Of Champorado

Hmmm...champorado. It's definitely the one dish that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. What is it? Filipino chocolate rice. Ok, ok...technically, it comes from Mexico, brought to the Philippines by galleon trade. In case you were wondering what the galleon trade is, it's trade route between Acapulco, Mexico and Manila, Philippines back when both countries were Spanish colonies. People back then traded spices, silk, porcelain, and, most importantly, recipes. 

Yummy Champorado

Make no mistake though, that Mexican champurrado is very different from Filipino champorado (also spelled as tsamporado, since the Tagalog language doesn't actually have the leter 'c' in it). Mexican champurrado, according to Wikipedia, is actually Mexican hot chocolate. Filipino tsamporado, on the other hand, is warm, chocolatey rice porridge. Traditionally, it's cooked with glutinous rice (short grained, sticky rice) but you can also use left over white rice (that's what I used). It gets its chocolate flavor from Filipino chocolate tablets or tablea, which has a more intense chocolate flavor since it is made from pure cacao nibs which were roasted and grounded into a paste and hardened into tablets. The chocolately rice is then sweetened with brown sugar, preferably muscovado and served with a dash of evaporated milk. 

Tablea

Tsamporado is perfect for cold weather or whenever you're down. Chocolate can wash any the blues, right? Champorado can also be eaten for breakfast. If you plan on doing this, don't forget the tuyo! That's salty dried fish. You can also (and I love doing this) refrigerate it until it's cold and eat it like chocolate rice pudding. Yum!

Champorado

2 cups left over white rice

5 cups plus more if needed, water

3 tablepoon muscovado sugar

2 tableas

evaporated milk to serve

In a dutch oven or a large pot, add the rice and 4 cups water. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, add the tableas. Stir until the tableas have broken down and combined with the rice and water mixture. Cook until the rice and the water mixture have formed a thick soup that is slightly smooth. If there's too little water, add more as needed. Stir in the sugar. Pour into bowls and drizzle evaporated milk on the top.

Note:

• If you plan on using glutinous rice, use more water. I suggest a 1:5 rice-water ratio. 
• You can also use cocoa powder instead of tablea. It'll have a slightly different flavor, but it'll still be good. Beware though, if you use dark chocolate powder, you will have an extremely dark champorado, and not the traditional lighter brown color. I know, coz I've tried this.