Buzz
I recently spent a rather uneventful staycation in my Brooklyn apartment, battling through a viral infection. It's the middle of winter, and colds are inevitable. But let’s be honest—being sick is never fun. A few things bring me comfort when I'm unwell: blankets often feel too warm or not warm enough, tea leaves my throat dry, and sleep is elusive. Thankfully, my cats' healing presence is a constant source of comfort, along with my mom’s Thai jok.
Since I can't share my cats with you, let me walk you through how I prepare a week’s worth of my mom’s healing rice porridge. This rich, warm soup is like a comforting hug, perfect for when you’re at your worst and in need of some nourishment.
So, what exactly is jok (โจ๊ก)?
Thai jok (pronounced somewhat like 'joe-g') is a cozy, comforting rice porridge akin to other similar dishes in Asian cuisine, such as Chinese congee or the Filipino lugaw. In Thailand, it’s commonly found at specialized restaurants that focus entirely on this dish. While jok is typically a breakfast favorite, I enjoy having it for lunch, especially when I’m sick and my sleep schedule is all over the place.
The base of the soup is made by cooking broken jasmine rice in chicken broth. You can find bags of broken rice at many Asian grocery stores for this purpose, but I usually just break up regular rice myself. Breaking the rice is crucial. If you’ve ever added whole rice grains to a soup, you’ll know they tend to swell up and sit at the bottom of the bowl. The rice in jok behaves differently.
Breaking the rice grains opens them up to the broth, and as the water boils, the starches expand and burst. Since the structure of the grain has already been broken down, more of the gelatinized starch is released into the broth, giving the soup a smooth, silky texture with a slight stickiness.
Once the base porridge is ready, you can poach an egg in the hot liquid, and then add your choice of shredded meats, shrimp, or meatballs. Top it all off with fresh herbs and aromatics like cilantro, chopped ginger, fried garlic, and scallions. You can mix and match any of these additions, but when I’m feeling under the weather, a simple combination of chicken broth, egg, cilantro, and ginger is essential for my bowl.
How to easily make jok at home.
When you're feeling sick, cooking from scratch is probably the last thing on your mind. While making this soup isn’t as quick as popping open a can of Progresso, it’s infinitely more satisfying. To make things a little easier than the traditional method, I prefer to meal prep the ingredients so I can have a week’s worth of soup ready to go. All I need to do is heat it up and add a couple of eggs when I’m hungry. This makes the process much more manageable, and the taste remains just as wonderful as when my mom makes it.
1. Prepare the rice
Cook a large batch of rice, or simply use any leftover rice you have. I typically put one and a half cups each of jasmine rice and water into my rice cooker and press the 'cook' button, but if you prefer cooking rice on the stove, go for it. Once the rice is cooked and cooled, transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
2. Chop your vegetables
Peel the ginger and finely chop or julienne an inch or two of the root. Store it in a small container with a lid, making sure the pieces aren’t packed too tightly to avoid them freezing into a solid block. Thinly slice three or four scallions into rounds and place them in a small container with a damp paper towel. Do the same with a handful of cilantro. You can store them separately in their own containers or combine them in one, like I did in the photo. Freeze the ginger and refrigerate the cilantro and scallions.
3. Prepare the jok
When you’re ready to enjoy your soup, you can break the rice using an immersion blender, food processor, or standard blender. I prefer an immersion blender, so I pour two cups of chicken broth into a medium pot and add about a cup of the leftover rice. (Once you get the hang of it, you can adjust the thickness of the soup by varying the amount of rice.) Break the rice clump apart with a spoon. Use the immersion blender, pulsing around the pot for about 10 to 15 times. If you're using a blender or food processor, combine the broth and rice and pulse 10 to 15 times. The goal is to break up the rice into smaller bits, but avoid turning it into a puree. Then, transfer the mixture to a pot.
Set the burner to medium-low heat and allow the porridge to warm up, stirring occasionally as it thickens. Let it simmer for two or three minutes, and it will continue to thicken as it cools down.
4. Add your toppings
If you’re adding eggs (which I highly recommend), crack them and gently drop them into the simmering jok. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let the eggs poach for about 15 minutes. This will result in runny yolks that help bring the porridge to the perfect temperature to soothe a sore throat. If you prefer your eggs cooked longer, you can always turn the heat back on for a few more minutes.
Spoon the soup into a bowl and carefully place the poached eggs on top. Add a pinch of frozen ginger (which will thaw as you stir it in), along with some scallions and cilantro.
This recipe makes enough jok for two servings and features toppings that provide a mild flavor with soothing qualities for both the stomach and throat. You can enjoy it year-round and customize the toppings to match your mood. Add fried garlic chips, chili crisp, cooked leftover slices of beef or chicken, and a splash of soy sauce or fish sauce if you’re craving a savory boost with some umami. Store the prepped ingredients in the fridge and freezer so they're ready whenever you need a comforting meal during the week.
Quick Jok Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup of leftover cooked jasmine rice
2 cups of chicken broth
2 eggs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or frozen ginger
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons sliced scallions
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Add the rice and chicken broth to a medium pot. Break the rice into smaller clumps with a spoon. Use an immersion blender to pulse the mixture around 10 times. The goal is to break up the rice, but not to turn it into mush. Check the rice by scooping some up with a spoon. The grains should be small but still recognizable. A few whole grains are perfectly fine.
2. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Allow the soup to come to a boil for one or two minutes. It will start to thicken as it nears the end of the cooking time, and it will continue to thicken as it cools down.
3. Just before turning off the heat, crack the eggs and carefully drop them into the jok. Cover the pot with a lid and switch off the heat. Let the eggs poach for about 15 minutes. Once done, scoop the porridge into two bowls, adding one egg to each, then sprinkle with ginger, cilantro, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
