Arroz Caldo w/rotisserie chicken (Instant Pot)

So in 1994, I had just started taking care of my mother who had just been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I was 27 and the family was still in shock that my mother was sick. One day, she asked me to make Arroz Caldo (a kind of Chicken soup porridge). I was shocked because I had never made it before and my mother had never taught me to make it. So I thought it was a strange request. Strangely, I don’t remember asking her for the recipe or her having one. At the time, I wasn’t cooking a lot, nor was I interested in it.

Today, I am more than interested, thus it’s always on my mind. I came across this recipe on Facebook on a Filipino food group and it looks pretty good and fairly simple. I was not a big fan, but I had had it before, so I knew what it was, but I didn’t have the faintest idea how to make it. But now that I see this recipe, it looks fairly simple. (of course it is an IP recipe)

I wanted to please my mother at the time and I knew that for her, it was probably something from her childhood that was comfort food. I was sad that I could not make it for her. But about a week later, he sister was visiting from London and I asked her if she could make it. We got her the ingredients and she tried. But it was not what my mom was hoping for. My mother was a perfectionist, as well as an excellent cook. She wasn’t trying to be mean, but she was very exacting. It still makes me sad that we couldn’t give her what she wanted.

Coming across this recipe reminded me of the incident, so I had to include it on the blog. Look Ma, I found it!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/284737538704206/permalink/1400252227152726/

(Credit to Alex Herrera on facebook)

Instant Pot Arroz Caldo w/ Costco rotisserie chicken

A quick and easy version for those with an Instant Pot pressure cooker

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup jasmine rice (washed until water is clear)
• 6 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of finely diced yellow/brown onion
• 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
• 3-4 finely minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups of Costco rotisserie chicken (shredded)
• 1/2 cup of thinly sliced green onion
• 1 1/2 tbsp of Better Than Bouillon chicken base
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse the rice at least three times or until the water runs almost clear.
2. Place rice, water, ginger, garlic, onion and chicken base into the IP.
3. Close the lid and set on high pressure for 20 mins.
4. While it is cooking, hand-shred the chicken meat and slice the green onion.
5. Once the timer goes off, quick release the IP making sure to direct the steam away from you.
6. Remove the lid and check the consistency of the soup. If you like it a bit thicker like I do, set the IP to sauté and cook until it is slightly less than the consistency you like (this may take only 2-3 mins, so watch the pot carefully).
7. Add the chicken meat and green onions, stir, and then taste before adding salt and pepper.
Finally, serve a bowl for yourself and add any of the things you love to add to your arroz caldo like hard-boiled egg, fried garlic, fried shallot, cilantro, patis or dilis. Enjoy!