When you taste something truly good, the memory stays with you — and sometimes, it inspires you to recreate it at home.
This was exactly what happened when my mom asked me to finish the leftover porridge I had cooked for her after her dental surgery. Instead of eating it as it was, I saw an opportunity for a little kitchen blackbox challenge.
Fried porridge is believed to have originated in Malaysia as a resourceful and delicious way to repurpose leftover porridge. Cooking it over high heat with aromatics and dried seafood creates a smoky, fragrant wok hei flavour that transforms simple leftovers into something deeply satisfying.
I served mine with poached chicken, using the opportunity to make a light and flavourful chicken soup on the side. If you prefer, you can steam the chicken instead.
I first tried this dish at Dynasty Fried Porridge at 30 Foch Road, Singapore, and immediately loved it. My only gripe was that it was a little heavy on MSG for my taste — which made recreating it at home even more appealing.
Fried Porridge
Ingredients
Fried Porridge
- 2 bowls leftover porridge
- 30 g dried shrimps soaked and drained
- 2 dried mushrooms (use 4 if small), sliced use 3-4 if small, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ginger thumb-sized, minced
- 3 stalks spring onion cut into 6cm lengths
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp oyster sauce or mushroom sauce
- white pepper to taste
Garnish
- spring onion chopped
- fried shallots
- sesame oil
- white pepper
Poached Chicken
- 500 ml water
- 2 pcs chicken breast remove skin
- 3 stalks spring onion white part only, cut into 6cm lengths
- 4 slices ginger
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cooking wine Shaoxing wine recommended
- 1 pack instant dashi pack
Instructions
Poached Chicken
- Start this first as it takes longer
- Add water, spring onion, ginger, black pepper, and cooking wine into a pot. Bring to a boil.
- Add the dashi pack and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, or according to the package instructions.
- Discard the dashi pack and bring the soup back to a full boil on high heat.
- Add the chicken breast into the boiling soup.
- Turn off the heat immediately and leave the chicken to sit in the pot for at least 10 minutes to cook through gently.
- Remove from the pot, slice, and set aside until ready to serve.
Fried Porridge
- Heat oil in a frying pan or wok over low heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger, dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, and spring onion. Stir well and cook over low heat until golden and fragrant.
- Increase to medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil, dark soy sauce, and soy sauce. Stir to combine. (Adding sesame oil at this stage creates a home cook's version of wok hei, as sesame oil has a lower smoke point.)
- Add the leftover porridge. Stir well and cook over high heat for a few minutes until heated through and thicken
- Plate and serve with the poached chicken. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkle of white pepper, chopped spring onion, and fried shallots.
Notes
- Wok hei at home: Achieving true wok hei requires very high heat, which is difficult on a home stove. Adding sesame oil before the porridge helps to create a similar smoky, toasty flavour at lower temperatures.
- Dried shrimp: Soak the dried shrimp in water for at least 15 minutes before using to rehydrate and soften them. Do not discard the soaking water — it adds extra umami flavour and can be added to the porridge if needed.
- Shaoxing wine: Any cooking wine works fine here. Shaoxing wine adds a deeper, more complex flavour to the poached chicken soup.
- Porridge consistency This recipe works best with leftover porridge that has thickened overnight in the fridge. If your porridge is too watery, cook it down slightly before frying.
- Chicken skin: Do not discard the chicken skin. Save it to make chicken skin gyoza another day.
- Milk carton tip: Do not throw away clean milk cartons. They make excellent one-time disposable mats for slicing cooked food on the chopping board — hygienic and practical.
