Coming from work and riding a bus, we cannot help but see the restaurants, commercial areas, and other offerings by businesses every time the vehicle passed those places. I always spotted the KFC restaurant located near a school and hospital with a poster fo their morning snacks, in this poster is a photo of an Arroz Caldo menu that gives me a longing to have that taste of the gingery chicken soup with a feel of soft boiled rice in my mouth.
It must also be the memory of our childhood that we have a longing for particular foods. I used to have an afternoon meal time with this delicious meal back in our province.
Needless to say, I made an effort to drop by one morning but to my dismay, that menu is not always available and that morning was one of those days. My longing for the dish persisted. This type of dish is not a usual menu to where I live now. Unable to find an alternative I decided to make one of my own.
The first trial seems to be a failure as I never arrived at the look I desired, obviously, it lacks water but I do achieve the gingery chicken soup I desired on this dish. Here are the pics of my first "failed" trial. The photo above is the now "perfect" Arroz Caldo I really long for.
To those who are interested in how I made this dish, here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 to 2 lbs chicken cut into serving pieces
2 cups rice uncooked
5 to 7 cups of water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 cup onion minced
4 pieces eggs hard boiled
1 cup scallions green onions, minced
2 knobs ginger julienned
3 tbsp safflower kasubha
1 piece chicken cube bouillon
Calamansi
2 tbsp cooking oil
Here's how to cook it:
In a pot, with the preheated cooking oil, you saute the garlic, onion, and ginger
Dash-in some ground black pepper
Then we add the chicken cube and cook until the cube melts
Put-in the chicken and cook until outer layer color turns golden brown
Add the fish sauce and uncooked rice then mix and cook for a few minutes
Pour-in the water and bring to a boil
Stir occasionally and simmer until the rice is fully cooked (about 30 to 40 minutes)
Put-in the hard-boiled eggs
Add the safflower for additional color and aroma
Serve hot with garlic, minced scallions.
Why not try it yourself? It is a good-tasting and nutritious snack, and when everyone in the family eats the snack together it is a heartwarming experience you wouldn't trade for any other.
