The rain hasn’t let up since…it seems forever! The last time I saw the mighty sun shining on my skin was almost over a week if i’m not mistaken. Now to my question yesterday on what to do on a rainy day? Most of us really don’t have a choice but to just stay home and sleep. But here’s what I do when I’m not sleeping. I cook.

So I dug up my mother’s old recipe books and found the perfect dish for this wet weather. Champorado. It’s sweet chocolate porridge, traditionally served with evaporated milk and tuyo (dried salted fish).

Champorado (Chocolate Rice)
Categories: None

Serves: 1 Servings

Ingredients:
1 c Rice
5 c Water (up to 6)
1/2 c Sugar (to taste) (up to 1)
1/4 ts Salt
5 tb Cocoa

Instructions:
(You could probably substitute chocolate syrup for the cocoa and sugar.)

Wash rice if necessary and drain. Boil gently in a covered pot with the
water for 15 minutes or until rice is partially cooked. Mix sugar, cocoa
and salt and add to rice. Simmer covered for 15 minutes more, stirring
occasionally. When done, this will be slightly “soupy” — sort of like
those nice brownie puddings. But it solidifies when refrigerated. Serve
with milk, if desired. Serves 6.

A little bit of trivia. I learned this one from the classic pioneering children’s educational show Batibot. It is well-known, albeit unproven, belief that Chaporado was invented by Jose Rizal, the Philippine’s national hero. Legend has it that little Peping (Rizal’s nickname when he was a boy), fond of trying out different adventures, even in food, thought of mixing bahaw (leftover rice) with hot chocolate. The result was the Chaporado.

Related posts:

1. Something Sweet
2. Something Retro
3. Sugar Free Donuts at Go Nuts Donuts
4. What, no chopsticks?
5. We ♥ Sisig!