This basic congee recipe costs next to nothing to make and can be eaten by everyone from babies to the elderly. There are lots of ways to jazz it up, but congee will always be congee – this is basic home cooking, there to comfort and nurture and carry us through when times are a bit tough.
This dish reminds me of Hong Kong, where I spent a lot of my childhood. Downstairs from my grandma’s flat was a breakfast place that served the most amazing congee. It was outdoors with a makeshift rooftop, plastic chairs and rickety tables. The congee was piping hot and silky white, but the standout of the meal were the long deep-fried Chinese crossaints (you tiao) the congee was served with. I would dunk them in and they would soak up the rice, leaving my hands covered with a thin film of grease. It would have been the perfect hangover food.
Garnishes and Sides To Serve With Congee
Here’s a list of garnishes and sides that we have with our congee:
- Chinese crossaints/fried bread sticks/Dau Chao Quay/You Tiao
- Chopped spring onions
- Chopped coriander
- Julienned fresh ginger
- Fried shallots
- Sesame oil
- Freshly cracked pepper
- Chilli oil
- Fish sauce
Congee Variations
Here’s a list of a few of our favourite variations and how to add them to the basic congee recipe:
- Congee with Root Vegetables. This is a great vegan / vegetarian version. Finely chop 1 carrot and 1/2 a medium swede. Add the vegetables at step 3. For the seasoning in step 6, add salt or soy sauce to taste.
- Congee with Pork Mince and Root Vegetables. This is Scruff’s favourite combination. In step 3 of the recipe, add 200 gm of pork mince with 1 finely chopped carrot and 1/2 a finely chopped medium swede. For the seasoning in step 6, add fish sauce to taste.
- Congee with Leftover Cooked Chicken. This is a great way to use up leftover chicken from last nights dinner! Shred the chicken pieces at the very end. Continue cooking until the chicken is warmed through. For the seasoning in step 6, add either salt, soy sauce fish sauce to taste. ( I usually use fish sauce!)
- Congee with Century Egg and Salted Pork. For a very detailed recipe and great tips click here.
- Brown Rice Congee with Chicken. This one is from Sophie @delightfulplates. We love her food blog and this recipe.
My Tips for Success
- Stirring the pot regularly helps the rice breakdown and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- If the rice is sticking to the bottom of the pot then just leave it. Make sure the heat is on low and do not try to loosen the burnt bits.
- If a skin is forming on the surface then its a sign to stir it more often. Use a spoon to scoop it out.
- If your pot is not big enough to fit 2.5 L / 2.5 qt of water, then add it gradually through out the cooking process. As long as the the rice is initially completely submersed in water, it will be fine.
- Congee is a very personal dish. Some like the consistency to be thick and some like it more watery. Tailor it to how you like it!
Other Recipes You May Like
- Quick Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup
- Steph’s Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup (From Scratch)
- Fried Bread Sticks – Dau Chao Quay – You Tiao
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– Scruff & Steph
Basic Congee
Ingredients
- 2.5 L water
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
- sesame oil (optional)
- 2 tbsp fried shallots (optional)
- other condiments as desired (see above)
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
- Rinse and drain the rice under a tap a couple of times to remove the starch and any impurities.
- Add the rice and salt to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil on medium high heat.
- Once the water is boiling, simmer for 1 hour on low heat, stirring every 10 – 15 minutes. (If trying a variation, add extra ingredients as detailed in the variation section of the post.)
- After 1 hour check the consistency of the congee. Add more boiling water to thin it out or cook it longer to thicken it up.
- Once the congee is at the desired state check the seasoning. Add more salt if needed. (If trying a variation, add extra seasoning ingredients as detailed in the variation section of the post.)
- Ladle into bowls and top with the garnishes.
I had congee for the first time last year – and I have been craving it lately! Can’t wait to try your recipe and enjoy this soon. Happy Friday!!
Thanks Alexandra! What did you have your congee with?
My all time favourite food is jook. Mum made jook with a whole chook, some rice, and chicken stock in a pressure cooker. We’d then pick all the meat and skin from the carcass and mix it into the rice gruel. Mum would serve it with soy sauce, shredded iceberg lettuce, and shredded ham. It was so good. I love it.
Yep! My mum did something similar as well. The only real difference is that we use fish sauce instead of soy since we are Vietnamese!
I really should use more fish sauce in my cooking to get to understand it better.
I remember having “jook” as a kid and have recently rediscovered its warm and homey goodness. One tip that I would like to share is to put the cooked rice in the freezer overnight so the starch and kernel breaks down… Then cook the jook again with water to get the desired consistency. This is the secret behind the truly fluffy “jook” in HK… It reminds me of home when I am in Houston. – Garson
That’s a great tip, thank you for sharing Garson. I will definitely give the freezer a go next time. It was nice to hear you have similar “jook” memories, reading your comment makes me miss HK!
Thanks for the variation tips! My grandma and aunties always toast the rice lightly before cooking it. Not sure why (maybe it helps the grains break down more easily?) but it tastes delicious. I always request this whenever I’m coming down with a cold!
Thank you Vy for the tip and also taking the time to leave us a comment!