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Sawhchiar
Chicken and rice porridge
Sawhchiar — Mizo chicken and rice porridge with ginger
Sawhchiar is Mizoram's comfort food and community food at once: rice and chicken slowly cooked together until thick and soft. In Aizawl huge pots are made for church gatherings, festivals such as Chapchar Kut and for neighbours in times of mourning, and smaller pots at home for anyone feeling unwell. It is gently seasoned with ginger, garlic and pepper and eaten with a fiery chilli on the side. Chef's tip: stir from the bottom every few minutes near the end; once the rice thickens it catches quickly.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb bone-in chicken thighsskin removed
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 2 in gingercut into thin matchsticks
- 4 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 7 oz sticky or short-grain ricerinsed
- 3 spring onions (optional)chopped
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅓ lb bone-in chicken thighs, 6 ¼ cups water, half the 1 in ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 onion and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer for 20 minutes.
22 minStep 2: Lift out the chicken and add 7 oz sticky or short-grain rice to the broth. Simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
20 minStep 3: Meanwhile shred the chicken off the bone, discarding the bones.
5 minStep 4: Return the chicken with the remaining 1 in ginger and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes more, stirring often, until the rice is very soft and the porridge is thick. The chicken must be fully cooked: 165°F (165 °F), with no pink.
10 minStep 5: Common mistake: letting it get too thick; add a splash of hot water if it looks like stiff rice rather than a spoonable porridge. Taste for salt.
1 minStep 6: Serve in bowls topped with 3 spring onions and 1 handful fresh coriander, with chilli on the side.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sawhchiar take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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