My Cambodian Rice Porridge (Bor-bo)

It is so loud with my 3 kids trying to get my attention while I'm trying to blog. I'm sorry if I don't make much sense. Anyways I would like to share with you one of my favorite childhood food. Cambodian chicken rice porridge. My mom makes awesome Khmer food and I really miss her cooking especially her katiew (Cambodian noodle soup almost like Vietnamese Pho), egg rolls, Vietnamese omelet, Cambodian chicken wings, bor-bo, stir fry dish, fresh spring rolls, fish dishes, Khmer steaks, and everything else. I'm trying my best to make all of them myself and turns out my family loves my Khmer food but it's not close to my mom's Khmer cooking. How awesome would it be if I could be a kids again. The last time I had my mom's cooking was when my parents visited Norway last Christmas holiday.

This morning I made more Cambodian chicken rice porridge. In Khmer it's called bor-bo. I guess that's how you would spell it. My kids are addicted to this now. It's perfect for this autumn season. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I had made this before for my son. He asked me why I stopped making this. My other 2 daughters were too small back then and had some difficulties with their illness. 

I asked them what do you guys want to eat this morning. They scream "Blah Blah" when they mean bor-bo. It's so funny how they try to speak a little Khmer. My kid are mostly speaking Norsk. They speak Norwegian to their dad or friends. They would speak Norwegian to me too but I would reply in English or a little Norsk. 

Ingredients
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 whole chicken, cleaned and drained
9 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
1 garlic bulb, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup cooked rice flakes
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Seasoning/Garnish
stalks green onion, chopped
fresh bean sprouts
fresh mint leaves
chili sauce or chopped red chili
lime wedges
fermented soy bean
freshly ground black pepper

Place chicken, water, stock, and chicken bouillon in a large soup pot. Heat pot on high heat. Cook until chicken meat tenders about 35-40 minutes. Remove chicken from soup broth. Put on a large plate, set a side to let cool.

Cover soup pot and let broth simmer.

Heat up a skillet to high heat. When skillet is hot add in coconut oil. Add garlic and onion and seasoned with vegetable bouillon powder, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice, saute until rice turns light brown. Stir well.

Add saute rice into the soup broth. Cook until rice tender about 25 -35minutes. If it gets to dry add more chicken stock and stir so nothing sticks to the bottom. Add in rice flakes to the rice soup. Seasoned with fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Cover and let simmer.

While rice porridge simmers get all the garnish ready. Once chicken has cooled off. Use finger or fork, shred the meat off the bone. Discard bone. Set meat aside.

Prepare garnish: 

chopped green onion, mint leaves, coriander

 1 handful fresh bean sprouts

                                                                1 tablespoon soy bean
                                                                     2 lime wedges
                                                     1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To serve: Ladle rice porridge into a large bowl. Add toppings (cooked shredded chicken, chopped spring onions, bean sprouts, fresh chopped mint/coriander leaves, chili oil, fried garlic, fermented soy bean) You could also add dried shrimp powder if you want.