Congee(Chinese Rice Porridge)

Rice porridge is a common breakfast food in many Asian countries. This type of Chinese rice porridge is primarily made from rice, resulting in a soft, smooth, and slightly thick consistency. It melts in your mouth, with a delicate rice aroma and a hint of sweetness, making it suitable for people of all ages.

4 Reviews
4 Comments
POSTED:01/08/2024
Level:Medium
Yield:1-2 servings
Total:50 min
(includes chilling time)
Active:5 min

Learn how to make silky smooth Asian rice porridge (congee). It can be made on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in an instant pot. Cooking rice porridge is relatively simple, but getting the rice-to-water ratio right is crucial.


1. What is Rice Porridge?

Congee, also known as粥 (zhōu), is a thick porridge made from grains such as rice, millet, or corn. When talking about staple foods in China, most people think of rice and noodles first. However, porridge is also a common staple in China, though it seems to be underappreciated.

Porridge is essentially made from just rice and water, commonly referred to as Chinese rice porridge or congee. It's like a softer, more tender version of steamed rice. This is why in some parts of China, this dish is also called 稀饭 (xīfàn), which literally means "diluted rice." The cooked porridge has a soft, silky, and smooth texture. The rice grains are not fully disintegrated but easily melt in your mouth.

Despite its simplicity, porridge holds an important place in Chinese household diets. It can be eaten on its own or served alongside dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack time.

There are many varieties of porridge in China and other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and Cambodia. Porridge can be plain (with or without added ingredients and seasonings), savory (with added proteins and vegetables), or sweet (with added beans, nuts, and root vegetables).


2. The Best Rice for Making Congee

I've seen many tutorials recommending specific types of rice for making delicious congee. However, in China, there's no such strict rule. There are many types of rice, but their basic components are quite similar. This means that any rice can be used to make congee, as long as you are willing to use it. Common types of rice used include japonica rice, jasmine rice, long-grain rice, millet, and even glutinous rice. The most important factor in making congee is the technique.


3. Rice-to-Water Ratio

The most crucial part of making congee is the rice-to-water ratio. This is why some people’s congee turns out thick, while others’ are more like rice soup or too watery.

There isn't a specific ratio for making congee; instead, it can be adjusted based on personal preference. As a general guideline (measured by volume), use 1 cup of raw rice to 8-10 cups of water. In northern China, people often use less water, resulting in a thicker congee. In southern China, such as in Guangzhou, more water is used for a thinner, more porridge-like consistency, which requires a longer cooking time.

If you’re making congee for the first time, start with a 1:8 ratio. If the congee ends up too thick but the rice grains aren't as soft as you’d like, add a bit of hot water and cook it for a longer period.


4. Best Pairings for Congee

Congee is often eaten as a breakfast dish. I usually enjoy having congee for breakfast, paired with youtiao (fried dough sticks) and soy milk. This combination is very balanced and provides me with the energy I need for the whole day.


5. How to Store Congee

I generally recommend eating fresh food, as it is more nutritious and cleaner. Therefore, I usually cook just enough congee to last for one day.

If you make a larger batch, you can store the congee in a sealed container and keep it in the refrigerator. It typically lasts for 2-3 days when stored this way.


6. Ingredients and Substitutes

Millet: I like to use millet when making congee. You can substitute it with japonica rice or jasmine rice.

Fresh Tremella: Tremella is highly nutritious. You can replace it with shiitake mushrooms, carrots, or any other ingredient you enjoy.

Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes are a great staple with a strong satiating effect. If you don’t like them, you can substitute with other ingredients you prefer.


Congee is a nutritious food. Let's make some delicious congee together!

INGREDIENTS

MAIN INGREDIENTS

  • 80g millet

ACCESSORIES

  • Half a small piece of fresh tremella
  • 2 small sweet potatoes

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Prepare all the required ingredients.

Prepare ingredients for recipe.

STEP 2

Prepare the Side Ingredients:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks. Set aside.

Wash the fresh tremella and tear it into small pieces. Set aside.

Prepare ingredients: peel sweet potatoes, cut into chunks. Wash tremella, tear into pieces.

STEP 3

Wash the millet and soak it for about 10 minutes.

Soaking the millet helps soften it, allowing it to cook more quickly.

Soak millet for 10 minutes to soften and quicken cooking.

STEP 4

After 10 minutes, place all the ingredients into a clay pot.

In 10 minutes, add ingredients to clay pot for cooking.

STEP 5

Add approximately 640g of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Tip:

The rice-to-water ratio has been detailed above. If you want the congee to be thicker, you can add a bit more water.

Boil water, simmer for 30 minutes for congee. Adjust water for desired thickness.

STEP 6

Cook until the millet has opened up, the tremella is soft and tender, and the sweet potatoes are mushy.

Cook millet, tremella, and sweet potatoes until tender.

STEP 7

Serve a bowl, and your delicious congee is ready to enjoy!

Serve a bowl of delicious congee for a tasty meal.

Recipe analyzer

  • Recipes: Congee(Chinese Rice Porridge)
  • Main Ingredients:3
  • Servings per recipe:1
  • Servings size:2.1 kg
Nutritional Summary of Recipe
Amount per 2055 g= 1 serving(s)
  • Energy (calories):2859 kcal
    131%
  • Protein:409.5 g
    750%
  • Fat:98.35 g Why gray?
    203%
  • Carbohydrates:83.13 g
    34%
Calorie breakdown
  • Protein: 57%
    1634 kcal
  • Fat: 31%
    883 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 12%
    340 kcal
The chart shows the percentage of calories intake (energy) coming from the respective macronutrients (fats, protein and carbohydrates).
Omega 6 : Omega 3
1:1
20:1
159:1
Both fatty acids are essential, but nowadays the majority of western diets include excessive amounts of Omega 6 acid.

The ratio shows whether the proportion of both fatty acids in your diet is optimal. Red color means too much of Omega 6 or too little of Omega 3. The data are rounded off and approximate.

4 REVIEWS

Review
Your rating:
GourmetGustoShowOctober 05, 2024

I really love this rice porridge; it’s simple but tastes amazing.
FlavorFusionFeastSeptember 20, 2024

How can I make the congee creamier?
reply:
September 22, 2024
Soak the rice for a few hours before cooking to make the congee more silky.
SavorySensationShowcaseSeptember 08, 2024

This congee is absolutely wonderful—so creamy and flavorful!
TysonAugust 12, 2024

Cooking millet porridge must be hot water under the rice, rice do not use cold water Amoy high heat to boil special small fire do not use a spoon to stir, simmer until millet oil good to drink!
NEVER MISS A RECIPE