Filipino, Mexica – Champorado

by Hina Alam

ABOUT THE DISH

Champorada is an chocolate rice pudding which is very popular in the Philippines. It is basically rice which is mixed with a special local chocolate called Tablea ( Tablet shaped chocolate) and sugar. Lastly before serving some condensed milk is dripped over the pudding to give it more depth and more flavor. This dish is an great breakfast dish and it is very much popular among the kids as well. This dish goes way back and the families have been making this dish for centuries. As the time flies more generations get to know about this dish and when they grow up they talk about this dish and consider it a part of their childhood. Every single day people make this at home and eat it before going to work. It is healthy way of starting your day. It is very simple and easy to make and requires merely less than 6 ingredients. Although it looks like a very small dish but it has a rich history in the Filipino cuisine.

HISTORY/ORIGIN

This pudding dates back to the 17th century when the Spanish was occupying the Philippines. At that time there was this trade called galleon trade which linked Mexico with the Philippines. This ship carried trades between the both countries and was a good source of income. During these trades the people of Mexico came with the knowledge of their own dish called champurrado which was basically a chocolate drink made with masa and corn flour. This beverage became popular among the people in no time and the people of Philippines started to make their own versions of this drink. They totally changed it and made it a pudding which could be eaten with a spoon rather than drinking it. In their own version they completely cut off masa and instead of it used rice to make it and it became an incredible dish for them and for their history and up till now it is remembered deeply and loved the same.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS PUDDING

• Glutinous rice 1 cup

• Tablea chocolate 4 pieces 

• Water 5 cups
• Sugar 1/2 cup

• Condensed milk 1/2 cup 

STEPS TO PREPARE THIS PUDDING

• Take a pot and fill it up the given amount of water.
• Boil the water and once boiled add the rice in it.

• Cook the rice until it is properly cooked while stirring it the whole time.
• Add the Tablea chocolate mix in the pot and mix it with the rice properly

• Add some sugar in the pot and mix.
• Cook until rice is smooth and mixed totally with chocolate.

• Take it off the heat and pour it in a dish.
• Before serving pour some condensed milk over the pudding.

• Your dish is ready to serve.

TIME NEEDED TO MAKE IT

• PREPERATION TIME : 5 minutes
• COOKING TIME : 40 minutes
• TOTAL TIME : 45 minutes
• YIELDS : 5-6 servings

NUTRITION FACTS

• Calories 250
• Total Fat 1.5g
• Cholesterol 3.2mg
• Protein 8g
• Total Carbohydrate 55g
• Sodium 67mg
• Potassium 314mg
• Vitamin B-12 13%