Jok (Thai Rice Porridge) with Tamarind-Tomato Broth

About This Recipe

Jok is Thailand's rice porridge, a breakfast and late-night staple made by simmering rice -- often already-cooked leftover rice -- in stock until it breaks down into a thick, comforting porridge, traditionally topped with ground pork, soft egg, and crispy fried garlic. This version brightens the classic broth with tamarind and tomato, a combination that echoes the sour, savory backbone of Thai soups like tom yum and gives the porridge a tangy edge beyond the usual plain, savory jok. The technique for real jok texture is starting with well-broken-down rice: simmering raw rice a long time, or blitzing part of the rice before cooking, both help it break down into the characteristically thick, almost pourable porridge rather than staying as separate grains like plain congee. The tamarind-tomato broth is built as its own quick sauce -- tamarind paste, crushed tomato, and a little sugar and fish sauce simmered until jammy -- then stirred through the finished porridge just before serving so the tang stays bright. Topped with crispy fried garlic, a soft poached or century egg, and fresh cilantro, this porridge is the dish many Thai people reach for when they're sick, hungover, or just want something warm and easy first thing in the morning.

Ingredients

Serves 3

• 0.75 cupjasmine rice(rinsed)
• 5 cupschicken stock
• 200 gground pork
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 2 tbsptamarind paste
• 0.5 cupcrushed tomato
• 1 tbsppalm sugar
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 4 clovesgarlic(thinly sliced)
• 3 tbspoil(for frying garlic)
• 2eggs(soft-poached)
• 2 tbspcilantro(chopped)
• 1 tspwhite pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the garlic

   Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Fry garlic slices, stirring often, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

2. 2

   Start the porridge

   Combine rinsed rice and chicken stock in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, partially covered, and cook 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice breaks down into a thick porridge.

3. 3

   Season the pork

   While the porridge simmers, mix ground pork with soy sauce and a pinch of white pepper.

4. 4

   Make the tamarind-tomato broth

   In a small saucepan, simmer tamarind paste, crushed tomato, palm sugar, and fish sauce for 8-10 minutes until thickened and jammy.

5. 5

   Cook the pork in the porridge

   Stir spoonfuls of the seasoned pork into the simmering porridge and cook 4-5 minutes until the pork is fully cooked through.

6. 6

   Combine and serve

   Stir the tamarind-tomato broth into the porridge just before serving. Ladle into bowls, top with a soft-poached egg, crispy garlic, and cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Use ground chicken or shrimp instead of pork.

• •

  Skip the tamarind-tomato broth for a classic, plain savory jok if you prefer the traditional version.

• •

  Top with pickled mustard greens (pak dong) for extra tang and crunch, a common jok topping.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; the porridge thickens significantly as it cools. Reheat on the stovetop with extra stock or water stirred in to loosen it back to a spoonable consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions