A Warm Hug in Bowl

White Rice Congee (aka Cháo Trắng)

To me there is something very nourishing & comforting about congee, I love a big warm bowl of congee especially as the weather gets cooler or when I simply just want to make a no fuss one pot meal. 

It’s so versatile and a great way to stretch out that last cup of rice you have in your pantry. Perfect for feeding the family on a budget! 

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy  
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For plain congee:

• 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed/washed
• 10 cups liquid (refer to cooks notes) 
• 1 tsp salt 

If adding protein:

1 cup protein of your choice (if using raw meat, marinade with pinch of salt & pepper to flavour it) 

3cm small knob of ginger 

Seasoning to taste: Fish sauce or soy sauce

Steps:

1. In a large pot add rice, liquid & raw protein, ginger, seasoning and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. NB: if using seafood or cooked protein add in the last 5 mins to avoid overcooking. 
2. Place lid on pot ajar/leaving a small gap and cook for 45 minutes until rice has broken down and liquid has thickened. Stir the congee occasionally so it doesn’t clump or stick to the base of the pot.
3. Season to taste with additional fish sauce, soy sauce or salt & pepper. 
4. Serve with optional sides and garnish/condiments. 
5. Enjoy!

LisaDiepCooks Notes: 

• Ratio: My congee ratio is 1 cup uncooked rice to 10 cups liquid. If you like a thicker congee use 1 to 8 cups. 

• Liquid: for plain congee use water & season with salt, but for maximum flavour use chicken broth or for vegetarian option use water and mushroom dashi powder.

• Protein: use chicken thighs or tenderloin, pork mince or even prawns. It’s a great way to use leftovers! For this post I used pork & mushroom dumpling filling I had leftover. Use your extra roast chicken or simply have it plain with a egg omelette with soy sauce drizzled over the top. NB: if using mince, I like to cook it first in the pot so the meat breaks up (not clumped) before adding rice and liquid. 

• Freezes well! Make a large batch, portion and freeze for a rainy day! 

• Garnish & Condiments: dress it up with spring onions, coriander, fried shallots, asian pickles, Kimchi, shredded ginger, crunchy wonton wrappers or pork floss!