Bubur Lambuk, a lightly spiced Rice Porridge from Singapore and Malaysia

Bubur Lambuk, a lightly spiced Rice Porridge from Singapore and Malaysia

Azlin Bloor

Bubur Lambuk, a lightly spiced rice porridge, is a Ramadan tradition in Singapore and Malaysia that can be traced back to a mosque, in the mid 20th century in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Updated March 2023.

4.98 from 97 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Course iftar, Snack, starter

Cuisine Singaporean and Malaysian

Servings 8 -10

Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients

2 L water
200 g Basmati rice or any long grain rice
60 g dried shrimp (udang kering)
200 g meat of your choice (minced chicken, beef or lamb) I'm using beef
250 ml half strength coconut milk

Aromatics

1 medium onion (bawang besar)
4 cloves garlic (bawang putih)
2.5 cm ginger (halia)
1 stalk lemongrass (serai)
2 stalks pandan leaf optional

Whole Spices

1 small cinnamon stick (kayu manis)
1 small star anise (bunga lawang)
2 cloves (bunga cengkih)
2 cardamoms (buah pelaga)
½ tsp whole cumin seeds (jintan manis)

Ground spices

2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander (serbuk ketumbar)
½ tsp ground cumin (serbuk jintan manis)
½ tsp ground turmeric (kunyit)
½ tsp ground black pepper (serbuk lada hitam)

Garnish

chopped coriander leaves cilantro (daun ketumbar)
crispy fried shallots
chopped spring onions scallions (daun bawang)
chopped fresh red or green chillies OR chilli flakes

Instructions

Boil the water with spices and aromatics

Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
2 L water
While waiting, rinse the rice, drain and set aside.
200 g Basmati rice
Chop up the onion, garlic and ginger fairly finely. You can do it by hand or place everything into a chopper. Tip the whole lot into the water as it is heating up.
1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2.5 cm ginger
Bruise the end of the lemongrass, by hitting down hard on it with the back of a knife. Add it to the water.
1 stalk lemongrass
Tie all the pandan leaves up with a knot in the middle. Drop them in the water.
2 stalks pandan leaf
Add all the whole spices to the water. Leave the water to come to a boil.
1 small cinnamon stick, 1 small star anise, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms, ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
Place the dried shrimp in a chopper and chop to a fine floss like state. Set aside.
60 g dried shrimp

When the water is boiling

Tip in the rinsed rice and whatever meat you are using. Bring back to a boil.
200 g meat of your choice (minced chicken, beef or lamb)
Reduce the heat to medium and add all the ground spices. Stir to mix.
2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the rice is all cooked and breaking up slightly. Add a little more water if it's getting too thick, but don't forget, we still have 1 cup of coconut milk to be added in. You can cook it for longer if you like a more uniform porridge consistency. You will need more water, the longer you cook.
Stir in the coconut milk and ground dried shrimp, and bring back to a simmer, cooking for no more than a minute. Check seasoning, add more salt if you think it needs it.
250 ml half strength coconut milk
Serve up, garnished with the fried shallots, fresh coriander leaves, spring onions and chilli slices.
chopped coriander leaves, crispy fried shallots, chopped spring onions, chopped fresh red or green chillies OR chilli flakes

Notes

Nutrition is based on using lean minced beef, 3% fat.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 13gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 867mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg

Keyword bubur, porridge, ramadan

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