Congee

[saluki]

.  To get the Cantonese consistency, my mom always taught me to "wash" the rice with coarse salt and oil. good luck experimenting.

Hi,

This is my first post and I love this thread. I am addicted to the Cantonese version of

Chicken and Ginger Congee, but mine never comes close. I use the crock pot and have taken Trillium's suggestion about adding the glutoneous rice flower disolve in water

and stirred in at the end. It still does not have the same mouth feel.

I read the comment about " washing" the rice in salt and oil and would like too know if anyone can describe the procedure Any other suggestions? Thanks,

Edited August 8, 2004 by saluki (log)

[Hest88]

My mother never mentions salt, but she does say I should use oil for the rice. Basically, the "washing" is just massaging oil through the rice before using.

[Yuki]

In a Hong Kong food magazine, they searched for the best congee and asked some questions. Some chef said that they wash the rice with thousand year eggs before cooking. It is believe to add more flavors to the congee.....

Also, some congee contains dried bean curd.

[Dejah]

.  To get the Cantonese consistency, my mom always taught me to "wash" the rice with coarse salt and oil. good luck experimenting.

Hi,

This is my first post and I love this thread. I am addicted to the Cantonese version of

Chicken and Ginger Congee, but mine never comes close. I use the crock pot and have taken Trillium's suggestion about adding the glutoneous rice flower disolve in water

and stirred in at the end. It still does not have the same mouth feel.

I read the comment about " washing" the rice in salt and oil and would like too know if anyone can describe the procedure Any other suggestions? Thanks,

Ok, I cook congee quite often for brunch and usually with chicken and ginger. But, what IS this Cantonese version?

Is it supposed to be thin? Thick? Rice still in granular form? Like gruel?

Aiyeeeah!

I like mine with substance!

[Ben Hong]

Holy Hannah, so much commentary on so simple a dish. Jook is wet rice or rice "porridge". Thin, creamy or thick, adjust water/broth content and time on the heat. Very basically it is a bland palette in which you add your flavours. Experiment, the possibilties are endless. Jook has recently become popular, but it is still regarded as a pauper's staple in some quarters.

[Hest88]

My mother never mentions salt, but she does say I should use oil for the rice. Basically, the "washing" is just massaging oil through the rice before using.

Oh wait, I lied. I just talked to my mom and she indeed says oil AND salt. I just blanked for a bit there, in the same way I often blank when my mother is telling me what a good Chinese daughter is supposed to do.

[FaustianBargain]

I would guess that "congee" probably has an Indian origin.

we call it kanji...nothing like the huge bowls of meat/veg/spiced congees i have had at the local chinese restaurants...often made for sick tummies for easy digestion or when patients are recovering..after a particularly nasty fever episode and your tongue is coated white and your taste buds are dead anyways...gah....or the working man's staple...cooked rice cooked again in water..often accompanied by half an onion and a raw green chilli.

sweet or salty, it can be made with milk, buttermilk or just water...richer versions of the sweet kanjis can include cardamom and milk..which is kinda weird, if you ask me...rice with milk, sugar and cardamom is a dessert(kheer)..i suppose sweet(with expensive ingredients) kanjis are 'thin' kheers ...kanji is mostly made with rice..altho' semolina, tapioca or wheat may also be used sometimes(starch basically...fills you up..easy digestion..easily converted to ready carbs..) for the sickbed...other kanji versions can be made with barley, oats or arrowroot...the indian kanjis i know are mild and bland...not that there is anything wrong with that..

[Laksa]

the indian kanjis i know are mild and bland...not that there is anything wrong with that..

Not all the Chinese congees are of the flavored variety. One of my favorite ways to have congee is to have it completely plain, but served with sides of fermented bean curd, preserved bamboo shoots, Chinese crullers, salted egg, century egg, fried peanuts and anchovies, or other pickles or preserved foods. I believe this is known as Teochew style congee.

My mum always make plain congee from scratch, never from leftover rice.

Occasionally, she would a different style which contains, in addition to rice, sweet potatoes or green (lentil) beans. These were not eaten with savory sides.

[hzrt8w]

I believe this is known as Teochew style congee.

In Teochew style (or Chiu Chow style in Cantonese) congee, they don't boil the rice as long as the Canton style. Chiu Chow style retains the rice grains. In Canton style, all rice grains are dissolved into the congee.

[infernooo]

Hi everyone,

I am sorry to bother you all like this... but I wanted to ask a quick question about making congee....

After reading the Fermented bean curd thread, I decided that I want to try make some congee with a little Fermented Bean Curd/Preserved Bean Curd spooned on top or mixed in at the end.

When making congee, approximately what ratio of water to rice to I use? Also, what type of rice do I use? Short grain, medium grain, long grain... ? Finally, assuming I dont have a slow cooker, what do you think is the best way to cook it and how do you know when it is done?

Thanks!

[mizducky]

Hi everyone,

I am sorry to bother you all like this... but I wanted to ask a quick question about making congee....

After reading the Fermented bean curd thread, I decided that I want to try make some congee with a little Fermented Bean Curd/Preserved Bean Curd spooned on top or mixed in at the end.

When making congee, approximately what ratio of water to rice to I use? Also, what type of rice do I use? Short grain, medium grain, long grain... ? Finally, assuming I dont have a slow cooker, what do you think is the best way to cook it and how do you know when it is done?

←

Hi, infernooo -- I like your eGullet nickname!

I trust you'd already checked out "hzrt8w's" pictorial all about making congee. I also have a very simplified stovetop congee in my blog this week, starting at this post plus a couple more following. It's easy to cook congee on the stovetop--just make sure you have a really heavy-bottomed saucepan (or a heat diffuser for under your pot) to help protect it from scorching, with a well-fitting lid to help prevent too much liquid steaming away.

As to the rice-to-water ratio: you can vary it as desired depending on how thick you like your congee. I like mine really thick, so in that blog post I think I did a generous 1/3 cup of raw rice in 4 cups of water. I've seen recipes do ratios like 1/2 cup rice in 5 to six cups of water, or even lower rice-to-water ratios than that. And I understand that some regions do a combination of ground/pulverized rice and whole raw rice to get a much smoother texture. Cooking time: you basically cook it, giving it an occasional stir, until it's the texture you desire--but count on at least an hour, and a good couple of hours won't hurt.

[hzrt8w]

When making congee, approximately what ratio of water to rice to I use?

←

Thanks mizducky! It's nice to have a publicist.

In my recipe, I use 2 of those small cups of rice, which is equivalent to 1 1/2 US cup. 2.5 quart of water (roughly) is 10 US cups. So, that makes a 1.5 to 10 (rice to water) ratio by volume.

That's only for the Cantonese style congee. In Teochew style, their congee has a better grain to water contrast instead of being sticky-soupy. In Shanghai and Beijing, their congee is a bit different too. In Mandarin they call it "xi fan", which literally means "diluted rice".

I use long grain rice (jasmine rice), as seen in the picture. I think short grain is more glutinous.

[infernooo]

Thanks for the replies!

Wow, I didn't know jasmine rice would be a cantonese thing to use... I figured if I used long grain rice, it would be plain old long grain (not fragrant like jasmine).

[miladyinsanity]

Xi fan is more like rice gruel, and the Teochew style is closer to Xi fan than the Cantonese style one. Some people use broken rice to make congee. And IMHO, the Cantonese style makes into rice glue, not porridge.

Edited January 22, 2006 by miladyinsanity (log)

[Tepee]

Frankly, I've never had Cantonese glue before - although I was raised on my mom's cantonese cooking - until I ate it in Spore last year. I gave it 2 spoonfuls and that was it. Horrible. Mom's cantonese porridge and, well, now mine, is never gooey...pasty, yes. Just had dinner at mom's....and it was superb pork ribs/groundnut porridge, eaten with freshly dry-fried/ground white pepper, spring onions/coriander, and mom's homemade pork yuk gon. Fantastic dose of LOVE from food and family.

[Ben Hong]

I've never had Cantonese glue before, thank you very much. Jook is pretty difficult to screw up. My rice/water ration is 1/6, consisting of half 'n half unscented long grain and glutinous rices.

Oh TP, you (and your mother) sure know how to trigger a man's salivary glands!!

[Dejah]

Xi fan is more like rice gruel, and the Teochew style is closer to Xi fan than the Cantonese style one. Some people use broken rice to make congee. And IMHO, the Cantonese style makes into rice glue, not porridge.

←

I think "porridge" is a misnomer for congee. Porridge, in a bowl, when tipped to its side, does not reveal any liquid. Congee, on the other hand, is a clearly discernible mix of broth and rice, whether granular, or broken up. Porridge will stick to your spoon - before you add the milk and sugar. Congee will slurp back into the bowl.

From the image TP posted about Teochew style congee, it reminds me more of fan chew (bottom of the pot crispy rice soup)...so delicious!

I like my congee with a mix of broken down rice along with some whole grains of rice...but NEVER glue-like.

Long grain jasmine is what I use for congee. Haven't added fu yu to congee for a long time. See! That's what so great about eGullet - reminds me of food that I love but have forgotten!

[miladyinsanity]

You add milk and sugar to your porridge!?!? You do mean oatmeal porridge, don't you?

I've heard that soaking long-grain jasmine rice in salted water for 10 minutes before rinsing and cooking as per normal will result in the kind of texture you like, Dejah.

[Dejah]

You add milk and sugar to your porridge!?!? You do mean oatmeal porridge, don't you? 

I've heard that soaking long-grain jasmine rice in salted water for 10 minutes before rinsing and cooking as per normal will result in the kind of texture you like, Dejah.

←

Yes, I meant oatmeal porridge. As I said, porridge, to me, is a misnomer for congee which is made with rice.

I've made congee for many years and have never soaked the rice before cooking. I just make my stock with a fresh chicken carcass and ginger., add the needed amount of rice (I don't even bother to wash and rinse) and let it simmer for about an hour. Then I'd add silkened chicken, fish , beef or pork - whatever I want. If I want a smoother congee, I can use a whisk to break up some of the rice...or thicken with a slurry made with glutinous rice flour.

[Bill44]

I'm an Australian "Gwailoh" with a taste for Chinese food. I cook my Congee 10:1 for

1 1/2 hours with the liquid 50/50 water/chicken stock. Into it goes either fish balls or pork balls, thin slices of egg omelette and slices spring onions.

I usually cook "Crullers" (deep fried dough) to go with it.

[herbacidal]

I'm an Australian "Gwailoh" with a taste for Chinese food. I cook my Congee 10:1 for

1 1/2 hours with the liquid  50/50 water/chicken stock. Into it goes either fish balls or pork balls, thin slices of egg omelette and slices spring onions.

I usually cook "Crullers" (deep fried dough) to go with it.

←

Hmm, I'd say an hour isn't enough because any household I've been in has usually cooked it at least two, and I have the (perhaps false) childhood memory

of it being cooked for at least 3-5.

That said, cooking it with stock and water mixed might reduce the necessary cooking time.

Keep in mind, I don't cook very much. Yes, it's a major character flaw.

Also, do you mean 10 parts liquid, 1 part rice, plus whatever ingredients you choose?

[Dejah]

I'm an Australian "Gwailoh" with a taste for Chinese food. I cook my Congee 10:1 for

1 1/2 hours with the liquid  50/50 water/chicken stock. Into it goes either fish balls or pork balls, thin slices of egg omelette and slices spring onions.

I usually cook "Crullers" (deep fried dough) to go with it.

←

I'm impressed! You make ja gwai for congee! I tried it once and decided it was much better and easier to buy them ready made.

1.5 hours is enough for congee if you are in a hurry - and you have stock on hand. I have used store bought stock - Campbell's Chicken stock - and it turns out well.

My s-i-l on the other hand, uses her rice cooker and puts the congee on at night before she goes to bed.

[liuzhou]

1.5 hours is enough for congee if you are in a hurry - and you have stock on hand. I have used store bought stock - Campbell's Chicken stock - and it turns out well.

My s-i-l on the other hand, uses her rice cooker and puts the congee on at night before she goes to bed.

Here in Guangxi, as far as I have seen, most people make it in pressure cookers. Doesn't take long at all!

Edited March 1, 2006 by liuzhou (log)

[Dejah]

Pressure cookers are great, but it's like a having a big pot of stew or hearty soup sitting on the back of the stove for hours - the process, the aromas and the flavours are every bit as enjoyable to me as the actual eating of that bowl of congee.

[Soup]

I use leftover cooked rice and the ratio is about 5 to 1. But I also add water throughout the cooking process. I've tried experimenting with stocks (instead of water) and also reducing the startch by replacing the water during cooking and it wasn't that great. Just adding water and cooking the heck out of it seems to produce a great bowl. As for topic, left overs with a bit of hot sauce and soy works out great.