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Cháo thịt bằm cà rốt (pork and carrot congee)
9m+ · Soft Vietnamese rice congee with finely minced pork and sweet carrot, mashed to soft lumps
Cháo thịt bằm, rice congee with minced pork, is the dish Vietnamese grandmothers cook when a baby starts on 'real' food, and carrot is the most common vegetable added, for colour and sweetness. For babies from about nine months it is cooked thick and mashed to soft lumps, without the fish sauce and pepper the rest of the family would stir in. It contains none of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish). Chef's tip: toast the dry rice in the pan for a minute before adding water; Vietnamese cooks swear it gives a fragrant, creamier congee.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Baby & toddler safety
- Age: from 9 months+.
- Allergens: none of the common allergens found in the ingredients. Offer one new allergen at a time, in the morning, so you can watch for a reaction.
- Texture and choking: purée or mash smoothly for 6–9 months, then soft, finger-sized pieces that squash between your fingers. Cut round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters lengthways, never give whole nuts, and always stay with your child while they eat.
- Under 1: no honey, no added salt or stock cubes, and no added sugar.
Every child is different. If you are unsure, especially about allergies, check with your health visitor or paediatrician.
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz jasmine ricerinsed and drained well
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 ⅛ oz lean pork mince
- 1 ⅜ oz carrotpeeled and finely grated
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the drained 2 ⅛ oz jasmine rice in a dry saucepan over a medium heat and stir for 1–2 minutes, until it smells nutty and the grains look opaque.
2 minStep 2: Add 2 ½ cups water, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid ajar for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the grains have broken open.
25 minStep 3: Mix 2 ⅛ oz lean pork mince with 2 tablespoons of cold water and break it up with a fork so it won't clump. Stir it into the congee with 1 ⅜ oz carrot.
2 minStep 4: Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring often to break up any lumps of meat, until the pork is cooked through with no pink (at least 160°F) and the carrot is very soft. A common mistake is adding mince to the pot in one lump: it sets into chewy pieces.
10 minStep 5: Mash with a potato masher or fork to soft, small lumps. Loosen with boiled water if it is thicker than porridge.
Step 6: Cool to just warm before serving. Cool the rest quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze in small pots for up to a month. Reheat once, until piping hot, then cool before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cháo thịt bằm cà rốt (pork and carrot congee) take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of jasmine rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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