I started the New Year with an evil flu that drained me of energy, appetite and enthusiasm for pretty much everything, including food. Unable to stomach much of anything, I was uninspired until I remembered the ultimate Asian comfort food…rice congee.
Also known as rice gruel, jook, mueh, or xifan, it is all basically the same watery rice porridge, served plain with various meats and pickles on the side or with different flavors, condiments and ingredients mixed in. Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, and Russian cuisines all have their own versions. In my own Taiwanese American family, it was (and is) a common breakfast food or light meal.
Congee is so simple to make that it was one of the first foods my mom allowed me to cook on my own as a child. It is a dish almost impossible to mess up.
Method 1: Add cooked rice to a larger amount of water or broth, and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the rice is soft and the consistency of oatmeal. This is a great way to use up leftover rice, and was my mother’s usual method when I was growing up because in our household, we almost always had leftover rice.
Method 2: If you don’t have any cooked rice handy, start with uncooked rice and an even larger quantity of liquid such as 6-8 cups of water or broth to 1 cup of rice, You can vary this ratio according to your own preference and what works for you…when I consulted a friend who also comes from a Taiwanese family, she unhesitatingly recited her mother’s formula: “10 to 1!”
A third method is to simply use your electric rice cooker…a lot of rice cookers these days have a congee/porridge setting built right in!
Inspired by the “cháo” I like to order from a local Vietnamese restaurant, I decided to make a gingery chicken congee to battle my cold. It truly was the perfect food to heal both mind and body.
Easy Ginger Chicken Rice Porridge (6-8 servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1-2 tablespoons minced ginger root (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken (I poached mine)
- Chopped scallions or other herbs for garnish
Directions:
Add cooked rice to 4 cups of chicken broth, along with the minced ginger root. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the liquid is reduced and the rice is soft and about the consistency of oatmeal. (There should still be some liquid covering the rice, but just a little.) Mix in the cooked, shredded chicken and chopped scallions and serve hot.
Basic Rice Porridge (6 servings)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked short grain white rice
- 6-8 cups water or broth (though my friend insists on 10 cups)
Directions:
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain water. Add the six cups of water to the rice, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.
(Option: Add uncooked pieces of sweet potato during the cooking process to make sweet potato rice)
Enjoy, and stay healthy!
8 Comments
Yum!
Leftover steamed chicken is actually great as a base for congee. Steamed chicken: Generously salt a whole chicken, put in a clay pot uncovered (for more soup), steam on low heat for 3 hours for the most tender flavor, or 1 hour if you’re hurry. Eat. Put in fridge. The next day, take the bones out, shred the meat, and use the salty broth as the basis for the rice, adding more water as needed. For a variation, add dried shitake mushrooms (you don’t need to soak them as they’ll just soak up the steam) when you make the steamed chicken.
My kids gobble this up.
Ben, thanks for the comment and for that awesome sounding steamed chicken recipe! And I love shiitake mushrooms, so I’m going to have to try that variation too. Now, off to find a clay pot…
I love ginger in any form — in fact, don’t think I could make it through the Canadian winter without a good supply of ginger-green tea — so this recipe is going straight onto my “must make it” list. Thanks for this, Emily!
I taught English in Korea for a few years and my friend used to make this for me whenever I was sick. It’s great! I love your site. I’m so glad you’re doing this blog.
In the Philippines a dish called arrozcaldo is done pretty well backwards from your ginger chicken congee. Onions are sautéd briefly with lots of slivered ginger, then chicken pieces are browned, lots of water added, then uncooked rice, add salt and pepper to taste and then it’s all done when the the rice is soupy and the chicken is tender. My mother last made this for me after I had my wisdom teeth removed and it was so tender I was actually able to eat it! Comfort food at its best
Jen: Thanks so much for commenting! Ginger is so great, isn’t it? I love the tea made with freshly grated ginger that you often see in Indian restaurants.
Lovelyn: It’s the best comfort food when you are sick (what a nice friend you have too)! And thanks for the kind words about the blog!
Fran: I’ll have to try the arrozcaldo…it’s funny how different countries have their own version, but everyone gravitates towards it when they are sick.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Oh, I adore congee - I can’t wait to try making this at home!
Jen, thanks for visiting! How great to see you here.
What I love about congee is that the possibilities are limitless…you can add any flavoring or ingredients you can think of. I’m sure you have plenty of interesting ideas.