Sesame, Coconut, Peanut Porridge

One of my favourite Chinese sweets is called Jian Dui/Matuan/Ma Yuan, the name is dependant on the region of China . It’s a fried ball made of glutinous rice flour, coated with sesame seeds and filled with either lotus seed paste, red bean paste, peanuts… Its chewy, slightly sweet and nutty.

I came across Jian Dui at the Chinatown Bakery in London, theirs filled with coconut and peanuts, and I completely fell in love. It’s a flavour combination that works harmoniously. After craving those flavours, I thought of adding them to porridge, and it really works.

Tip: This specific recipe creates a super creamy porridge. To cut the cooking time in almost half, soak the porridge overnight in the pot you’ll be using.

serves: 1 portion, that can be split into 2

prep/cooking time: 15-25 minutes

Ingredients

4 tbsp (29g) old fashioned oats

1 cup (212g) water

1/3 cup (70g) water

1 tsp shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp coconut sugar, and more for garnish

1/4 cup toasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

extra coconut milk, for garnish

banana, optional for garnish

salt

Method

1. In a small pot add the oats, 1 cup of water, and a pinch of salt (it’s at this moment that you can soak it overnight.) Turn the heat up to medium high, and cook the oats stirring continuously for 10 minutes.

2. After 10 minutes, add the 1/3 cup of water along with the shredded coconut. Continue stirring and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the porridge has softened and broken down a little.

3. Add the coconut milk, tahini, and coconut sugar, stir in it and let the mixture reduce to your desired consistency. It should be super creamy.

4. Remove it from the heat, and plate it. Add the peanuts, sesame seeds, banana (if using,) and more sugar to your taste as well as some coconut milk. Eat still hot.