Nutritional value of Laba porridge

I believe everyone has tasted Laba porridge before. The taste of this porridge is unforgettable. Let’s savor it together with the editor.

Laba porridge

The custom of eating Laba porridge has existed in my country for thousands of years, both in the north and south. The effects of Laba porridge are described in great detail in the classics: "It has the effects of soothing the stomach, strengthening the spleen, clearing the heart, nourishing the lungs, benefiting the kidneys, benefiting the liver, quenching thirst, improving eyesight, relieving constipation, calming the nerves, and nourishing the blood." No wonder people love to eat Laba porridge so much. As for its origin, there are different opinions, some say it is to commemorate the Buddha Sakyamuni, and some say it is to recall the bitter past of Zhu Yuanzhang. Since "Laba" is the first festival before the Spring Festival, the atmosphere of the New Year has become increasingly strong since then. There is a saying that "after Laba, it is the New Year." In the past, people attached great importance to cooking Laba porridge, and they were always busy for a while around Laba.

Ingredients for Laba Congee

80g rice, 80g glutinous rice, 30g millet, 30g coix seed, 50g red bean, 50g mung bean, 25g dried red dates, 25g chestnut, 25g peanut, 25g walnut, 2 teaspoons (10g) lotus seeds, 2 teaspoons (10g) dried lily bulbs, 2 tablespoons (30g) yellow crystal sugar, 2500ml water

How to make Laba porridge

Wash rice, glutinous rice, coix seeds, red beans and mung beans with clean water and set aside.

Rinse the dried red dates with clean water first, then soak them in warm water for 20 minutes to make them swell. (Or soak the red dates in warm water, remove the core, and cook them into date paste and cook with porridge.)

Shell chestnuts, peanuts, and walnuts, remove the skin and leave the flesh. Use tweezers to remove the wrinkled parts. Soak lotus seeds and remove the bitter core. Soak dried lilies in warm water until soft.

Mix rice, glutinous rice, coix seed, red bean, mung bean and lotus seeds together, then pour into a pot, add water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add red dates, chestnuts, peanuts and walnuts, and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally with a spoon to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning.

Put millet and lily into the pot and mix evenly, then continue to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.

When the eight-treasure porridge is fragrant, sticky and soft, add the yellow crystal rock sugar, continue heating and stirring until it melts.

Tips

Laba porridge can be eaten for three meals a day, and it is best to eat it for breakfast on an empty stomach. It is especially suitable for people with poor digestive function and the elderly and weak.

It is not advisable to eat overly greasy or sticky food when drinking porridge.

When cooking porridge, you should add enough water at one time and try to avoid adding water twice in the middle.

When cooking porridge with water, it will be delicious if you add some milk or cream, but do not add butter.

A large amount of dried persimmons and preserved fruits are not suitable for cooking together, because they become paste after heating, which will dilute the viscosity of the porridge.