Ube Champarado (Ube Rice Porridge) from Ian at iankewks.com

Months and months ago (maybe even a year ago), while in Hawaii, I picked up some quick-cook chocolate champarado and some ube champarado from a grocery store that comes in its own carton and you add water, let it rest and then eat it. My husband did not like the chocolate one because it was too sweet but he loved the one made from ube.

I figured that once we returned to the mainland, I can easily find it but I hadn't been able to do so. So, each time we have been back in Hawaii, we look for it everywhere. My goal was to not buy it online--especially since it can only be bought 18 cups at a time.

So...I searched online (none of my cookbooks had anything close in them) and found a recipe that was titled "Ube Champorado (Ube Rice Porridge) by Ian" Looking at the ingredients made me smile since I already had all in my cupboard except ube jam (it was described in the recipe as "ube halava" and it sounded like jam to me). So, I bought some of this jam at our local Asian market.

The recipe was easy to follow except I questioned whether I should cook the rice covered or uncovered. I decided to leave it uncovered so allow the liquids to evaporate. I cooked in on the stove top in my medium-sized Dutch oven. The recipe ended up making 5 cups and it did use a whole can of coconut milk and the whole 7.6 ounce of purple sweet potato spread (what I determined was jam).

I surprised my husband with a bowl of this porridge and with every bite, I could see his delight. I ended up freezing the other 4 cups of the leftover in single portions so that he can grab some when he feels like it. I think we should re-heat it on the stove, covered, with possibly a little liquid extra since, I am guessing that the rice had absorbed some.

For me, this recipe is a keeper! I will look for more recipes in the future from Ian as the ingredients were minimal and the recipe was easy to follow. Here are photos of what hubby ate:

This is me adding the ube to the cooked rice.

The finished product. :) Definitely will make this again!