After my Shurbah Baydah recipe, I guess I have fallen in love with savory porridge. I do not think I can go back to those sweet porridges anymore. I mean I could. Anyway, this is my vegan version of savory porridge.
I am still keeping my trinity of grains: barley, millet and amaranth, with of cos, Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix. I find that those 3 grains are super underrated. They deserve more recognition as compared to rice.
Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix...
To add some texture, I decided to serve with some cooked kombu and fried lentils. The vegetable stock is infused with kombu for more umami, why not use the kombu for the final plating as well? As for the fried lentils, should I use the "underrated" word again? It adds so much cwispiness to a dish as well as flavors too.
In closing, I hope you will give this humble savory porridge a try.
Ingredients:
(Serve 2)
Lentils, 20g
Vegetable Stock Homemade, 1.5 L
Kombu, 1
High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP
Red Onion Thinly Sliced, 1
Sea Salt, Pinch
Black Pepper, Pinch
Granulated Sugar, Pinch
Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves
Barley, 15g
Amaranth, 10g
Millet, 15g
Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix, 100g or A Combination of Rolled Oats, Desiccated Coconut, Flaxseeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and Chia Seeds.
Nori Flakes, Pinch
Shichimi Togarashi, Pinch
Equipment:
Sauce Pot
Cast Iron Skillet / Pan
Directions:
Please visit my "How To Make Vegetable Stock" page for the recipe.
In a small bowl, add the lentils.
Add just enuff water to submerge.
Set aside overnight.
The next day, add vegetable stock and kombu in a sauce pot over medium-low heat.
Bring it up to simmer and cook until the kombu has softened.
Turn the heat down to low.
*The stock should be barely simmering.*
In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil.
Once the oil is heated up, add in the onion.
Saute until lightly caramelized.
Add in garlic and saute until aromatic.
Add a ladle of that vegetable stock into the skillet and deglaze.
Add in the barley, amaranth and millet.
Saute to combine well and until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Add in 1 ladle of the stock.
Stir and cook until it has almost evaporated.
Stir to combine well.
Continue stirring and cooking until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Repeat the process of adding 1 ladle of stock, stirring and cooking until the barley can be broken easily or "al dente". You might or might not need extra stock.
*Do not be tempted to add in more than 1 ladle.*
Very much like al dente risotto, the barley should still have a bit of chew and not marshy.
Add in Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix and stir to combine well.
If the mixture gets too thick, add 1 or more ladles of that stock to loosen up, depending on your desired consistency.
*Note that the porridge will thicken once it starts to cool.*
Fish out the kombu and thinly slice.
Transfer the porridge onto serving bowls.
Ladle any leftover stock onto the porridge.
Place a handful of the sliced kombu on the porridge.
Drain the lentils.
In another skillet over medium heat, add about 1 inch of oil.
Once the oil starts to heat up, add in the lentils.
As soon as the lentils start to brown, remove them from heat and drain off excess oil.
*Keep an eye on it as lentils burn really fast.*
Sprinkle the fried lentils over the porridge.
Serve immediately.
An umami bomb...
Hearty, savory and yummilicious...