When I was a kid, I’d eat congee almost every other day. Congee is a traditional Chinese porridge made from boiling rice in a large amount of water for a long time. As it cooks, the rice releases its starch, which thickens it up into a porridge, and becomes soft, silky, and creamy. It’s usually eaten for breakfast, as a late dinner, or as a fill-in for a side of cooked white rice at any meal.
In our Chinese American household, my parents would cook an immense amount of food for dinner, which led to an equally immense amount of leftovers. No matter what, my mom would make congee the next day. Although congee is usually topped with meat, fish, preserved vegetables, and various other toppings, I topped my congee with a mountain of rou song (Chinese meat floss) and whatever leftovers there were before diving right in.
This classic recipe takes less than an hour to make from start to finish. Here’s how to easily make your own perfect bowl of warm, comforting congee.
Key Ingredients in Congee
Rice: There’s really only one thing you need to make congee: white rice. I usually use medium-grain white rice, but any kind of rice can be turned into congee. (My parents would even use already cooked rice from the day before and it’d always turn into delicious congee.)
Toppings: This basic recipe keeps things simple with sliced scallion greens and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. But the beautiful thing about congee is that it’s really a blank canvas in terms of how you choose to flavor it (you can see how I topped my Christmas congee!). You can add pork floss, reheated leftovers, or whatever you desire.
Wash the rice. White rice will always have some starch on the outside of each grain. Washing it off leads to a silkier, creamier congee. If you don’t properly wash your rice, your congee could become really slimy and sticky, which won’t get you the same light mouthfeel that properly cooked congee has.
Boil the rice in a good amount of water. I do one cup of rice to eight cups of water, but everyone has a different ratio that they use. Simmer until the rice is plump and tender, and the congee has thickened up considerably.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Congee
If you have any congee leftovers, you can store it in any airtight container. It can be frozen for a month max, or refrigerated for around five days. When reheating, you’ll need to thaw it first if it’s frozen.
To reheat, you can warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop. If it’s thickened up considerably, just add some water (a quarter cup at a time) and stir until you reach your desired thickness. It’ll be just like new!
Basic Congee Recipe (Chinese Rice Porridge)
It’s the perfect blend of warmth and comfort — all in a bowl.
1 teapoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
Place 1 cup white rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Place the rice in a large saucepan and add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice a 1-inch piece of ginger. Thinly slice 3 garlic cloves. Thinly slice 2 medium scallions on a slight diagonal, keeping the white and green parts separate. Reserve the green parts for garnish.
When the congee is boiling, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a brisk simmer. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and making sure to scrape to the bottom of the saucepan, until very creamy and thickened, 30 to 35 minutes.
When the congee is ready, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Serve topped with the reserved scallion greens and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Recipe Notes
Storage: The congee can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat congee over medium-low heat, and add a splash of water to thin out if too thick.
A version of this recipe was first published on February 2016 by Emma Christensen.
If your kitchen isn't too warm, it's fine to leave the congee on the counter overnight. If unsure, store it in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) once it cools to room temperature. Reheat cold congee over low heat. Stir from time to time to avoid burning at the bottom.
If your kitchen isn't too warm, it's fine to leave the congee on the counter overnight. If unsure, store it in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) once it cools to room temperature. Reheat cold congee over low heat. Stir from time to time to avoid burning at the bottom.
Low-effort and gentle on the stomach, it's embraced as a go-to for belly aches, colds, or days of general discomfort. That's how I've always known it; my grandmother, who lived with us for years while I was growing up, would make congee on the regular, but particularly during the winter or when any of us felt ill.
Congee is easy to digest and provides hydration to the body which is essential to cure diarrhea. It also moistens the cells of the intestinal area so that it helps to reduce your constipation issues. And if you are thinking about weight-control, Congee has way fewer calories than any normal rice dish.
If the congee isn't as thick as you like, remove the pot from the heat, keep it covered, and let it rest for about 15 minutes. To store leftover congee, keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to five days. Reheat congee slowly in the microwave or on the stovetop just until warm.
To reheat, you can warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop. If it's thickened up considerably, just add some water (a quarter cup at a time) and stir until you reach your desired thickness. It'll be just like new!
If you're serving the rice and place it in a bowl on your table at room temperature, then it must be refrigerated within two hours of cooking. If the rice sits out for two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above (like eating outdoors), then the rice should be tossed.
In some cultures, congee is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper; some may also eat it as a substitute for rice at other meals. It is often considered suitable for the sick as a mild, easily digestible food.
Rich in flavour and filled with the goodness of nutrients, rice congee is the perfect dish to have daily for anyone, especially children who are picky eaters. Introduce your fussy baby to a warm bowl of rice congee topped with the things they love. The delicious dish is also beneficial for your overall well-being.
So, congee is a type of rice porridge, but not all rice porridge is congee-like the way all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Jook gets a step more specific: It's the English translation of the Cantonese name for rice porridge.
For a healthier version, I frequently recommend using brown rice, or even barley or millet. Simmer on very low heat for 1-2 hours or until rice is quite broken down.
Congees are a popular year-round breakfast option. However, they can cause a quick rise in your blood glucose levels (BGL) because they are high in Glycaemic Index (GI) as they are made with white rice. Swap or mix your white rice with grains such as pearl barley, red beans, mung beans and rolled oats.
Congee has been used preventatively to promote good health and digestion for centuries. It provides the environment for the proper function of the spleen-stomach and it's transformative abilities.
Even after draining the rice, there will be a small amount of water left clinging to the grains that they will absorb—and when that water expands as it freezes, it cracks the grains so that they break down much more quickly during cooking.
Congee is often eaten with fried bread stick known as "Youtiao". Is a classic Chinese breakfast dish. Additional ingredients such as meat, fish, eggs and flavouring can be added while preparing the congee. There are no rules about what to add.
Serve warm or chilled, with a generous dollop of coconut milk. The congee will thicken as it cools over time. If it becomes too thick, add water and adjust to your liking.
If not refrigerated and left at room temperature, bacteria can start to grow in cooked oatmeal, which is a concern for food safety. As such, any cooked oatmeal left outside of the fridge for 2 or more hours should be considered as expired, and consequently, put in the trash.
Rice is something that people leave at room temperature thinking it won't go bad or develop any smell. Visually, it doesn't. But in a hot climate, it may not be safe to consume leftover rice due to bacteria growth overnight. Hence, refrigeration is the best option.
Rich in flavour and filled with the goodness of nutrients, rice congee is the perfect dish to have daily for anyone, especially children who are picky eaters. Introduce your fussy baby to a warm bowl of rice congee topped with the things they love. The delicious dish is also beneficial for your overall well-being.
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