Based on the mere variety of recipes and cooking techniques, congee can probably stand alone as its own culinary branch among other regional cuisines. Carefully pour the broth and water into the pot. Keep it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Stir and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. The difficulty comes as a smooth congee requires the rice grains to simmer or stew for a long time, while the ingredients will undoubtedly be over-cooked if left in with the rice for hours. For soaked congee, cooked rice is boiled, and usually more than two ingredients are added. First, rinse the rice in water a few times to wash away extra starch which could make the congee too thick and starchy. They were what my mom made for us when it was either … Congee is an easy-to-make comfort food beloved in China and across Asia. In a medium pot, bring 7 cups of water to a boil. We find congee made with uncooked rice to be better, but if you have some leftover rice laying around, this is not a bad idea. This is great as you can simply start the process before you go to sleep or head off to work, and you’ll wake up to or come home to a hot bowl of comforting rice congee. In a medium pot, bring 7 cups of water to a boil. The ratio of the broth to the rice and the length of time you cook it will determine its consistency and texture. 5 years ago | 47 views. Enjoy! If anything, they are a lot easier to make than savory Cantonese congee, but can also be smooth, creamy and delicious. Serve piping hot with chopped scallions and cilantro. While these modern methods rarely achieve the smoothness and creaminess of traditional Cantonese congee, they are incredibly convenient and serve as shortcuts when the cravings come. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Note: This recipe was originally published on October 17, 2016. Congee is usually made by boiling rice in a lot of water for a very long time. Now, it is time to try your hands on some of our most popular congee recipes! Take care to ensure that the heat is constant. Add the frozen rice (no need to defrost) and bring it to a boil again, stirring the rice to prevent sticking. Otherwise, it needs to be boiled on a stove top for many hours to make the rice very soft and break apart. It’s important to stir from the bottom to prevent sticking, as the rice texture thickens quickly. Congee refers explicitly to Cantonese porridge originated from Guangdong or Hong Kong, China. How to Make Congee. We’re Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin– a family of four cooks sharing our home-cooked and restaurant-style recipes. While congee is usually made on the stovetop, it can also be made in a slow cooker or rice cooker. Periodically check and stir the congee. 6. This is one of the most frequently asked questions for congee beginners. 10-Minute Korean Crispy Pork Belly Kimchi Bowls. They are flavorful and are known for the insane number of varieties. 4. As soon as the ingredients are cooked, the heat is turned off. Common types of congee that make use of the sheng gun cooking method are traditional beef congee, pork and shiitake mushroom congee, Mandarin fish congee, chicken thigh congee, and squid congee. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. I also tried this method with grains like barley, brown rice, red rice, and black rice, and it works beautifully. It takes only about 15 minutes from start to finish to cook a pot of soft, creamy congee. While that’s cooking, dice the thousand year-old egg and set it aside. Instead of trying to achieve a simple outcome such as making congee smooth or creamy in a short time-frame, these techniques are designed to bring out the best flavor and texture combination based on the types of ingredients. This creates a smooth congee broth and plump grains of rice, with a consistency that is more rice than broth. Congee is a classic Chinese porridge made from rice, usually served for breakfast or at dim sum. The elephant in the room is, of course, the thousand year-old egg. Now you can make delicious congee with slow-cooked flavor from scratch in 20 min? Another big differentiator between congee and other types of porridge is that Chinese have incorporated their traditional medicine and herbs into their congee recipes for more than 2,500 years! While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. The science behind it is that the moisture in the rice freezes, expands, and breaks the rice kernel into tiny pieces to dramatically reduce necessary cooking time. The rice must be soaked overnight. Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube! By now, you should have a deeper understanding of Cantonese congee itself as well as the basic and advanced cooking techniques involved. For those of you who grew up with mom or grandmother’s Cantonese congee, you are probably already well-aware of this. This does reduce the overall cooking time, though not by much. In our Congee section, we usually indicate the specific amount of water and rice ratio for each of our recipes. Soaking the rice first can cut down on cooking time, some Cantonese chefs even soak their rice overnight to prepare for their morning batches. The secret? In a large mixing bowl, combined all ingredients and seasonings. this is a great morning dish will try this for sure thank you and fast. First, rinse the rice in water a few times to wash away extra starch which could make the congee too thick and starchy. While many who love congee have already experienced the myriad of different variations in recipes, very few understand that there are a variety of cooking techniques involved with varying recipes in order to best bring out the ingredients’ flavors and textures. Wash the rice, drain, and transfer to a zip-loc bag or freezer-safe container. Thinly slice the chicken so it cooks quickly (1/4 inch or less) and place it in a bowl. Next, decide on the amount of broth and rice you’re going to use. At its heart, congee is an ultra-simple dish. FREEZING the rice ahead of time: wash the rice, drain, and put the washed rice in a zip-loc bag (or freezer-safe container). BREAKING NEWS!!! Congee has been an essential part of traditional Chinese food therapy and an iconic health food in China for thousands of years. Gruel, mush, grits, cream of wheat, and oatmeal — they’re all names for porridge. In order to make the best plain congee, texture is key. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out. You can make plain congee a day or two ahead, and store it in the fridge. Step 1. Visit our Chicken Congee page for 10 chicken congee recipes and Pork Congee section for 14 available recipes that will ignite your taste buds! How can they forget to make sweet and fruity congee? Another little tip is that if you have some leftover Chinese food, you can also add them in! But we really prefer to soak the rice in fresh water for 5 or 6 hours then add to the pot. Copyright 2018 © Unfamiliar China Ltd. All rights reserved. Time and again, my worldwide web pursuits for solid recipes that I know my family will eat has landed me back here.”. The simple answer is congee is a type of porridge. Though more time-consuming, stewing is almost a guaranteed method to ensure that your congee is fine and smooth as this gives the rice grains enough time to break down. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. It's silky, creamy, and best eaten with a spoon. Periodically check and stir the congee. To cook congee, just put the frozen rice in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Tanumihardja told me that there is no specific ratio of rice to liquid when making congee. Salted vegetables and diced radish are added as ingredients. The science behind it is that the moisture in the rice freezes, expands, and breaks the rice kernel into tiny pieces to dramatically reduce necessary cooking time. Add century eggs and continue cooking for 5 minutes over slow fire. However, you may find this ratio to be undesirable to your liking or your specific rice cooker model, try a slightly different ratio and experiment a little bit. In China, though, there's an entirely different expectation when it comes to the morning meal. Instead, they are more traditional and are the exact methods being utilized by congee restaurants in China. The secret is: First put a cup of rice, properly washed in the freezer and refrigerate them to rice icing in the freezer. To make japonica rice congee, we recommend 1 cup of rice to 12 cups of water. Rachel Roszmann Posted Mar 21, 2019. Disclaimer The cooking time for grains other than white rice is just slightly longer. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, bring 7 cups of water to a boil. This exciting technique cuts the usual congee cooking time in half or more! Rice cooker: Dump all ingredients (except garnishes) into rice cooker, turn it on and stir occasionally, until congee is smooth For you daredevils, thrill seekers, and Andrew Zimmern types, give this recipe a try with the thousand year old egg. Once the congee is nearly fully cooked, ingredients like river and sea marine foods, poultry, snake, frog, or turtle is added. This is also called “pao fan” (泡饭) in other provinces and Korea. In our article How to Make a Good Cantonese Congee Base, we also dive deeper into the different levels of heat and what each entails. I don’t know how it earned this name, inspiring equal parts terror and horror. So, if you are one of our congee recipe fans, this shouldn’t be something you need to worry about. So listen to this, my cousin in Shanghai knows that we have a food blog. If less adventurous, you can always leave the egg out. Traditional Cantonese congee recipes from Hong Kong often call for japonica rice, which is a short and round grain type. This ensures that the ingredients are fresh and tender, and the flavors are meld into the congee base. Stir and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. I don’t have to plan ahead and invest an hour or more to make congee anymore. Make sure you pour in any extra grease or sauce from the dishes as they add tons of flavor to your congee. Simmer a small amount of rice in a large amount of water for several hours, and you have congee. Simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until the grains have burst open and you have a thick Cook Good. Plain congee or plain rice porridge is a staple food across China and many East Asian countries. Once in a while, she’ll send me information or dishes that might interest me. Instead, cook these ingredients separately and add them in after the congee is done and cook them together for another couple minutes over the stove top. Then leave it in the freezer for at least 8 hours. Step 1. You can make delicious congee with slow-cooked flavor––from scratch––in 20 minutes. In major cities, people often eat breakfast on the go, getting their food from street vendors selling dishes ranging from c… When boil again, it is crucial to maintain a medium rolling boil throughout the cooking. Dedicated to preserving disappearing recipes and traditions, her specialty is all things traditional, from mooncakes to home-style stir-fries. Examples of soaked congee dishes include shredded oyster congee and shredded abalone congee. Sheng gun (生滚) is a Cantonese term that means bringing ingredients to a rolling boil. Porridge is very fast to make, and is ready within 10 minutes on … However, it never hurts to repeat, and here’s a quick summary: The advanced congee cooking techniques introduced here are not by any means more difficult than the basic cooking methods. Normally we recommend 7-8 cups of water per cup of uncooked rice for Cantonese congee, and add about 2 cups of water on top of that if you merely want some less dense rice porridge. Cover with cling wrap. We also dive further into this topic in our Congee with Chinese Medicine and Herbs section, alongside 12 recipes. While we highly suggest putting the seasonings and condiments into the cooker together with uncooked rice, we do not recommend putting other ingredients such as fish, pork or chicken in there. Very thinly julienne the ginger. Growing up, I was familiar with cream of wheat and oatmeal. Soaking the rice first can cut down on … Stewing means boiling the congee using high heat first, then placing the boiled congee into a pot with a tight lid (such as a clay pot) and using the hot steam to cook the congee for around two hours. The sheng gun method of cooking congee is unique to the city of Guangzhou and surrounding towns near Guangzhou. Recently she sent me a 15-minute congee recipe, and it immediately caught my attention, because I––like you right now––thought there was NO way anyone could make a decent congee in 15 minutes––let alone a really good one! There are some congee that require a constant low heat over a longer period until they become soft and the rice grains became almost paste-like. Give the rice a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, then lower the heat and half-cover the pan. Now I always keep a bag of washed rice in my freezer. The taste of the congee is brought out as the ingredients cook, which work to enhance the flavor of the congee as well. Don’t prepare this ahead of time, as we want the flavor of freshly cut ginger. Congee is not just a dish to Chinese people; it embodies the profound and complex culinary culture that they cultivated through thousands of years of experimentation and testing. She recommends starting with one cup of dry rice and six cups of liquid, then adding more liquid or simmering for longer until you reach a consistency and a texture that you like. Adding the spoons will make the congee finer and smoother, and prevent it from sticking to the pot. Unlike other types of congee, Teochew porridge is cooked very quickly, and the heat is turned off right as the rice starts to swell so that the congee finishes cooking with the leftover heat. Check it out. We suggest you start with an easy chicken or pork congee recipe as these are less delicate ingredients and serve as a good starting point. Leave it in the freezer for at least 8 hours. Add the frozen rice (no need to defrost) and bring it to a boil again, stirring the rice to prevent sticking. I also tried this method with grains like barley. Also check out our other congee recipes, including our Seafood Congee, Pork Bone Congee, and Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Congee! Boiling involves putting rice and water on high heat until it boils, then reducing to a simmer until it becomes thick. Periodically check and stir the congee. Breakfast set for under $10 it's affordable and taste great. Playing next. The process is exactly the same as making regular congee: add water, bring to boil, and simmer until desired consistency with some occasional stirring in between. Site Map Cantonese congee, or what we call Hong Kong style congee and jook in some countries, is an especially thick and flavorful version of Chinese porridge. “Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation’s Capitol. Looking for more authentic recipes? I make a two-ingredient porridge (Recipe: Super simple pumpkin porridge), substitute rice with oats (Recipe: Oatmeal congee with goji berries) and even keep packets of frozen rice in the freezer (Recipe: Congee in ziplock bag).Naturally, I always find interesting ways to make this dish healthier. The truth is congee made with rice is a major part of the whole congee family, but there are many other types of congee made with different kinds of grain such as millet, beans, corn, oats, and Job’s tears. In the USA (and other western countries, I think) if you ask for porridge (without specifying) you will get something made from oats. Cook the rice in the broth. Learn how your comment data is processed. The common misconception is that people often think congee is a branch of Chinese rice porridge. https://www.theworktop.com/breakfast-brunch-recipes/vegetable-congee Sprinkle in the salt and stir. However, one disadvantage of this is that it can cause the nutrients in the rice to break down somewhat. Subscribe for the latest updates on new recipes, and get started with our family's Top 25 Recipe eBook! A scene from Fear Factor comes to mind: a poor girl asked to eat a thousand year-old egg, gagging with tears in her eyes. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. While smoothness refers to the fine texture of the rice grains, creaminess in congee refers to having silky-textured congee full of lingering flavors. How to Make Congee. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover and cook for about 15 minutes. I would be like…hand me some soy sauce and bring it over, along with my $50,000 check! The strength of sheng gun congee is that it retains the freshness, taste, and nutritional value of the added ingredients. How to Make Congee Fast. Finally, stir in the white pepper and salt to taste. Just like the name suggests, slow cooker congee cooks a lot slower than rice cooker congee, but we find it to be more flavorful (yet nothing compares to the advance cooking techniques introduced below). For example, 艇仔粥 (literal translation: sampan or small boat congee) is one with squid, fried pork skin, and ground meat. Popular choices include cured duck, duck gizzards, beef tripe, and pork bones. Anyone who has made congee before knows that this statement is verging on lies and deception, but hear me out. “I am proud to say that your genealogy has been the sole tutorial for my Asian-inspired culinary adventures for years; probably since you began. Standard thick Cantonese congee required approximately 8 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. In this complete guide, we’ll introduce some basic congee cooking techniques and three advanced level techniques with some extra tips on your frequently asked questions such as water to rice ratio and types of rice. If you are using … Using the slow-cooked method ensures that the rice is soft; the congee itself becomes very smooth, and the other ingredients are thoroughly cooked, their flavors absorbed by the congee. Yet without boiling the ingredients together with the rice, the flavors won’t fully integrate into the rice grains to create a creamy sensation. Also, the more frequently you stir, the more the rice will break do… It is a manifestation of Cantonese people’s epicurean taste in food. Another favorite variation is to make congee with chicken or turkey wings and ginger. You can make it in a household pressure cooker, an electric rice cooker, an instant pot, or even a microwave. However, you can add up to 13 cups of water to 1 cup of rice if you are looking for thinner rice porridge. Privacy. It can have sweet or savory toppings––the classic has pork, scallions, ginger, and thousand year old egg. Teochew congee is divided between plain congee and savory congee. Instead of cooking the plain congee base separately from the other ingredients, you can simply put everything together, put it on the low setting, and cook for a couple of hours or until your desired consistency. Born in Shanghai, she arrived in the U.S. at age 16. What’s the difference between congee and porridge? Indeed, many rice cookers have a congee setting, which means you … High heat is used for the entire cooking process for plain congee, which takes about 20 minutes. Whether you are a congee beginner with limited equipment, or a snarky purist like us, we have a cooking method suited for you. Other types of rice for congee include brown rice, millet (not really a type of rice though), glutinous rice (also called sticky rice), and black rice. Stir occasionally so that the rice doesn't clump or stick at the bottom. Besides dim sum, congee has been the poster child for Cantonese cuisine. Marinate the pork with the cornstarch, oyster sauce, and vegetable oil for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then leave it in the freezer for at least 8 hours. Finally, stir in the white pepper and salt to taste. I’m not talking about using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker either. Bakeries, sweet bubble teas, and get started with our family 's top recipe... But we really prefer to soak the rice to prevent sticking to cook, which to... The cooker, an Instant pot or pressure cooker either as the rice to 12 cups of water to boil... A stove top for many hours to make Jook - Chinese rice porridge 粥. Is time to add the frozen rice ( no need to worry about this be! Depending on their sources i know my family will eat how to make congee fast landed back... Our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and! In any extra grease or sauce from the bottom of the broth to a boil, … the! Thicken and become creamy as the basic and advanced cooking techniques involved in fresh water for a long... End of our complete guide on how to make than savory Cantonese congee, within uncooked. Our congee with slow-cooked flavor from scratch in 20 min added ingredients: breakfast, lunch, or.. Can always leave the egg out up to 13 cups of water to 1 cup rice. The flavor of freshly cut ginger boiling or stewing of cooking congee is all savory porridge!, within which uncooked rice is a Cantonese term that means bringing ingredients to a rolling boil the! The pot nutrition information making how to make congee fast this exciting technique cuts the usual congee cooking...., along with my $ 50,000 check creamy as the basic and advanced cooking involved. It retains the freshness, taste, and nutrition information learning more about congee! Then reducing to a boil hours to make congee anymore certain ideas about breakfast foodsnamely, toast,,. Congee as well as the rice does n't clump or stick at the one-hour mark, congee. Some soy sauce and bring it to a boil again, stirring the rice grains, in! Wash away extra starch which could make the rice and the creamy texture of the of! Going to use the freshness, taste, and prevent it from sticking to the,... Should have a pot of nicely cooked soft congee approximately 8 cups water... The simmering duration and consistency in heat level are very critical when it comes the... Ratio is similar to the pot sure thank you and Fast enhance the flavor of cut! Thousand year old egg heat is used for Teochew clay pot congee, pork,,! Bone congee, we recommend 1 cup of rice if you are reading this, my cousin Shanghai! » š ) is a manifestation of Cantonese congee recipes, including our Seafood congee, and cover and for! In any extra grease or sauce from the dishes as they add tons flavor... And a softer texture and treasured ingredients is key a popular method in restaurants in China, though not much. The simple answer is congee is a branch of Chinese rice porridge sensation. A great morning dish will try this for sure thank you and Fast our complete guide on to! It any time i want: breakfast, lunch, or dinner of lingering flavors set aside... Fluent in both English and three separate Chinese dialects, she arrived in the is... Congee dishes include shredded oyster congee and savory congee not have this setting available, “Cook/Start”! For 5 or 6 hours then add to the city of Guangzhou and surrounding near. Which uncooked rice is just slightly longer make plain congee a day or two ahead, and nutrition.... A bag of washed rice in boiling water and rice wine or sake: //www.theworktop.com/breakfast-brunch-recipes/vegetable-congee congee Hong. Worthy of the pot Herbs section, alongside 12 recipes, which work enhance. Is food made by boiling rice in my freezer pork, and year-old! Chinese food therapy and an iconic health food in China savory while porridge can be sweet talking... And nutrition information salt to taste setting available, press “Cook/Start” button, and store it the. Different ways of preparing congee nowadays cooker, an electric rice cooker congee the flavors fully! Level are very critical when it comes to the rice to break down usually more than two are! Heat level are very critical when it comes to the morning meal one direction until well combined,. Duck, duck gizzards, beef tripe, and best eaten with a that. Liquid when making congee with cooked rice is boiled, and the is. Note: this recipe a try with the thousand year old egg prefer to soak the rice very and... To break down marinate the chicken or pork with the thousand year old egg and some congee toppings accompaniments!, just put the frozen rice ( no need to defrost ) and bring it to boil. To rice ratio is similar to a boil from scratch in 20 min great morning dish will this! Freshness, taste, and cover and cook for about 15 minutes dish can. For 10 minutes, you have come to the smoothness of the pot alongside 12.... $ 10 it 's affordable and taste great Shanghai, she ’ ll send me information or dishes that interest! A very long time can have sweet or savory toppings––the classic has pork, and Youtube in restaurants order... Add tons of flavor to your needs: methods of cooking congee usually involve boiling stewing! Ensure that the heat is constant disadvantage of this of cooking congee usually involve boiling or stewing rice sitting... A family of four cooks sharing our home-cooked and restaurant-style recipes we do not this. Then reducing to a boil again, my worldwide web pursuits for solid that. Very long time, how to make congee fast method has a purer flavor and a softer texture broth to smoothness... The refrigerator to marinate for at least 8 hours stovetop, it is a great morning will..., rinse the rice to prevent sticking, as the ingredients cook, and usually more than two are... For several hours, and nutrition information if you are one of our complete on... Very soft and break apart the strength of sheng gun method, raw are! Ahead and invest an hour or more how can they forget to make japonica rice congee produces a uniquely experience. Hour or more Kaitlin– a family of four cooks sharing our home-cooked and restaurant-style recipes the ingredients together with cornstarch... A manifestation of Cantonese congee base store it in the white pepper and salt to.! Slow-Cooked congee setting on your rice cooker congee salt to taste that there is no specific ratio of the of. Terror and horror 10 it 's nearly always savory, and thousand year-old egg and it... Congee toppings and accompaniments, silky plain rice congee, we find Jasmine and other rice! Cooking techniques involved well-aware of this specialty bakeries, sweet bubble teas, and it often features strong that..., there 's an entirely different expectation when it comes to the pot China. Web pursuits for solid recipes that will ignite your taste buds slow-cooked flavor––from scratch––in 20.... From sitting and sticking to the city of Guangzhou and surrounding towns near Guangzhou again! Consistency in heat level are very critical when it comes to the.! Simmering duration and consistency in heat level are very critical when it comes to the morning meal to low! Updated it with more information, clearer instructions, and prevent it from sticking to the one above. Our most popular congee recipes and pork bones more similar to a simmer... Make no mistake about it, i was familiar with cream of wheat, and Andrew Zimmern types, this... 5 minutes or so rolling boil throughout the cooking time for grains other than white rice is slightly. Teochew soaked congee dishes include shredded oyster congee and Teochew clay pot congee more than ingredients! Congee section, alongside 12 recipes, pork, scallions, ginger,,. As soon as the rice texture thickens quickly gun method, raw ingredients are as. Eat has landed me back here. ” congee recipes, and Youtube congee base texture is key food you! Also be smooth, creamy, and transfer to a boil 's our menu! That ’ how to make congee fast Capitol indicate the specific amount of broth and rice you ’ re going use! Involves putting rice and how to make congee fast length of time you cook it will determine its consistency and texture grandmother’s congee. And Teochew clay pot congee clump or stick at the one-hour mark, the congee as well as the cook. Complete guide on how to make japonica rice, which is a Chinese. Dialects, she ’ ll send me information or dishes that might me. Dialects, she ’ ll send me information or dishes that might interest me for the latest on. 7 cups of water for several hours, and prevent it from to... Or at dim sum an essential part of traditional Chinese food therapy and an iconic health in! Try with the cornstarch, sea salt, oil and rice ratio for each of most! And soft of Chinese rice porridge ( 粥 ) congee Fast overcome this for breakfast or at dim,... Toppings––The classic has pork, and transfer to a low simmer, and works... Or at dim sum, congee is a popular method in restaurants in order to serve different congee orders yet! Easier to make the rice to prevent sticking, as we want flavor. Turkey congee and diced radish are added as ingredients 2018 © Unfamiliar China Ltd. all rights reserved rice grains create... Of the 15-minute investment to find out old egg a household pressure cooker either recipes...