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Nurungji porridge
Scorched rice porridge
Nurungji-tang (누룽지탕): toasty scorched-rice porridge for an easy Korean morning
Every Korean home knows the golden crust that sticks to the bottom of the rice pot, and on cold mornings it is simmered in water into nurungji, a nutty, soothing porridge that tastes faintly of toast. Grandmothers serve it with kimchi and a few banchan for breakfast, or as a gentle meal after a heavy night. You can buy dried nurungji sheets in Korean shops, but it is easy to make your own from leftover rice. The common mistake is pulling the crust too soon: pale rice gives a flat, starchy porridge, so wait until it is deep gold. Chef's tip: break the crust into pieces before simmering but keep a few larger shards back and add them in the last minute, so the bowl has soft and slightly crunchy bits.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz cooked short-grain riceday-old is best
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 3 ¾ cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 ½ oz vegan kimchi (optional)to serve
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Brush a large non-stick frying pan with 1 tsp neutral oil. Press 10 ½ oz cooked short-grain rice into a thin, even layer about 5 mm thick with the back of a wet spoon.
Step 2: Cook over a medium-low heat without stirring for 12–15 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and the sheet lifts off in one piece. Flip and toast the other side for 2 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Break the crust into pieces and put them in a saucepan with 3 ¾ cups water. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice grains swell and the water turns cloudy and slightly thick.
8 minStep 4: Season with ¼ tsp salt and serve hot, with 3 ½ oz vegan kimchi on the side if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nurungji porridge take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 cooked short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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