Chinese Rice Porridge (Congee)
Serves 4 Difficulty 2/5 Ingredients 9 Steps 4
Congee is a type of rice porridge eaten across Asia. It may also be called juk, zhou, ganji, or other similar variations.
Ingredients
Base
- 220 g (7.75 oz) round rice, washed and drained
- 2.5 L (10 ½ cups) water or chicken broth
- Light soy sauce, to personal preference
- Sesame oil, to personal preference
- White pepper, to personal preference
Garnish
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 4 tbsp freshly-chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 30 g (1 oz) sliced ginger
Steps
- Put rice in pan. Add bouillon or water. Bring to boil.
- Reduce to low heat. Cook 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until rice is mash.
- Add soy sauce and sesame oil. Season with white pepper.
- Add toppings to preference.
Notes from the original
- Do not overwash the rice, as doing so will wash out the starch, and the congee will not congeal properly. Congee can be made with most types of rice, to help other types of rice to break up, after washing drain and mix in a tea spoon of vegetable oil, then add the rice to the water after having brought the pot to the boil. If you are in a rush, initially start with about a third of the liquid you need, adding the remainder as you cook.
- Once the rice had turned into a mush and has released all its starch, a soup can be made by skimming off the top layer of liquid. You will only get one good bowl of this soup per pot of congee, and it is valued as a food for convalescents and babies.
- Instead of bouillon, a chicken carcass or pork bones can be added to the cooking water, the congee creates its own stock as it cooks. If using bones, blanch and wash under cold water before use.
- Very hot plain congee can be used to cook raw meat and fish (either thinly sliced or diced), which is then eaten with the congee. Among the traditional Chinese favourites are sliced grass carp, sliced lean pork, sliced pork liver, diced beef and diced chicken breast.
- The two traditional companions to breakfast congee are plain soya sauce chow mein and youtiao.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Chinese Rice Porridge (Congee)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-08-06, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.