Kiam Pung (Chinese Flavored Rice)

Kiam pung are Hokkien words for salty rice. It is very popular among Filipino Chinese and is commonly served during holidays and special occasions. Each family has its own way of making kiam pung and the recipe is usually passed on from grandmas, aunties or mother-in-laws. My late mother-in-law’s kiam pung was the best. She always made kiam pung on her birthdays and would serve them to friends and relatives when they came to greet her. I regret that I was not able to learn her recipe for kiam pung. A good thing is that this dish is so popular; there is always someone, a friend or a family member who knows how to make it. I got this recipe from my sister and she got hers from her mother-in-law. I modified the recipe a bit to include accessible ingredients and easy to follow instructions. My sister uses pork belly but I opted for the healthier part; pork shoulder. Her recipe includes dried shrimps (he be) and peeled, roasted chestnuts which I omitted in this recipe. In addition to long grain rice, my sister also uses a cup of glutinous rice to bind the dish together. My kiam pung turned out okay even without the glutinous rice. A cup of soy sauce may be too much but it is necessary because we are flavoring 4 cups of rice and the soy sauce gives the kiam pung its nice, dark color. I used rice cooker to make this dish because I find it the effective way of cooking kiam pung. I just push the start button and completely forget about it. You may cook this dish on stove top or even bake in the oven, whichever works for you. This is the second time I have made this dish and I am always happy with the result. You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to have this tasty and delightful dish. My family and I enjoyed this flavored rice dish for dinner on Sunday. It was delicious with steamed mustard greens on the side. Enjoy!

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Kiam Pung (Chinese Flavored Rice)

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

 

Author: Liza A

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 dried shitake mushrooms
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb pork shoulder butt, cut into strips
• 1 lb chicken drummettes (or wingettes), cut in half
• 1 cup soy sauce, divided
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 4 cups uncooked long grain rice, rinsed and drained
• Water

Toppings:

• Chopped green onions
• Roasted Peanuts
• Egg strips

Instructions

1. Soak shitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out excess water, discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium high heat. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant and lightly brown. Add pork, chicken and sliced mushrooms; sauté until meats are browned and no longer pink. Add ½ cup soy sauce, stir and then add enough water (2-3 cups) to cover meats and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until meats are tender. Drain meats and mushrooms; reserve the sauce.
3. In a separate skillet, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil. Add shallots and sauté until soft and brown. Add rice and stir to coat. Stir in ½ cup soy sauce.
4. Transfer mixture to a rice cooker. Add water and reserved sauce; the rice to liquid ratio is 1:2. In other words, use 2 cups of liquid (water and sauce) for every cup of rice. So for 4 cups of rice, I added 8 cups of liquid (2 cups of reserved sauce plus 6 cups of water). Turn on rice cooker.
5. Serve topped with chopped green onions, roasted peanuts and egg strips.

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