Sri Lankan rice and chicken congee.

Cooked in chicken broth, garlic and coconut milk, this kanji is a favorite among Muslims for iftar and a hearty morning breakfast for big families. serve with a seasoned, deep-fried crispy onion, garlic topping and enjoy.

Rice and chicken kanji with a coconut milk base, is not only a staple in most Muslim homes in the month of Ramadan, it’s also the perfect comfort food.

It’s my idea of a lazy meal when I’m tired and for anyone who’s been sick?

Make a lighter version of this rice and chicken congee so it’s nourishing as well as easy to consume.

Since I’ve already posted a rice and beef congee, we are going to make this recipe a little different. this way, you can either make it just like the beef congee or do it as I have done here. either way, you’ll love both the recipes.

How to make this rice and chicken congee(kanji) into a toddlers meal

If you have a toddler who’s just starting to eat solids, then try this rice and chicken congee, follow the cooking instructions but avoid adding the garlic or the other condiments mentioned in the recipe. for a toddler’s single portion keep the rice and coconut milk(optional) quantity in tablespoons and cook in a small pan. 

Make it thin and once the congee reaches its consistency, slightly cool and blend it. you can also use red rice for this purpose. for a sweeter version, add a bit of honey.

How much rice would I need to make this rice and chicken congee to serve 2-3 individuals?

The answer to the following questions as well as beginners tips for a better kanji can be found in my recipe for Sri Lankan beef congee(kanji). if you have the time, please read the recipe post.

Coconut milk or coconut milk powder, which gives the best bowl of kanji(congee)?

You can use both coconut milk powder or liquid which is now available in many stores.my personal preference would be for you to use liquid coconut milk, the congee tastes much creamier and milky.

What can I do if the congee(kanji)is too thick?

To have the congee(kanji)thick is a personal preference, I do this sometimes, especially when I’m making the porridge for the kids as a hearty breakfast.

Thick or thin, the consistency can be changed by just adding 1/2-1 cup of chicken broth or water to thin the kanji. 

What can I do if my porridge thickens and congeals?

Sometimes as the congee cools down, it tends to become thick and semi-solid, you can bring it to the correct consistency by adding 1/2 or 1 cup of broth, while you warm it and gently stir until it reaches the correct consistency.

Removing the pan as soon as the kanji is done, also helps it to keep the correct consistency.

Two ways of adding chicken to this congee

There are two ways you can add chicken to this congee, the purpose of both methods is to turn the cooking liquid into a stock with more flavor.

• 1/Adding a whole chicken breast while the rice is being cooked.

The reason I’m doing this is to add more flavor to the congee, adding the chicken at the initial stage will turn the water into a chicken stock. the only downside of this method is that once the chicken is cooked you need to take it out, shred the meat and add the shredded meat again to the congee.

When you are in a rush this method might take longer but it’s still the preferred way for me.

2/ Using boneless chicken cubes and using store-bought chicken stock or bouillon for added flavor while convenient and easy, the store-bought stock might have preservatives and other additives to give a longer shelf life  

The topping I have used for the rice and chicken congee

A few days back funnyman bought a few jars of fried onions, garlic, lemongrass with different seasoning that can be used as a “rice puller”, so I thought I’ll use these crispy bits as a topping instead of the usual coconut thovayal(chutney).

I even used it in coconut sambols.

I want to try and recreate the same crispy mix of ingredients, it’s one more list of recipes to post on the blog in the future, meanwhile, you can use the coconut chutney recipe I’ll be posting here with the recipe.

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 RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE NEEDED

Sri Lankan rice and chicken congee rice kanji(Ramadan eats)

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Ingredients

Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

250g carrots cleaned and shredded into thin slivers

4 pieces of long pandan leaves

3 cups of water

1 chicken breast(500g-700g)

2-3 pieces of cinnamon

10 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of fenugreek seeds

1 cup of rice

1 cup of thin milk

1 cup of thick milk

For the coconut chutney/paste(thovayal)-this should be made extra spicy.

1 cup of grated coconut]

2 green chillies

1 teaspoon minced ginger

5 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of chilli flakes

3 shallots(not Bombay onions)

2 teaspoon of tamarind juice

Salt to season

Method

Making the coconut chutney/paste(thovayal)

Place all the ingredient in a grinder and blitz until you have a fine paste, season with salt if necessary, place it in a container and refrigerate until you use.

You can also make extra and refrigerate but use it within three days.

Making the rice and chicken kanji(congee)

Have all the ingredients prepared and ready to make the kanji(congee).

Wash the rice and chicken breast(the whole chicken) and set aside.

Use a large pan, as the volume of the congee increases when the rice is cooked and coconut milk is added.

Place the pan over medium heat and pour in the oil, add the sliced onions, turmeric, pandan leaves, cinnamon and shredded carrots.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients turn soft while the onion slightly brown.

Pour in water, add garlic, fenugreek seed and chicken breast into the pan(see notes above on adding chicken to the kanji). season with salt and cook over medium heat.

While the rice cooks, check on the chicken breast, remove the chicken when it is completely cooked(this might take 10-15 minutes).

Once you’ve removed the chicken breast from the pan, let it cool for a few minutes then shred(if it is still hot use two forks to do this quickly).

Add the shredded chicken to the cooking rice and let it simmer until water is reduced by half. using a wooden spoon mash the rice a little to break the grains.

Pour in thin coconut milk and slow-simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, followed by thick coconut milk, once you add coconut milk(both thin and thick), at no point should you let it boil but continue to slow-simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes.

Check for seasoning of salt and immediately remove the pan from direct heat or the porridge will continue to cook in the remaining heat and thicken.

If you find the porridge still too thick, pour 1/2 cup of water.

Add thovayal or deep-fried and seasoned onions and garlic crispies, serve warm.

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