Every morning should begin with a nice warm breakfast. Not just a nice warm breakfast but a breakfast that is nutritious and easy to digest. That’s where congee comes in!
Congee is a rice porridge dish found in most of Asia. It is eaten for for any meal but mainly for breakfast or given when somebody is ill or have some digestive issues. It can be made savory or sweet, although it is mainly savory in Asia. It is a slow cooked meal that is easily modified to your tastes. I know what you’re thinking, “Slow cooked?!? I don’t have time for that!”
Not so! If you have a slow cooker, all you have to do is prep it at night and it doesn’t take more than 5 minutes. The following recipes are for a 2 quart slow cooker.
Basic of Basic Congee Recipe (serves 2)
1/2 cup of dry rice (avoid basmati rice)
5.5 to 7 cups of water (based on your preference for either a thick or soupy congee)
Rinse the rice until water runs clear and place in slow cooker. Pour the desired amount of water. Turn crock pot on to low if you set it early in the evening or high if you came home late. Leave it on all night until morning. Wake up to morning congee. Season as desired.
The above recipe is just rice and water. Basic congee is best when somebody is going through the stomach flu and can’t seem to stomach anything else. You can modify this congee anyway you like. Below is my personal breakfast congee recipe.
Savory Breakfast Congee Recipe (serves 2)
1/3 cup of dry rice (I prefer short grained glutinous rice)
5.5 cups of water (feel free to substitute for any type of broth)
1 cup of sliced or diced shitake mushrooms (You can use 1/2 cup of dried shitake mushrooms. Presoak them in the morning to use at night)
1/2 cup of mixed frozen vegetables
1 large egg
sesame oil and soy sauce to taste
Rinse rice until water runs clear. Add shitake mushrooms and frozen vegetables and water. Depending on time of night, set slow cooker to low or high. Leave on overnight. Wake up and add egg and break it up in the hot congee (it will look like egg drop soup). Add sesame oil and soy sauce (tamari sauce for those who are gluten free) to taste.
If you are making for one, you can pour one serving out and freeze the other serving to consume at a later time. This meal is great because if you are in a hurry, you can pour it in a thermos so you can consume/drink it on the road (after cooling, of course) or consume/drink it at work.
There will be more congee recipes in the future. Hope you enjoyed this one.
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