Champorado

One of my favourite home-made Filipino desserts is champorado. I'm not sure how this dish got its name, but in English I call it "chocolate rice". Which is pretty much what it is. (I suppose you can call it chocolate rice pudding.)

As a child, I loved the ritual of adding sugar to my bowl of champorado, followed by swirls of milk. My dad used to form our initials when he poured milk ... kind of like coffee art, but low-tech. *lol* I used to make swirls and curls and sometimes I'd try to fit more than one milky initial into my bowl, usually with disastrous effects. I used to love my champorado drenched in milk, but as I grew up, my taste buds adjusted themselves and now I very rarely add milk anymore--yes, even when we used top-notch cocoa and ended up with a very dark result (see below).

In the past few weeks, Mum has been coming over to help out with the new babies--yes, I had twins!--and what better time to absorb all her cooking shortcuts and tips? Yesterday she talked me through how to make this delicious concoction that even Rob, who usually declines chocolate fare--much to my delight since it means I won't have to share my dessert--has at least two helpings whenever champorado is being served.

The timing couldn't be better. Cupping a steaming bowl of champorado, inhaling its delicious aroma, and taking that first spoonful of chocolatey goodness ... what a delightful way to beat the winter chill.

Champorado
1 cup glutinous rice
5 cups water
2 tbsp (heaped) cocoa
2-3 squares cooking chocolate or tablea (optional)
3-4 tbsp (heaped) sugar
milk

1. Put rice and water in a medium sized saucepan. Cover and place on high heat.
2. Mix cocoa and sugar in a small bowl. Add hot water to dissolve, and remove lumps. Stir mixture into the saucepan using a wooden spoon.
   
3. Add chocolate squares into the saucepan and stir.
4. When the water boils, reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is plump.
5. Add milk and extra sugar to taste just before serving.

Cooking tips
- The darker the cocoa, the more sugar and milk you'll need. You don't need to use high-quality cocoa. My mum uses the no-name brand and no one has ever complained about the quality of her champorado.
- Don't skip step 2 or the chocolate will be lumpy.
- The cocoa can be substituted entirely with chocolate squares or tablea (or vice versa), but it may affect the texture of the champorado. You may need to experiment a bit to get the quantities right.

This recipe is usually good enough for about 4 people, but if you love this dessert and haven't had it in a while then 2 people can probably go through the entire recipe within 24 hours. Rob and I fairly inhaled it in one sitting. The picture above shows what was left after we were done. Yes, after one sitting.