About this recipe

Bubur Ayam is silky chicken rice porridge crowned with shredded chicken, fried shallots, scallions, peanuts, and often cakwe. It is breakfast comfort and gentle sick-day food.

Stir the pot now and then so the rice does not catch. The porridge should be creamy and spoonable, not stiff.

Set out toppings family-style—everyone builds a bowl the way they like.

Prep & cook time

Prep15 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Total50 minutes
Servings4 servings
LevelMedium

Tools you need

Heavy pot
Ladle
Skillet for chicken topping
Serving bowls

Ingredients

200 g rice, rinsed
1.5–1.8 L chicken stock (plus water as needed)
200 g shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for the porridge
Cakwe (Chinese crullers), sliced
Fried soybeans or roasted peanuts
Fried shallots, scallions, celery
Sambal and sweet soy sauce, for the table

Directions

Combine rice and stock in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring often, until the grains break down into a smooth porridge, 30–40 minutes. Add water if it thickens too fast.
Season the porridge lightly with salt.
Quickly sauté garlic, add shredded chicken, sweet soy sauce, and a pinch of salt until savory and warm.
Ladle porridge into bowls. Top with chicken.
Add cakwe, peanuts or soybeans, scallions, celery, and fried shallots.
Offer sambal and extra kecap manis on the side.

Kitchen tips

Day-old rice cooked with extra stock also works in a pinch.
A knob of ginger in the stock soothes cold mornings.
Keep porridge looser than you think; it thickens as it sits.
For toddlers, skip sambal and chop toppings finely.

Serve with

Cakwe
Sambal
Tea or ginger drink

How to store

Porridge keeps 2 days refrigerated; loosen with stock when reheating. Store toppings separately.

Common mistakes

Not stirring, so the bottom scorches.
Serving porridge glue-thick with no toppings for contrast.
Over-salting before adding salty toppings and kecap.