Champorado

Champorado (also called as tsampurado) is a chocolate sweet rice porridge made of glutinous rice or sticky rice and tablea or cocoa. Often served as a breakfast dish, champorado provides a heart warming start to the day, infusing mornings with a dose of nostalgia and comfort. People love to eat champorado for breakfast, and you can enjoy it warm or cold. Whether topped with condensed milk, evaporated milk, or even a sprinkling of crispy dried fish known as “tuyo,” champorado’s decadent flavors invite a delightful exploration of taste and texture.

Champorado Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups glutinous rice
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 8 to 10 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Wash and drain the glutinous rice for two to three times to remove excess starch. Then, transfer to a deep pot and add 8 to 10 cups of water (adjust as needed). Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Stir from time to time to loosen up the grains and avoid sticking from the bottom. Continue simmering until the rice grains are soft.
2. Place the cocoa powder in a bowl. Add a cup of hot water. Stir and mix to dissolve well. Make sure that there are no lumps. Set aside.
3. After around 20 minutes of cooking the rice, the grains are now soft and mushy. Add the dissolved cocoa and stir gently to mix.
4. Add a cup of brown sugar (adjust as needed). Stir gently until dissolved.
5. Add the coconut milk and stir continuously to avoid burning. Let this cook for around 5 more minutes with occasional stirring. Then, turn the heat off.
6. Transfer the champorado to a serving bowl. Add evaporated milk, powdered milk, or both! Enjoy with some tuyo toppings on top. Yum!

What is Champorado

Drawing from the introduction of rice and chocolate by Spanish settlers, Filipinos adapted these elements to create a unique culinary masterpiece. Back in the old days, people in the Philippines learned about using rice and chocolate from visitors from Spain. They decided to mix these two things and create champorado. Glutinous rice, combined with cocoa powder or chocolate, transforms into a velvety, dark porridge which is sweet, sticky, and very chocolatey!

Its deep cocoa flavor dances harmoniously with the tender texture of glutinous rice, creating a symphony of tastes that tugs at both your taste buds and your nostalgia. Whether enjoyed on a rainy morning or as a sweet respite from a busy day, champorado has a unique ability to transcend mere sustenance and evoke a sense of cozy contentment that resonates across generations. Whether enjoyed hot or cold, champorado is best enjoyed with some fried tuyo on top. Yum! From a cherished breakfast staple to a satisfying dessert, this sweet dish will surely bring smiles to you and your family.

CHAMPORADO

While rice is mostly enjoyed as boiled or steamed, preparing rice in porridge form is an underrated way of enjoying it. Once we hear the subtle drops of rain, the only thing that comes into our minds is either lugaw or champorado.

Champorado holds a special place in my heart as I have a lot of memories attached to it. Whenever my cousins are having sleepovers at our house, my mom always cooks us champorado for breakfast. I can still remember hoarding a lot of evaporated milk before my cousins get a hold of the can. My cousins were always joking me that my champorado uses glutathione as it instantly turns from dark to white! Given a can of milk in front of you, who would have said no to milky and creamy champorado, right?

As an adult, I now prefer my champorado sticky as I like its very filling nature. I now tend to add powdered milk to maintain its stickiness but already adding some coconut milk to infuse the creamy flavor even when still in the pot.

I had a debate whether champorado should be eaten warm or chilled, but the right answer for that lies to your mood and palette. Enjoy the champorado with some tuyo on top to have that contrasting but satisfying food combination!

If you wanna know how to make champorado at home, read and follow the quick steps below. Happy cooking!

How to Cook Champorado

Before anything else, the most important part of this recipe is to get the correct type of rice grains. To make a champorado, we will be needing the glutinous rice, also known as malagkit na bigas. Glutinous rice has a distinct appearance. It tends to be shorter and plumper than regular rice grains. The grains are almost translucent when cooked, and they stick together, giving your champorado that desirable consistency. Unless you want your champorado to be lugaw, make sure to get glutinous rice!

To whip up a delicious batch of champorado, start by giving the glutinous rice a thorough rinse under cold water until it runs clear, removing any excess starch. Then, in a deep pot, combine the rinsed rice with 8 to 10 cups of water and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add more or less water depending on how soupy or sticky you want your champorado to be.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the rice grains become soft and mushy. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder with a cup of hot water until smooth and with no lumps. It is up to you whether you want to use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder. Alternatively, you can use ready to drink chocolate powder (example: Milo) if you are on a budget.

Once the rice is cooked, gently mix in the cocoa mixture and add 1 cup of brown sugar, stirring until fully dissolved. If you used sweetened cocoa, be gently on the sugar as the champorado might be too sweet. Pour in the coconut milk to add some natural creaminess. Stir continuously to prevent burning. Let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Finally, turn off the heat and scoop some champorado into serving bowls.

For an extra touch of creaminess, you can drizzle some evaporated milk or powdered milk on top. Usually, people who like their champorado a little soupy add a lot of evaporated milk, while people who like their champorado sticky tend to add powdered milk. Whatever milk you choose, the creamy and milky champorado is the best way to enjoy this. Yum!

While milk is the traditional toppings for champorado, the best thing about this dish is that it is a blank canvas where you can decorate the top depending on your liking. You can add a variety of toppings to champorado to enhance its flavor and texture. Some popular toppings include:

• Salted Fish (Tuyo): This might sound unconventional, but the saltiness of dried fish complements the sweetness of champorado, creating a unique savory-sweet combination.
• Dried Fruits: Chopped dried fruits like raisins or dried cranberries can provide a burst of sweetness and chewiness that contrasts with the smoothness of the porridge.
• Nuts: Chopped nuts such as roasted peanuts or cashews can add crunch and nutty flavor to the dish.
• Fresh Fruits: Sliced bananas, strawberries, or even a dollop of fruit preserves can add freshness and a fruity element to the champorado.
• Crispy Rice: Toasted rice or rice crisps can add a delightful crunch to the creamy consistency of champorado.
• Whipped Cream: For an indulgent touch, a dollop of whipped cream can add a luxurious texture and taste.

Paano Magluto ng Champorado

Mga Sangkap:

• 2 tasang malagkit na bigas
• 1/2 tasang cocoa powder
• 1 tasang asukal na pula
• 8 – 10 tasang tubig
• 1 tasang gata

Paano Lutuin:

1. Hugasan ang malagkit na bigas ng dalawa o tatlong beses upang matanggal ang sobrang starch. Pagkatapos, ilipat ito sa isang malalim na pot at maglagay ng 8 hanggang 10 tasa ng tubig (dagdagan kung kailangan). Takpan ang kaldero at hayaan itong kumulo. Haluin paminsan-minsan para hindi magdikit-dikit ang mga bigas at hindi masunog. Lutuin lang ito hanggang sa lumambot ang bigas.

2. Ilagay ang cocoa powder sa isang bowl. Magdagdag ng isang tasa ng mainit na tubig. Haluin ito nang mabuti hanggang matunaw. Siguruhing walang lumps. Isantabi.

3. Matapos ang mga 20 minuto ng pagluluto ng malagkit, malambot at malapot na ito. Ilagay ang tinunaw na cocoa at haluin nang dahan dahan.

4. Magdagdag ng isang tasa ng asukal na pula (dagdagan kung kinakailangan). Dahan dahang haluin hanggang matunaw.

5. Ilagay ang gata ng niyog at patuloy na haluin upang hindi masunog. Hayaang maluto ito nang mga 5 minuto. Patayin ang apoy.

6. Ilipat ang champorado sa isang serving bowl. Lagyan ito ng evaporated milk, powdered milk, o pareho! Pwede itong kainin kasama ang tuyo bilang topping sa ibabaw. Yum!