Fragrant Chinese rice porridge. Extremely easy, packed with flavour and deeply comforting. A real hug in a bowl. Recipe makes for 2 portions but don’t hesitate to multiply for the hungry ones!
Recipe
Serves: 2 | Time: 1h
Ingredients
Congee
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 3 cups chicken broth (1.5 bouillon cubes) – replace with vegetable bouillon for veggie option
- 1 in ginger
- Extra water as needed
Add toppings of choice. In this recipe we used
- 1 egg, soft boiled (6min)
- Fresh coriander
- Chili crisp oil
- Wood ear mushrooms, finely sliced (for texture)
- Black vinegar (optional)
- Sesame oil (optional)
Method
Make the congee
- Add all the congee ingredients to a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 45min or until you obtain a thick porridge. Stir once in a while to avoid burning the bottom of your congee. Add more water if needed.
Prepare the toppings (whilst the congee is cooking)
- Cook the eggs for 6min in boiling water. Run under a cold tap once ready to stop the cooking. Peel right before serving.
- Rehydrate a few wood ear mushrooms and slice into thin strips. It adds extra texture. I like tossing them in a dash of black vinegar and sesame oil (optional).
Assemble
- Serve the warm congee in a bowl, and add toppings.
- Enjoy!
Substitutions
Congee is extremely versatile and present in some form or another in multiple cuisines as such the options are endless. Below are some inspiration to get you thinking but the world is your oyster.
| Recipe components | Possible substitutions* |
| Chicken broth | • Vegetable broth • Beef broth • Dashi |
| Broth aromates (here ginger) | • Garlic • Lemongrass • Whole spices • Fish sauce |
| Toppings | • Aromates (Spring onions, fresh ginger, fresh chilies, crispy fried garlic, etc.) • Meats (minced porc, chicken, shrimp, dried shrimps, pork floss, etc.) • Egg (egg yolk, fried egg, hardboiled egg, etc.) • Veggies (sweetcorn, soy braised eggplant or mushrooms, etc.) • Sauce (Sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, etc.) |
Country
China
China
The Global Homecook 