
• 1 whole head garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sliced ginger
• 1 teaspoon annatto powder
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped spring onions, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring water and rice to a boil in a large pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is soft, about 25 minutes.

Step 2

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in the hot oil until golden brown, 5 minutes. Transfer half of the garlic to a small bowl.

Step 3

Stir ginger into the garlic remaining in the saucepan; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; season with fish sauce and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Stir chicken mixture into the rice. Dust annatto powder over rice using a strainer; stir until dissolved. Add hard-boiled eggs. Simmer on low, stirring constantly, until rice reaches a porridge-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spring onions.

Step 5

Garnish bowls of congee with reserved fried garlic.