Porridge is always a perfect choice for mothers who have small children in the weaning stage due to its deliciousness, nutritional value, and the simplicity of preparation. Let’s get into the kitchen with TasteVN today and immediately make 2 dishes of chicken and lotus seed porridge for the little ones with attractive spinach and water spinach!
1. Chicken and lotus seed porridge with spinach
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chicken and lotus seed porridge with spinach For 4 people
Thick porridge 1 bowl (rice bowl) Chicken breast 100 gr Lotus seeds 100 gr Spinach 100 gr Spring onion 1 stalk Red onion 2 bulbs Ginger 1 root (small type) Olive oil 1/2 tablespoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Salt a little
How to choose fresh and delicious spinach
- You should choose spinach with thin and firm leaves. Good and clean spinach has a light green color, the leaves are uneven, and some leaves have been eaten by pests.
- Absolutely do not buy spinach with curled, abnormal leaves, dark green color, overly young leaves, all the same size, with no leaves being eaten by pests. This may indicate that the spinach has been sprayed with pesticides, which is not good for health.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious spinach
Tools required
Knife, meat grinder, sieve, pot, bowl, …
How to make Chicken porridge with lotus seeds and water spinach
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Prepare the ingredients
Chicken breast after buying should be soaked in diluted salt water for about 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water and drain.
Dry lotus seeds should be soaked in water for about 7 – 8 hours to allow them to expand evenly and not be hard; then rinse thoroughly with water.
Water spinach should have yellow leaves and pests removed (if any), then wash several times with water and drain.
Shallots peeled and sliced thinly. Ginger peeled and sliced. Green onions washed and chopped.
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Boil the ingredients
The lotus seeds, after being cleaned, should be steamed or boiled for about 30 minutes until soft.
Place a pot of water on the stove, add sliced ginger, and bring it to a boil. Then, add the chicken breast to the pot, cover, and boil for about 10 minutes until the chicken breast is tender, then remove it.
Next, add the edible amaranth to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes until the water comes back to a boil and the greens are just cooked.
Strain the chicken and edible amaranth broth through a sieve and set aside.
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Blend the ingredients
Add the chicken breast and 2 tablespoons of chicken broth into the meat grinder and grind until fine.
Similarly, continue to blend the lotus seeds with the chicken broth until smooth.
Then, add the edible amaranth and 2 tablespoons of chicken broth, and blend until smooth, then strain through a sieve to extract the juice.
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Cook the porridge
Place a pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it, then add sliced shallots and sauté until fragrant.
When the shallots start to smell, add the ground chicken to the pan and stir-fry over medium heat until the meat is firm.
Next, add the thick porridge, chicken broth, lotus seeds, and blended bitter vegetable into the pot. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for about 10 minutes until the porridge boils again and becomes smooth.
Finally, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil into the pot, stir well, then scoop the porridge into a bowl, sprinkle some chopped green onions on top, and garnish to make it look appealing.
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Finished Product
You have just completed the chicken and lotus seed porridge with finely blended water spinach, which is very appealing.
The porridge is cooked just right, not too thick, with a faint aroma of rice and water spinach, and the tender, sweet chicken blends perfectly with the rich taste of the lotus seeds, making it extremely enticing. Moms, give this dish a try!
2. Chicken and Lotus Seed Porridge with Water Spinach
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chicken and Lotus Seed Porridge with Water Spinach Serves 3 people
Rice 20 gr Chicken thigh 1 piece Lotus seeds 100 gr Water spinach 100 gr Olive oil 1 teaspoon Salt/ seasoning powder a little
How to choose fresh and delicious water spinach
- Choose vegetables that have a uniform green color from leaves to stems, many tips, fewer leaves, and the smaller the size, the tastier the vegetable.
- It is advisable to buy water spinach with intact leaves, not bruised or torn.
- Do not choose vegetables with overly large leaves, fewer tips, and thick stems to avoid selecting those that have been sprayed with pesticides.
Tools needed
Knife, blender, cutting board, pot, bowl, …
How to cook Chicken and Lotus Seed Porridge with Water Spinach
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the chicken thighs with salt, then rinse thoroughly with water and let them drain.
Put a pot of water on the stove to boil, then add the chicken thighs and boil until the chicken is tender, then remove the chicken thighs and let them cool.
Wash the lotus seeds, remove any damaged seeds (if any), soak them in water for about 30 minutes, then put them in a pot and boil for about 30 minutes until they are soft.
Pick young leaves of water spinach, soak them in diluted salt water for about 15 minutes, then rinse with water and let them drain. Next, use a knife to chop them into small pieces.
Rinse the rice thoroughly, drain the water, and let it dry.
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Chop the ingredients
Remove the meat from the chicken thighs, then use a knife to mince it finely.
Add the boiled water spinach and lotus seeds into the blender with 20ml of water and blend until smooth.
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Cook the porridge
Place a pot on the stove, add the rice and 1 liter of filtered water into the pot, turn on the stove, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the porridge is cooked and fluffy.
Next, add 1/3 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder into the pot, and stir well until the seasonings are completely dissolved.
Then, add the minced chicken and continue to cook until the porridge boils again.
Add all the blended lotus seeds and water spinach into the pot, stir evenly and cook for about 5 more minutes until the porridge is thick and smooth, then turn off the heat.
Serve the porridge in a bowl, drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top, and garnish it for a beautiful presentation.
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Finished Product
The chicken and lotus seed porridge with water spinach, after completion, has an eye-catching green color.
The grains of porridge are well-cooked, puffed up beautifully, the lotus seeds are soft and combined with tender, sweet chicken, not chewy. This dish will be very suitable for the weekend. Wishing you success!
How to succeed
- For baby food porridge, you can prepare plain porridge (at a ratio of 1 rice : 7 water) in advance and then store it in a thermos to keep it warm.
- When it’s mealtime, just take it out and cook it with various ingredients so that your baby can enjoy it, avoiding reheating multiple times which can lead to nutrient loss.
- To enhance the flavor and nutrition of the porridge, you can replace vegetable oil with gac oil, olive oil, fish oil, or specialized nutritional oils for children.
- When cooking porridge for children, you need to adjust the amount of seasoning to ensure the child’s health!
How to choose fresh and delicious chicken
- You should choose chicken with shiny yellow skin, a thin outer layer, and a smooth touch, not too rough with good elasticity.
- The meat inside should be pink. When buying pre-prepared chicken, pay attention to the expiration date and the production place, as well as check if the packaging is secure.
- Do not buy oversized chicken as it may be water-injected, with white skin, lacking elasticity, and the meat inside often bland, with bruises or signs of blood clots.
- If the meat turns dark gray, it means the chicken died before being slaughtered, so it should not be purchased.
- For baby food porridge, you should use chicken breast or chicken thigh as these parts are usually tender and meaty.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious chicken
How to choose delicious lotus seeds
- When buying, you should choose mature lotus seeds, do not choose young lotus seeds because they will not taste good when processed.
- Mature lotus seeds have a round, plump appearance, white or dark yellow color.
- Choose lotus seeds that have a distinctive fragrant smell, and when eaten, they usually do not feel chalky.
- For these two porridge dishes, you can use either fresh or dried lotus seeds.
How to clean chicken meat properly, without odor
- You can use a mixture of alcohol and sliced ginger, gently rubbing and squeezing the entire piece of chicken meat to eliminate odors and dirt. Then wash thoroughly and let it drain.
- Alternatively, you can add lemon to the water and soak the chicken for 15 – 20 minutes. After that, take it out, rinse with cold water, and let it drain.
How to properly prepare lotus seeds
- For fresh lotus seeds: You should peel them, remove the lotus heart, and wash thoroughly to avoid bitterness if any lotus heart is left.
- For dried lotus seeds from the supermarket: You need to soak them in water for about 7 – 8 hours so that the lotus seeds expand evenly and do not harden, then rinse them clean with water.
See more:
With 2 recipes for cooking chicken and lotus seed porridge for babies with water spinach and jute leaves that are delicious and incredibly simple, TasteVN hopes you will cook nutritious meals for your little ones to enjoy. Wish you success!
*Refer to the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Baby food and Kimi Food TV
