Japanese 7 Herb Porridge

Porridge is a good meal to cook.

I was inspired to cook different kinds of porridge because my maternal grandmother was very fond of eating porridge.

She could use any vegetable to cook vegetarian porridge, to be eaten with peanuts and some salted radish.

the Chinese and Japanese are very practical people since time immemorial. It is true that after a lot of feasting during the Chinese New Year, we need to slow down and let our stomach rest.

It is best to have some porridge and no wonder our bodies also tell us we need some porridge.

A few years ago I was introduced to the Japanese Nanakusa, the seven spring herbs when Japanese cuisine became a trend in Malaysia.

There is some information on the net about it. It is interesting how weeds can be cooked with rice to make a tasty porridge.

ONe writer wrote, " On January 7th, people eat rice porridge flavored with the first bitter wild greens of spring. It's refreshing and delicious (plus it's supposed to strengthen the immune system and prevent colds)"

The herbs are mainly all weeds: purslane/shepherd's purse, chickweed, dropwort, nipplewort, cudweed, plus turnip (root and tops), and daikon (root and tops). They are the first things to peek out green in the early spring.

The author of the article added crab meat to this porridge.  I hope one day I can buy a packet of the wild weeds from a Japanese store to make this porridge.

7 Spring Herb Porridge with Crab
serves 2-4

2 cups sprouted brown rice
7 cups water
1 small turnip, cubed
2" daikon, cubed (or 2-3 radishes)
1/4 carrot, minced
1 cup wild herbs, chopped fine
1 tsp yuzu kosho (citrus chili paste)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup crab (real or imitation)
1" ginger, shredded

Boil the rice until it is soft. Add the turnip, daikon & carrot and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and stirr in the herbs and seasonings.

Serve topped with crab and ginger.