There are many different kind of porridge, eaten by many people and enjoyed by various cultures.
In Malaysia, the two most common types are, eaten probably every day are the oat porridge and the rice porridge.
Local staples that have become a favourite breakfast menu for many families.
They are often easy to prepare, contain lots of nutrients make eating a fun and enjoyable experience.
But they can often be bland when eaten by themselves.
If you’re a fan of porridge, here are some ingredients you may try to add some flavour.
Sweet
Sweet porridge is not just eaten as a breakfast, it’s also popularly enjoyed as a dessert in Malaysia.
When it comes to fast and easy sweet porridges, oatmeal porridge easily gets number 1.
Cinnamon
You can take the idea of spice literally by using some good old cinnamon powder to add flavour to your oatmeal porridge.
But don’t be too heavy handed with this spice, it may make your porridge bitter.
If you want to take it to the next level, get yourself some pumpkin pie mix and filling and make a fall-inspired pudding. Although you’ll be hard-pressed to find either of those ingredients without resorting to online options.
Nuts and Fruits
A pre-packaged ‘trail mix’ made of dried fruits (raisins, figs) and nuts (almonds, walnuts) is often a quick option if this type of garnish appeals to you.
It also adds an extra layer of texture that can make the experience of eating porridge a little more interesting. Not just taste wise.
If your kids are too young (or too picky), you can puree in fruits and finely chop in the nuts. They wouldn’t know the difference.
Bananas, strawberries, apples and grapes are good fruit options.
Peanut Butter
A good accompaniment to fruit-based porridges, peanut butter is such a decadent topping loved by both parents and children.
While often considered more savoury than sweet, peanut butter is one of those rare ingredients that naturally elevates both sweet and salty foods.
Forget peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. PB & J porridges are all the rage these days.
However, it’s not exactly the healthiest option.
Even the most organic, sugar-free peanut butter has some trans fats in them.
But the high nutrition sort of makes up for that fact.
All things in moderation, as per usual.
Fruit Jam
Fruit jams are such an underrated porridge topping.
They add not just sweetness, but decadence.
Most kids also love jams due to their fresh, fruity taste.
But not all jams are created equal.
Make sure you buy good quality jams with whole fruits in them. None of that artificial jelly stuff that’s just more sugar than fruit.
Paired with peanut butter, fruit jams are a great savoury-sweet delight.
Chocolate
It may not be the healthiest option, but it certainly is delicious.
Just like peanut butter, any kind of chocolate-based hazelnut spreads contain a lot of fat. Either added in during the processing, or as an inevitable by-product.
Nuts in general contain a lot of oil.
But as long as you don’t overdo it, then it should be fine.
A healthier alternative that kids will love just as much is to use plain old cocoa powder (preferably not Milo) and a little honey instead of sugar.
Savoury
This section is solely dedicated to savoury porridges, most notably rice porridge or congee.
Traditionally eaten with toasted peanuts, fried anchovies, hard-boiled salted egg and fried shallots (among other things), rice porridge is a classic Malaysian dish.
But if you’re looking for some good toppings for savoury porridges, the following may give you some good ideas of where to start.
Bouillon Cubes
Mixing bouillon cubes (or chicken stock cubes) into rice porridge during the cooking price adds so much more flavour than just plain old salt and pepper.
You can, of course, make your own homemade stock. It will naturally be the healthier option, but may require significantly more effort and time.
This ingredient is great when added to a classic chicken porridge with onions, garlic, ginger, potatoes and carrots.
Soy Sauce
Often added as a condiment than an ingredient, soy sauce (both sweet and salty) are great options to spice up your porridge.
Even a mix of both salty and sweet can add another dimension of flavour you’ve never experienced.
While already often eaten traditionally with congee, you can also add it as an ingredient during the cooking process.
Worcestershire Sauce
While not a popular Malaysian seasoning, it has many potential applications in local cooking. Helping add the signature ‘umami’ flavour that people love so much.
When it comes to rice porridge, Worcestershire (WORS-ter-SHER) sauce is good as an extra ingredient in chicken porridge, bubur lambuk and other meaty porridges.
Chilies
If you want to take the idea of ‘spicing things up’ literally, fresh chopped chilies, chili flakes, chili oil, chili powder or even tobacco sauce, are a good way to go.
They also make roasted dried sambal with anchovies, which is much more flavourful.
This option may only be applicable for grown-ups and parents.
But if you feel your kids are old enough to try spicy foods, then you may consider giving them a mild helping of spice.
No More Plain Porridge
It’s important to note that for each category of flavour profile, not all the suggestions must be taken in silo.
Mixing and matching the toppings can add a tremendous difference to how you normally eat porridge.
Of course, it’s important to stick savoury ingredients with savoury porridges and sweet ingredients with sweet porridges.
Some of these combinations can taste pretty gross if you experiment too liberally, even for kids.
So, try out these ideas the next time you make porridge.
You may just discover a new family favourite recipe that both you and your kids will love!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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