Congee

[lindag]

Anyone have  \recipe for a meatless congee:   I'm not vegetarian.

I'm looking for something to make for breakfast (I intensely dislike oatmeal).

Chicken broth, soft boiled egg, bok choy; something along that line.

I

[weinoo]

  On 5/10/2025 at 3:39 PM, lindag said:

Anyone have  \recipe for a meatless congee:   I'm not vegetarian.

I'm looking for something to make for breakfast (I intensely dislike oatmeal).

Chicken broth, soft boiled egg, bok choy; something along that line.

I

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I'd use 4 cups of stock to 1/2 cup Jasmine rice (well washed)...cook till the rice falls apart  Add anything you feel like - lots of ginger is always good.

[liuzhou]

There are many meatless congees. The most simple is 白粥 (bái zhōu), which is simply rice and water but you can add anything. It is usually served here with pickled vegetables similar to kimchi.  A common version is with eggs, usually century eggs with greens, but salted or just chopped-up boiled eggs are also used. 

 

It's bed time here in the land of the rice eaters but I'll add more tomorrow.

 

 

Edited May 11 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Good morning!

 

I eat congee most mornings but usually a meat version. However the basic recipe is the same no matter what is added. Once a week I use my slow cooker overnight to prepare a week’s supply. It keeps well in the fridge or can even be frozen.

 

I find that different batches of rice require different amounts of liquid. I think this depends on the type and age of the rice. So when I get a new batch I experiment. I start by using 1 part rice to 6 parts liquid- mostly water but sometimes chicken stock, although you could use vegetable stock if you want. Additions at his stage are only salt, if you want to go that way. Most congees here, however are unsalted with any salt component coming from the other additions, especially the pickles. But then, salt is rarely used with rice, which is seen as a neutral background to other foods..

 

Next morning, I check it and should it be too thick, simply add more water and cook a bit longer. You can’t really overcook congee unless you get ridiculous. If too thin (rarely) then a brisk boil thins it down. Obviously what you think is too thick or too thin may be different, so is to your own taste. Next time I use that batch of rice, if not at first how I prefer it, I adjust the starting amount of water next time. It is always somewhere between 1:4 ad 1:8. The breakfast places with congee on the menu usually offer two or three consistencies.

 

I then decide each morning what I want to add. This is most often meat (pork or chicken) and century eggs. These I quickly stir fry with perhaps chilli and ginger and add to the cooked rice. Then serve it, almost always with some pickled vegetable.

 

Another favourite which is vegetarian is mushroom congee, usually made using fresh shiitake mushrooms but any fresh or rehydrated dried edible mushroom would work.

 

 

Edited May 11 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

  On 5/10/2025 at 3:39 PM, lindag said:

(I intensely dislike oatmeal)

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Despite being born in Scotland, I too dislike oatmeal porridge. But there are grains other than rice which are often used to make congee. Millet, buckwheat and mung beans spring to mind.

 

There are more examples on this topic.

 

 

 

Edited May 11 by liuzhou (log)

[lindag]

Made this and it was way better than I  could have imagined.

I have a recipe that I used from ATK t hat I used  that can PM if anyone wants it.

[TdeV]

@lindag, me, me, me!

[MaryIsobel]

  On 5/13/2025 at 8:59 PM, TdeV said:

@lindag, me, me, me!

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I'd like it too please Linda. I also intensely dislike oatmeal porridge - I remember gagging when I tried to eat it as a kid. I love oatmeal cookies and I actually like baked oatmeal - used to make it a lot when the kids were home and going to school - great grab and go.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/apple-cinnamon-baked-oatmeal-cups/

 

Edited May 13 by MaryIsobel (log)

[liuzhou]

Near my home is a small 'breakfast' restaurant. All day 'breakfast'. They specialise in congee, so much so that their name translates literally as 'congee great happiness'.

 

They do several types and offer many optional additions making the number of choices huge. I'll post a few today and more later.

 

These images are from their on-line delivery menu.

 

Plain Rice Congee

 

Leaf Mustard Congee

 

Coriander / Cilantro Congee

 

Taro Congee

 

Century Egg Congee

 

 

Edited May 14 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

and five more.

 

Shrimp and Marrow Bone Congee

 

Century Egg and Lean Pork Slivers Congee

 

Poisonous Yellow Peril Congee

 

Mung Bean Congee

 

Marrow Bone and Lean Pork Congee

 

 

[liuzhou]

it never ends

 

Beef and Greens Congee

 

Pig Bone Marrow Congee

 

Fish and Shrimp Congee

 

Lean Pork and Greens Congee

 

Mixed Pig Offal Congee

 

 

[SusieQ]

  On 5/14/2025 at 11:17 AM, liuzhou said:

Poisonous Yellow Peril Congee

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So enticing. 

[liuzhou]

  On 5/15/2025 at 3:36 AM, SusieQ said:

So enticing. 

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It's described as something else on the menu, but my fingers won't allow me to type it for the sake of public decency!

 

 

[liuzhou]

and if you still haven't found what you want...

 

Pork and Yam Congee

 

Pork Liver and Lean Meat Congee

 

Shiitake and Lean Pork Congee

 

Steamed Fish with Green Vegetable Congee

 

Swamp Eel Congee

 

 

[liuzhou]

you didn't think that was it, did you?

 

Beef and Egg Congee

 

Chicken and Cordycep Militaris Mushrooms

 

Sweet Potato Congee

 

Emerald Shrimp Congee

 

Shiitake and Chicken Congee

 

 

[liuzhou]

Encore!

 

Goji Leaf and Pork Congee

 

Cantonese Style Ribs and Mustard Greens Congee

 

Pork and Peanut Congee

 

Clam and Mustard  Greens Congee

 

Organic Egg Congee

 

I'll stop there, not because there are no more, but I think I've made the point - the possibilities are endless. 

 

 

[lindag]

I've been experimenting a bit with this and found a method to easily cook it in the Zo rice cooker with the porridge or steel cut oats setting.

Makes an amount enough for one or two.

 

1 can chicken broth

¼ cup frozen rice (I use Cal Rose)

thin slice of fresh ginger

 

When finished, my  cooker takes 59 minutes.

Ready for all the toppings.

I could eat this every day.

Edited Sunday at 05:13 PM by lindag (log)

[TdeV]

  On 5/18/2025 at 5:12 PM, lindag said:

I've been experimenting a bit with this and found a method to easily cook it in the Zo rice cooker with the porridge or steel cut oats setting.

Makes an amount enough for one or two.

 

1 can chicken broth

¼ cup frozen rice (I use Cal Rose)

thin slice of fresh ginger

 

When finished, my  cooker takes 59 minutes.

Ready for all the toppings.

I could eat this every day.

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Why frozen rice, @lindag?

[liuzhou]

  On 5/18/2025 at 8:51 PM, TdeV said:

Why frozen rice, ?

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There is an explanation here from ATK.

 

I used this method once and, though the results were acceptable, never repeated it. This was only because I was taught to make it the traditional way and have been making it that way for decades. Also my freezer space is usually too busy, anyway!

 

 

[lindag]

  On 5/18/2025 at 8:51 PM, TdeV said:

 

Why frozen rice, @lindag?

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According to ATK, the frozen rice cooks up quite a lot faster.

Just rinse,, drain, then freeze for at least ;8 hours.

[TdeV]

  On 5/18/2025 at 11:38 PM, liuzhou said:

 

There is an explanation here from ATK.

 

I used this method once and, though the results were acceptable, never repeated it. This was only because I was taught to make it the traditional way and have been making it that way for decades. Also my freezer space is usually too busy, anyway!

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Liuzhou, could you tell me your current method for making congee? (I also have no room in my freezers).

 

Thanks.

 

 

Edited Monday at 04:45 PM by TdeV
More to say (log)

[lindag]

Take a cup or two of rinsed and drained rice and put it into a small Ziploc bag and press flat, it take very little room.

My recipe is posted above, it uses frozen rice.

[lindag]

@TdeV

Some of favorite topping are baby bok choyl scallion greens, furiake, diced cooked chicken, grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili crisp.

I keep trying new items.

[liuzhou]

  On 5/19/2025 at 4:44 PM, TdeV said:

Liuzhou, could you tell me your current method for making congee? (I also have no room in my freezers).

 

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I don't really have a recipe, but I detailed my method back in this post.

 

  On 5/19/2025 at 5:24 PM, lindag said:

it take very little room.

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Sure, but it's still more than I have. 😬