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Plain rice congee with toppings
Slow-simmered silky rice porridge with ginger, spring onion and crunchy garnishes
Congee (zhou in Mandarin, juk in Cantonese) is what much of China eats for breakfast, and what everyone is given when they are under the weather. The base is just rice and water cooked until the grains burst into a smooth, gentle porridge; the fun is in the toppings, from fried shallots to peanuts and salty pickles, so everyone builds their own bowl. Chef's tip: rinse the rice, then rub it with a little oil and salt and freeze it for an hour if you can; the grains crack and break down twice as fast.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the congee
Toppings
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 5 ½ oz jasmine rice until the water runs nearly clear. Drain and rub with 1 tsp neutral oil and 1 tsp salt.
Step 2: Bring 7 ½ cups water to a boil in a large heavy pan with 3 slices fresh ginger. Stir in the rice, return to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer with the lid slightly ajar.
5 minStep 3: Simmer for 60–70 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the base. It's ready when the grains have burst, the texture is smooth and creamy, and a spoon dragged through leaves a trail that slowly closes. Add a little boiling water if it gets thicker than porridge.
65 minStep 4: Common mistake: leaving it unstirred at the end; congee catches quickly once thick and the burnt taste spreads through the pot. Fish out the ginger slices and taste for salt.
Step 5: Ladle into bowls and let everyone add 2 spring onions, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots, 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, a drizzle of 2 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, and 3 tbsp pickled mustard greens (zha cai), 1 tbsp chilli oil and 1 small bunch fresh coriander if they like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plain rice congee with toppings take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of jasmine rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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