An Indonesian breakfast congee of rice slow-cooked to a silky cream, topped with shredded chicken, crispy shallots, soybeans, scallions and a savory soy-laced broth.
Bubur ayam is Indonesia's take on Chinese congee — smooth rice porridge crowned with shredded chicken, crisp shallots, crackers and a salty-sweet sauce. It is breakfast street food eaten the breadth of the archipelago.
Spoon into a velvety, mildly savory porridge and you get tender chicken, the salty crunch of fried soybeans, and bright scallion. The kecap manis and chili sambal let you sweeten and spike each bowl to taste.
Prolonged low simmering with frequent stirring ruptures the rice starch granules, releasing amylopectin that thickens the porridge into its signature creamy, spoon-coating texture.
Variations
Bubur ayam Cianjur (with soup separate), bubur Manado/tinutuan (vegetable), served with cakwe (crullers) or sate ati (liver skewers)
On the Palate
Where Bubur Ayam sits in the Indonesian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · 15 min
- 15 min
Rinse rice and simmer in plenty of chicken broth over low heat.
- 240 min
Stir frequently, adding broth as needed, until the rice breaks into a silky porridge.
Watch outStir often and keep the heat low until the grains break down and the porridge coats the spoon — that clingy silkiness is the whole point.
- 315 min
Poach chicken in spiced broth, then shred the meat finely.
- 48 min
Fry crushed soybeans and sliced shallots separately until crisp.
Watch outFry the soybeans and shallots until crisp and gold, then pull them right away — they darken and turn bitter in a blink.
- 55 min
Make a thin savory gravy with the spiced poaching broth and soy sauce.
- 62 min
Ladle porridge into bowls and arrange shredded chicken on top.
- 73 min
Garnish with scallions, fried soybeans, shallots, crackers and a drizzle of kecap manis.
