The porridge that sneaked up on me

Its been raining cats and dogs and then some hogs too here where I live. I usually like the rain but when it starts to screw with my life, I get a little annoyed. Screw how, you ask? Traffic jams and a leaky house -- both major pains in the you know where.

Well, what can you do? It is rude to complain about the rain when there are places on earth that haven't experienced a single drop of rain in years. So, you make do and wallow.

I found solace in my favourite porridge: bubur gandum or sweet wheat porridge. My sister introduced this porridge to me when I was 16 or 17. I was, at the time, a porridge snob and though I'd only tasted green and red bean porridge (both of which I didn't care for), I declared an all out ban on all porridges.

Then on a weekend break from university, my sister brought me  a packet of sweet wheat porridge (bubur gandum) and insisted I try it. I loved it - and, as I do have quite an addictive and obsessive personality, I had it every week for quite a while after that introduction. The ban? Well,  like many of my resolutions, it was quietly forgotten and chucked aside.

It's been a while since I last had a bowl of sweet wheat porridge but the rainy weather made me hanker for a bowl. Unfortunately I didnt have wheat pearls at home so I had to hold off till the next day. Meanwhile, I called my sister to check about the recipe.

Most people eat bubur gandum for breakfast or at tea time but it's really quite filling and I decided to eat it for dinner.

Bubur Gandum

200g wheat pearls

1 ltr water

2 pandan leaves (knotted)

200ml coconut milk

150g sugar

¼ tsp salt

Wash wheat pearls well until the water runs clear. Soak pearls for 3o to 40  mins. Boil  the water and pandan leaves; add the wheat pearls and leave  it to  boil  for 5 minutes before lowering the heat. Let it  simmer until the pearls are soft. Add the coconut milk, sugar and salt and bring to a quick boil.

I have read that you can add  in 2 tsp tapioca or corn flour (mied with 3 tbsp water and stirred into the coconut milk) to thicken the porridge.

Serve warm. Some sprinkle cinnammon on the porridge or even honey. I like it plain.

Now where's my TV remote ....