Laba Porridge
> No matter what it’s served in, Laba porridge will naturally be simmered through. A year’s sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and astringent. — Rosemary, “Laba Porridge”
Ingredients and Tools
- Drinking water
- White rice
- Glutinous rice
- Peanuts
- Red beans
- Red dates
- Porridge pot (a regular pot easily scorches the bottom; if possible, choose a pressure cooker)
- Medium glass bowl (or other medium stainless steel container)
- Several small bowls Optional ingredients Because Laba porridge has many variations, the ingredients below can be chosen according to your own taste preferences.
- Coix seed (Job’s tears)
- Black rice
- Millet
- Lotus seeds
- Mung beans
- Soybeans
- Peas
- Red kidney beans
- Dried longan (pitted longan)
- Chestnuts
- Shelled walnuts
- Raisins
- Rock sugar (or white sugar, for seasoning)
Measurements
- Drinking water 1 L
- White rice 50 g
- Glutinous rice 50 g
- Coix seed (Job’s tears) 50 g
- Black rice 50 g
- Millet 50 g
- Lotus seeds 25 g
- Mung beans 25 g
- Red beans 25 g
- Peanuts 25 g
- Soybeans 25 g
- Peas 25 g
- Red dates 25 g
- Dried longan 25 g
- Chestnuts 25 g
- Shelled walnuts 25 g
- Raisins 25 g
- Red kidney beans 25 g
- Rock sugar 10~25 g The above ingredient amounts can be adjusted according to your taste preferences. For rice, it is not recommended to exceed 150 g; for other beans, it is not recommended to exceed 50 g.
Steps
- Wash the mung beans, red beans, peanuts, soybeans, peas, and red kidney beans in advance, place them in a clean glass bowl, add drinking water to 3/4 of the bowl, and soak overnight (or at least 8 hours).
- Wash the white rice, glutinous rice, coix seed (Job’s tears), black rice, millet, and lotus seeds in advance, place them in a clean glass bowl, add drinking water to 3/4 of the bowl, and soak for 3 hours.
- Pour off the water from the glass bowl in Step 1 with the mung beans, red beans, peanuts, soybeans, peas, and red kidney beans, then add the remaining ingredients to the porridge pot. Add 1 L drinking water (or enough to cover the ingredients by 1 thumb joint). Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Pour off the water from the glass bowl in Step 2 with the white rice, glutinous rice, coix seed (Job’s tears), black rice, millet, and lotus seeds, then add the remaining ingredients to the porridge pot. Cover and simmer on low heat for 60 minutes.
- Wash the red dates, dried longan, chestnuts, walnuts, raisins (slice the red dates into small pieces), and rock sugar, add to the pot, cover, and simmer on low heat for 60 minutes.
- Once the porridge is thick, turn off the heat, plate, and serve.
Notes
- When adding ingredients to the porridge pot, stir so the ingredients are evenly distributed, and watch the water level. If the water level falls below the rice and ingredients, add water immediately.
- Control the heat and don’t make it too high; stir regularly. If using a regular pot, it is recommended to boil water first, then add the ingredients, stir until it boils again, then reduce to low heat to avoid scorching the bottom. If possible, use a pressure cooker or porridge pot.
- Reference materials: The most authentic Laba porridge method on the entire internet, sweet and soft, success in one try!\_Bilibili\_bilibili; Laba porridge (porridge cooked with multiple ingredients on Laba Festival)_Baidu Baike. If you follow this guide and find any problems or improvements, please submit an Issue or Pull request.