When I was living in Beijing, I used to have Porridge/Congee for my weekend breakfast, usually I like to order the thousand-egg congee at the Chinese restaurant. I know that many of westerners are not used to this kind of dish, because in western countries porridge/congee is supposed to be sweet and made from oatmeal. As I was asked to make Chinese breakfast for Sunday by our German couple’s friends, so I made the classic congee. Instead of using thousand-egg, I used many different garnish that they can choose from, like chinese pickles, tea eggs, chopped ginger, chopped spring onion, and shiitake mushroom.
This congee is also perfect for any weather, when you are sick, or when you are homesick like me. This congee is also different from the Indonesian style, which I will make it in the future. For now, try this delicious and simple Chinese congee, and enjoy cooking…. 🙂
Total time: 1 hour
Serving: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice (any rice will work)
10-12 cups water
For seasoned congee (optional)
100 gr minced pork
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chicken powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
GARNISH
Chopped ginger
Chopped spring onion
Sliced shiitake mushrom
Chinese pickles
DIRECTION
- Wash the rice two to three times with cold water until the water is clear.
- Soak the rice in the water for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Cook the rice in a pot with about 10 cups of water on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. It is important to stir every now and then so the congee does not stick to the pot. Add the water gradually if you think the consistency is too thick. The texture of the congee should not be too runny but also should not look like rice; it should have a little slimy feeling.
- You can serve it plain or season it. Throw in all the ingredients for seasonings.
- Stir for about 5 minutes until the minced pork is cooked and other ingredients are well incorporated.
- Serve with your favorite garnish.
