Here is a simple, delicious and inexpensive porridge recipe using jujube and apple!
Hello my dear readers! Today, I’d like to share with you a recipe for a glutinous rice porridge that is packed with nutrients. The star of the recipe are the jujube fruits (Chinese red dates), which are a superfood popular in many Asian countries. They have been widely used in alternative medicine for its natural benefits to human health. Thanks to globalization, jujube fruits, along with all the other main ingredients for this porridge, can now be found in the western world as well. Not only can you find them in stores, but you can also find them online through Amazon. The porridge is very simple, healthy and delicious, and naturally sweetened with an apple and the dates. Let’s see what it takes to make this!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of glutinous rice
- Glutinous rice is a sticky, short-grained white rice that you can find predominantly in Asian markets. If you don’t have any glutinous rice on hand, you can try the recipe with regular white rice as well, though the porridge will be less sticky. I’d caution against using wild rice or brown rice though, as the typical starchy consistency is difficult if not impossible to achieve.
- 10 cups of water (this is for my preferred consistency)
- For a porridge on the thicker side, you can reduce the amount to 8 cups. You could go as high as 12 cups as well if you are into a thinner porridge.
- 1 apple, diced
- You can choose any type of apple, but my personal favourite is a nice big gala apple. It is sweet, and it holds its shape well even after prolonged cooking.
- A handful of dried jujube fruits (Chinese red dates), pitted and chopped into small pieces.
- These babies are perfect for this occasion. They lend some natural sweetness to the porridge. If you don’t have any of the red dates on hand, Medjool dates work well too. You can get both from Amazon.com.
Steps
- Rinse your glutinous rice thoroughly in water (at least twice).
- Place your rice and you water in a pot and put the heat on high till water starts boiling.
- Turn your heat down to medium, and cook for around 20 minutes. You should see that the rice has started to thicken.
- Put in your diced apple and your pitted and diced dates into the porridge, and cook until your apple and dates soften a little further, about another 10 minutes.
- There you have it! You can enjoy it warm or cold.
Nutritional benefits of jujube fruits (Chinese red dates)
I’d like to give some special attention on the key ingredient in this recipe – jujube fruit. It may not be a common ingredient you see in a regular grocery store in the western world, but it is actually packed full of antioxidants and vitamins, and I encourage you to incorporate it into your diet more often. In China, it has long been used in alternative medicine to treat conditions like insomnia and anxiety, and it is especially good for women to help brighten the skin and alleviate menstrual pain.
Below is the nutrition profile of jujube, sourced from the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA):
According to this healthline article, jujube fruits are “rich in several antioxidant compounds, primarily flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenic acids.” They also contain high levels of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant. If consumed on a regular basis, they can help improve sleep and brain function, boost immunity and fight cancer cells, and improve digestion.
Jujube fruits really should be the next superfood you have in your pantry. Even if you don’t have time to make some porridge, you can simply have them as a snack the same way you can with your typical dried fruit. Don’t crack your teeth on the pits though!
Why not give this apple and jujube porridge recipe a try and let me know how it goes!
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