June 6-7, 2011: Chai-spiced rice porridge (breakfast serial part ix)

The shift to winter has shifted my interest to the warmer and heavier breakfasts on my to-try list. I've had one or two porridge phases before but not pushed myself much further than the usual oats in a saucepan. When Carla posted about slow-cooked brown rice porridge I was just as interested in getting good use from my slow cooker as the rice itself. As advertised, this is as easy as vegan pie! Chuck brown rice, lots of milk and some spices into a slow-cooker overnight, drizzle over some golden syrup (maybe some dried fruit, as seen above) and you're done. 

With so much more milk than rice, this is a very creamy porridge - the grains mush together but retain a bit of chew. I can eat a much larger volume of this than I would oat porridge, and I learned this after sampling a smallish serve on my first rice porridge morning and becoming ravenously hungry by 11am. With a microwave, leftovers would no doubt be just as convenient as the first run. In a saucepan and with a drop of water it's noticeably less convenient but still doable on a workday.

Chai-spiced rice porridge
(based on a recipe found at easy as vegan pie,
which is adapted slightly from healthy slow cooking)

1 cup brown rice
5 cups milk (I used oat milk)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
sweetener and/or dried fruit to garnish (I used golden syrup and sometimes chopped dates)

Place the ingredients from brown rice through to ginger in a slow cooker and give them a quick stir. Cook the porridge on low for 7-8 hours. Ladle into bowls and top with your choice of garnishes.