Congee Cooking Basics

• Congee is typically made using a ratio of about nine-to-one of water to rice and is served as breakfast, as well as a quick meal throughout Asia. Whether it is cooked quickly or slow cooked, congee is prepared both sweet and savory depending on where you try it. Congee can include meats, vegetables and flavorful seasonings, or it can be plainly a rice and water porridge. Unlike western breakfast porridges, seasoning with salt and other savory spices is commonplace, while sweetening the porridge with processed sugar is not. When congee is prepared sweetened, fruit, coconut milk and other natural sugars are used.

Slow-Cooked Congee

• The most traditional way to make congee is by cooking it slowly over a low temperature for up to eight hours. This method of cooking enables the rice grains to completely break down and become a thick porridge. Cooking congee this way was historically used as a way to treat minor illness and is highly digestible due to its long cooking. Cook congee for extended periods of time on the stove in a thick-bottomed pot over low heat or use a slow cooker.

Quick Congee

• Congee can be made quickly by cooking rice and water together on the stove over a higher temperature. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the porridge over medium for 30 to 90 minutes until the congee develops the consistency you prefer. Be sure to stir the congee while it is cooking to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan, especially as it thickens. While the congee will become tender and creamy in as little as 30 minutes, allowing it to boil longer will create a creamier, tastier congee.

Congee Additions

• Savory ingredients that complement congee include garlic, spring onions, ginger, hot sauce, soy sauce and eggs. To increase the flavor, use chicken, pork or beef stock in place of water when making congee and add cooked meats to the porridge to increase complexity. Crack an egg into the finished congee before you take it off the burner to enjoy an even heartier meal. For a sweet congee, add slices of ginger or fresh fruit at the end of cooking to impart a light sweetness on the congee and finish it with cinnamon. Add coconut milk at the end of cooking for a sweet, creamy finish that pairs well with pineapple and bananas.