How to prepare carp porridge for pregnant women that is both nutritious and odorless

Traditionally, according to folklore, carp porridge has been regarded as one of the nutritious delicacies for pregnant women. Eating carp porridge not only aids in the intellectual development of the fetus but also results in smooth, radiant skin and rosy lips for expectant mothers. Moreover, this dish helps pregnant women improve lactation, soothe coughs, reduce swelling, support urination, and provide assistance in addressing certain liver and kidney-related issues. So why hesitate? Explore these incredibly nutritious and odorless carp porridge recipes for pregnant women below.

1. Preparing Carp Porridge for Pregnant Women with Mung Beans

First up is the recipe for preparing rich and creamy carp porridge with mung beans for pregnant women:

1.1. Preparing Ingredients

• 500g fresh carp
• 50g mung beans
  
• 150g brown rice (or 1/2 cup of rice)
  
• 1 handful glutinous rice
  
• Seasonings including fish sauce, pepper, salt
  
• Various herbs such as scallions, coriander, and ginger.

Delicious and Nutritious Carp Porridge with Mung Beans for Expecting Mothers

1.2. Steps to Cook Carp Porridge with Mung Beans

2. How to Cook Carp Porridge for Expectant Mothers with Red Beans

Next up, let's delve into the method of cooking carp porridge for expectant mothers with red beans, ensuring it's both soft and nutritious:

2.1. Preparing the Ingredients

• 500 grams of fresh carp
• Red beans: 100 grams
  
• Rice: 150 grams
  
• Spring onions
  
• Varieties of seasoning such as salt, fish sauce, pepper...

Ingredients for Cooking Carp Porridge with Red Beans

2.2. Cooking Carp Porridge with Red Beans

Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients

• The preparation involves cooking the fish similarly as above.
  
• Thoroughly wash the red beans, soak them overnight to achieve uniform softness and even cooking. After the overnight soaking period, remove any floating damaged beans on the water surface, then rinse them clean and drain.
  
• Rinse the rice briefly.
  
• Clean and finely chop the spring onions along with some aromatic herbs. If expectant mothers have aversions to aromatic herbs, there's no need to prepare them.

Step 2: Cooking Carp Porridge with Red Beans

• Boil the fish until cooked and remove the fish meat. Meanwhile, strain and reserve the boiled fish broth.
  
• Bring the red beans to a boil in the reserved fish broth until they soften.
  
• Cook the rice separately until it becomes porridge-like, then turn off the heat (Note that the porridge and red beans are cooked separately, unlike the previous instructions).
  
• Once the porridge is cooked, add the previously cooked red beans, stir well, and season lightly.
  
• When the porridge is boiling, add the carp meat, spring onions, and pepper, simmer for a moment, then turn off the heat.

3. Cooking Carp Porridge for Expectant Mothers with Straw Mushrooms

The next method for cooking carp porridge for expectant mothers involves combining it with straw mushrooms, a simple yet nutritious choice. Let's explore it now:

3.1. Preparing the Ingredients

• 500g fresh carp
  
• Straw mushrooms: 100g
  
• 1/2 cup rice
  
• 1 carrot
  
• 1 turmeric root
  
• Spring onions, various herbs (depending on the taste preferences of expectant mothers)
  
• Seasonings including pepper, cooking oil, and fish sauce...

Fragrant and Nutritious Carp Porridge with Straw Mushrooms for Expectant Mothers

3.2. Cooking Carp Porridge with Straw Mushrooms

Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients:

• The carp needs to be scaled, thoroughly cleaned, then washed with salt or ginger to remove any fishy odor.
  
• The straw mushrooms need to have their stems removed, be washed thoroughly, and can be left whole or cut in half. Opt for small straw mushrooms that aren't fully opened.
  
• The rice should be rinsed to remove impurities.
  
• After peeling, the turmeric should be finely minced.
  Spring onions should be washed thoroughly and finely chopped.

Step 2: Cooking Carp Porridge with Straw Mushrooms

• After the carp is boiled until cooked, the fish meat needs to be separated and marinated with some spices to enhance its flavor.
  
• Place the rice in a pot and cook until soft.
  
• While waiting for the porridge to cook, heat cooking oil in another pan, then add the spring onions to sauté until fragrant. Once the onions turn a beautiful golden color, add the turmeric, mushrooms, and carrots, and sauté for about 2 minutes. Then, add the carp meat to sauté together, adjusting the seasonings to taste.
  
• Once the porridge is soft, add the previously sautéed carp meat and mushrooms to the pot, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes before turning off the heat. Add pepper and spring onions to enhance the delicious aroma of the dish. (Remember to adjust the seasonings according to the taste preferences of the expectant mother!)

4. Cooking Carp Porridge for Expectant Mothers with Lotus Seeds

Here, PasGo will share with you a nutritious way to cook carp porridge for expectant mothers combined with lotus seeds:

4.1. Preparing the Ingredients

• 500g fresh carp
  
• 150g rice
  
• 2/3 cup fresh lotus seeds
  
• Spring onions and cilantro, coriander (according to taste)
  
• Seasonings including fish sauce, pepper, and salt…

Fragrant and Delicious Carp Porridge with Lotus Seeds

4.2. Cooking Carp Porridge with Lotus Seeds

Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients

• The carp is cleaned and the meat and bones are separated.
  
• The lotus seeds are peeled and the core is removed.
  
• The spring onions are washed and finely chopped.

Step 2: Cooking Carp Porridge with Lotus Seeds

• The carp is boiled until cooked. Once the fish meat cools, remove the bones.
  
• Place a pan on the stove, sauté the spring onions, then add the fish meat and stir-fry until firm, seasoning to taste.
  
• Add rice and lotus seeds to the pot of water for cooking the fish (lightly strain and skim off impurities), cook until soft.
  
• Next, add the cooked carp meat to the porridge pot, stir well. Adjust the taste to preference, then add spring onions and turn off the heat.

5. Tips to Prevent Fishy Taste in Carp Porridge

When cooking carp porridge for expectant mothers, it's important to ensure it's not fishy and remains nutritious. To guarantee these two factors, you can pocket some of the following tips:

• Prepare the carp carefully, especially by removing the guts and cleaning the abdominal cavity of the fish. Some oral advice suggests that processing carp does not require cleaning the intestines and liver, only rinsing is enough. However, this is completely unreasonable from a scientific perspective, as these parts often contain many bacteria that can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea, which can be dangerous to the health of pregnant women and fetuses.
  

Clean the fish belly to remove dirt and reduce fishiness

• Avoid the situation of ruptured fish gallbladder: Fish gallbladder contains a compound called cyprinol sulfate that can cause food poisoning. Therefore, pregnant women should limit the rupture and clean the fish gallbladder before processing.
  
• Avoid using frozen carp: Frozen carp often has significantly lower nutritional content than fresh fish.
  
• Avoid excessive salt: Eating salty foods can lead to issues such as high blood pressure and swelling in pregnant women.
  
• Do not cook together with chicken meat: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, carp has sweet and cold properties, while chicken meat (commonly used for pregnant women's stew) has warm properties. Combining carp and chicken meat in the same dish can lead to acne breakout during pregnancy.
  
• Avoid combining carp with licorice: Combining carp with licorice can lead to the production of potentially dangerous toxins. Pregnant women need to be aware of this.
  

6. The golden time for pregnant women to eat carp porridge

Eating carp porridge during the first 3 months of pregnancy is optimal. During this period, the body structure and organs of the fetus are forming, facilitating efficient nutrient absorption and optimization of effects.

The timing for pregnant women to eat carp porridge can be at any meal, such as:

• Pregnant women eating carp porridge in the morning: not only easy to digest, beneficial for the digestive system, but also provides energy for both mother and baby after a long night.

Pregnant women eating carp porridge will be beneficial for the fetus

• It can also be used as a light meal in the morning or afternoon, providing additional energy to support daily activities.
• Pregnant women eating carp porridge in the evening: helps provide essential nutrients without feeling heavy, promoting better sleep.

In summary, in a week, mothers can eat porridge from 2 to 3 times with various cooking methods to make the most of the nutrients from accompanying ingredients while avoiding feeling bored. Here are simple yet nutritious ways to cook carp porridge for pregnant women. Wish you success in making this porridge right from the first time, and if it tastes good, remember to add it to your nutritional menu during your pregnancy!