Cháo mực khô is rice porridge made with dried squid. The squid is soaked, cut into thin strips and fried with shallot and ginger before it goes into the pot, and it gives the porridge its natural sweetness. The rice is a mix of ordinary and sticky rice cooked in pork broth, with cubes of pork blood added at the end. Plan ahead: the dried squid needs 30 minutes of soaking before you can cut it. Ingredients 2–3 dried squid (large) ½ bowl rice ¼ bowl sticky rice 3–4 bowls pork broth 1 cube of pork blood (100–150 g) 1 piece of ginger Shallots (purple onions) White rice wine, for soaking the squid Spring onion Salt, pepper, Maggi seasoning, fish sauce, a little sugar Cooking oil Bean sprouts Chinese fried dough sticks (quẩy) or century eggs (hột vịt bách thảo), to serve How to make cháo mực khô 1. Soak the squid Clean the dried squid well and soak it for 30 minutes in water with a little white rice wine added. If you like, keep the tentacles aside and simmer them in the pork broth. 2. Fry the rice and cook the porridge Mix the rice and sticky rice, wash them well and leave them to drain dry. Heat a little oil in a small pot, add minced shallot and fry until fragrant. Add the rice and stir-fry it quickly for 5–7 minutes. Pour in 3–4 bowls of pork broth and cook on low heat until the rice is soft. 3. Prepare the ginger, squid and blood While the rice cooks, peel and wash the ginger and cut it into thin matchsticks. Wash the bean sprouts and let them drain. Rinse the soaked squid again, then cut it into long, thin strips with scissors. You can also tear it into small pieces by hand. Heat some oil, add sliced shallot and the ginger and fry until fragrant. Add the squid and fry it with a little fish sauce and sugar. Boil the pork blood again, then cut it into small cubes. 4. Finish the porridge Once the rice is soft, season it with a little salt and add the fried squid. Keep the heat low and stir gently with a spoon so the rice doesn’t burn on the bottom. Add the pork blood, season again and cook on low heat for 5–7 minutes. Turn off the heat and scatter sliced spring onion over the top. Ladle it into bowls and top with fried dough sticks or century egg, whichever you prefer. Eat it hot. Share:
