Green Bean Multigrain Porridge
During this period of partial lock down, I seldom cook all 3 meals since many eateries are still opened and we can thankfully still do takeaway. But I make it a point to cook at least 1, usually 2 meals a day. When I’m cooking, I try to make food which is healthier and unavailable for takeaway, such as this nutritious & homely (mung bean) green bean multigrain porridge (绿豆养身粥). The green beans help to lower one’s body heat which is beneficial in our hot weather.
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This green bean multigrain porridge certainly takes the boredom out of plain porridge. I actually referenced this from a premix bottle I bought. But it was so little and so expensive, prompting me to make my own.
INGREDIENTS
This is the multigrain mix, which is made of short-grain “pearl” white rice, red rice & brown rice as a base. I used about half the quantity of green beans to rice. Dried lotus seeds, dried lily and pumpkin seeds add a nuttier & healthier crunch to the porridge. You can swap green beans to red beans if you like.
I don’t usually store the grains mixed, because I don’t think it takes me long to measure out the ingredients, and I can always swap some ingredients depending on my mood that day. For example, I made a version with added millet which tastes fantastic. But you can prepare them in a jar in advance or even make a bottle as a gift. If they are all mixed up, you can soak the contents overnight in cold water before using.
I prefer to soak only the green beans, in a glass of hot water for 3 hours. Soaking green beans help the beans to cook faster, be cleaned more thoroughly & aids digestion by reducing gas. But I know people who don’t soak (my mum!) so soaking is optional & totally up to you.
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS
This mung bean multigrain porridge can be cooked on auto mode in a rice cooker (with the Porridge mode), or on the stove top. I always cook this porridge in the rice cooker, but for the purpose of taking photos for the blog, I’m using a clear glass pot.
Add soaked beans, washed grains & rice and water to the pot.
Note: Due to the limitations of my pot, I can’t add too much water here or it will boil over. I top up with water later when the porridge is simmering.
When the water boils, reduce & maintain the heat to a simmer, leaving the lid with a small vent opening.
Simmer until the porridge and green beans are softened to liking, topping up with water in between if needed.
Enjoy this multigrain porridge in place of plain porridge with your favourite side dishes. I enjoyed it with Japanese fish roe omelette three weeks ago.
Green Bean Multigrain Porridge Recipe
You can substitute green beans with red beans depending on your climate. Green beans are said to be ‘cooling’ so they are great for hot weather, while red beans are said to be ‘warming’ which is suitable for colder days.
You can also add on your favourite grains to the multigrain mix – suitable grains include holland barley, buckwheat & millet.
Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp (90g) green bean (mung bean/绿豆)
- hot water to soak the beans
- 4 cups (stove top) or 3 cups (rice cooker) water top up whenever needed
Multigrain rice mix:
- 1 cup (180g) white rice short-grain preferred as it makes the porridge more starchy
- 4 tbsp (60g) red or brown rice
- 18 (about 20g) dried lotus seed middle green shoot removed, if any
- 15g shelled pumpkin seeds optional
- 10g dried lily bulb optional
Directions:
Preparation
- Soak the green beans in hot water for 3 hours. Rinse the beans and set aside.
- Wash the multigrain rice mix with some water in a pot, giving the contents a few swirls. Rinse and drain the water.
Rice Cooker Method
Add the soaked green beans, washed multigrain rice and 3 cups water. Set rice cooker to “Porridge” mode. Keep warm until the porridge is softened to liking or until ready to serve.
Stove-top Method
Add the soaked green beans, washed multigrain rice and 4 cups water to the pot. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, leaving the lid slightly open with a small vent and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the beans are softened to liking, occasionally stirring the sides and bottom of the pot.
Cooking Notes:
To soak or not to soak the ingredients?
- Soaking green beans help the beans to cook faster, be cleaned more thoroughly & in aiding digestion by reducing gas.
- In this recipe, I only soak the green beans in hot water. However, if you have premix all the ingredients in a container, you can soak everything in a pot of cold water overnight before cooking.
- If you do not have the habit of soaking beans ever, you can cook the multigrain rice straight after washing. You will need to keep warm longer in the rice cooker or simmer the porridge longer on the stove, until the green beans are softened to liking.