Cooking Arroz Caldo (Lugaw Recipe)

Arroz caldo, also known as lugaw to many Filipinos, is a rice porridge recipe. It closely resembles to a Chinese congee. It is rice grains cooked in chicken broth and spices. A hot bowl of arroz caldo is perfect during rainy seasons. It is also prepared by many moms when a member of the family is feeling under the weather.

I felt the urge to cook arroz caldo the other day as I wasn't feeling well. I needed something hot and heavy for the tummy. And, arroz caldo was it!

I have cooked arroz caldo before; but nothing compared to this one. I felt that I really hit a home run with this particular arroz caldo. I used 3 kinds of rice in cooking this arroz. I had white, red and brown. It's not the typical long-grain white rice that is often used in lugaw recipes. However, I assure you that it won't make much of a difference. After all, you will decide the consistency (whether thick or not) once the rice is cooked. The important thing is that the flavors blend well together.

Cooking Arroz Caldo (Lugaw Recipe)

Ingredients:

• Garlic, crushed
• Onions, cut in strips
• Ginger, cut thinly in strips
• Chicken breasts and/or chicken wings
• Salt
• Freshly grounded peppercorns
• Whole peppercorns
• Chicken broth (home-made or store-bought)
• Green onions
• Rice, washed not cooked
• Cooking oil
• Fish sauce
• Lemon

Directions in cooking arroz caldo:

1. Make chicken broth by boiling the chicken, onions, garlic in a deep pan.
2. Season the dish with whole peppercorns and salt.
3. Remove scum when the water begins to boil.
4. When the chicken cooks, place the meats on a dry dish; and set the broth aside.
5. If using wings, remove the skin from the bones. Put the chicken bones back to the broth.
6. Cut the chicken breasts into smaller parts using your ladle. No need to cut them thinly with fork and knife.
7. Set aside the meats.
8. In a separate boiling pan, heat up the cooking oil.
9. When the oil is ready, fry a portion of the ginger strips.
10. When the ginger turns golden, remove from the pan and drain the oils. We'll be using the crispy ginger for garnish.
11. Fry the rest of the ginger.
12. When the ginger turns golden, add the chicken.
13. Season the dish with fish sauce and ground peppers. Stir well.
14. When the chicken releases more juice, add in the onions. Stir well.
15. Add the uncooked rice. Grind the rice against the chicken so it will acquire more flavors.
16. Add a cup of the chicken broth into the dish. Stir well.
17. Cover the dish. Make sure that the heat is at medium.
18. When the rice absorbs the broth, add another cup. Do this until the rice cooks entirely.
19. Add more chicken broth according to the consistency you want for your soup. If you want a think porridge, put just enough broth as soon as the rice cooks. If you want a clearer porridge, add more broth.
20. Season the dish with fish sauce and pepper.
21. Upon serving, garnish with green onion tips, fried ginger and lemon.

When the chicken broth you prepared is not enough while cooking the rice; you may use store-bought chicken broth to augment the difference. You can also use hot water with Knorr's chicken cubes or water with fish sauce, ground pepper and onions.

To get the actual measurements of the water for the broth and rice used for this recipe, please proceed to our Exact Ingredients page.

I hope you enjoyed this one.

Remember me when you cook!


About the Author: Beingwell loves simple home cooking recipes. She enjoys sharing her quick easy meals, including Filipino cooking recipes in this blog. 

Enjoy cooking like a pro!