Champorado

Instructions

1. Prepare the rice
   Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
2. Cook the rice
   In a medium-sized pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed glutinous rice, stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Add the chocolate
   When the rice is half-cooked (about 10 minutes), add the cocoa powder, chopped chocolate tablets, brown sugar, and salt. Stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated into the rice mixture.
4. Simmer until thickened
   Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The champorado should thicken as it cooks. If adding butter and vanilla, stir them in during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
5. Adjust consistency
   If the champorado becomes too thick, add a little more water to achieve your desired consistency. If it's too thin, simmer for a few more minutes until it thickens. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding more sugar if needed.
6. Serve
   Remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Ladle the champorado into serving bowls. Drizzle with condensed milk and top with fried dried fish flakes if desired, following the traditional Filipino way of enjoying the sweet and salty combination.