Many traditions and cultures have simple meals that also double as home food remedies for common illnesses. One of my favorite comfort-food-in-a-bowl meals is congee, or as my Cantonese family calls it, jook. It might look like a simple rice porridge, but it is easily customizable, easy to digest, and easy to meal prep for a quick meal or snack any time of day.
Congee is a great dish to make any time of year, but especially in the fall as the weather gets cooler. In Chinese medicine nutrition, one of the big principles to follow is eating with the seasons. So, when the weather gets cooler as summer turns to fall and winter, it is important to eat warm foods. In Chinese medicine, the body’s digestion is like a furnace, in that it works best when it is warm. Cold or raw foods (think smoothies, ice cold drinks, cold cereal) can be harder for the body to digest due to the cold temperature, and over time can lead to digestive issues like indigestion, bloating, gas, and/or fatigue and feeling tired after eating a meal. So, if you’re having these symptoms, or find yourself wanting something warm for breakfast when it’s cold outside, consider switching out the cold breakfast foods for a warm breakfast like oatmeal, cooked eggs and greens, or congee.
Congee is made with just rice and water, cooked low and slow on the stove until it becomes a creamy porridge consistency. It is admittedly very plain and bland to start, but this also makes it good to eat when you are feeling sick. Congee is a common East Asian home remedy to eat if you are sick with a cold or cough, or recovering from any kind of digestive upset or stomach flu. One of my friends from college also swore by congee as her go to hangover cure!
This makes a great warm and comforting meal any time of day, but my personal favorite is to have congee for breakfast. It’s pretty much like a savory oatmeal that is endlessly customizable once you start adding toppings, and you can make it as plain or flavorful as you want. You can use whatever you have in your fridge and pantry, but here are some ideas below. You can also add heartier toppings like vegetables or meats to make it more of a main dish meal.
- The classic (great if feeling under the weather): ginger, green onion, a little soy sauce
- Tom family special #1: ginger, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper
- Tom family special #2: ginger, green onion, oyster sauce, peanuts
- A version of Filipino Arroz Caldo: toasted garlic, green onion, fish sauce, lemon juice
- Bacon and eggs version (pictured): turkey bacon, soft boiled egg, roasted leeks, walnuts, fermented bean curd, soy sauce
Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredient break down
In traditional Chinese medicine, white rice is thought to benefit the Spleen and Stomach, making it a good choice for strengthening digestion, tonifying Qi, and boosting energy to alleviate fatigue. Ginger is considered warm and acrid, and is used to alleviate stomach upset, nausea or motion sickness. It is also great to take when you’re coming down with a cold, and helps to warm the lungs and stop coughing. Green onion is also a warm and pungent herb that is commonly used with ginger to treat the common cold.
Ingredients
Serves 6 as a snack or side dish, 4 as a main dish
1 cup uncooked white or jasmine rice
8 cups of water
Directions
Combine rice and water in a large pot on the stove. Bring the contents up to a boil, then lower heat down to a simmer, pot covered with the lid slightly ajar, for about 90 minutes. Stir occasionally throughout the cooking process to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the congee is too dry or thick for your preference, add a little extra water while cooking for a thinner consistency. Add toppings of your choice – I like to keep a balance between textures and flavors, but feel free to experiment and find your favorite combo!
Topping ideas
Aromatics
-Green onion, sliced
-Ginger, grated or chopped into thin matchsticks
-Leeks or shallots, roasted or sauteed
Crunchy
-Nuts – peanuts, walnuts, cashews, etc.
-Seeds – sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Sweet
-Goji berries
Sour
-Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar)
-Lemon juice
Savory and umami
-Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
-Sesame oil
-Fermented bean curd
-Fish sauce
-Oyster sauce
Spicy
-Chili oil, chili crisp like Lao Gan Ma, Sriracha, hot sauce, etc.
-Ground white pepper
Meat
-Chinese sausage
-Bacon or turkey bacon
-Chicken, pork, beef
-Soft or hard boiled egg
Vegetables
-Cooked greens – spinach, kale, broccolini, Chinese greens like Gai Lan
-Cooked and cubed pumpkin, squash, sweet potato
-Sauteed mushrooms
Beans (cook separate, then add in)
-Mung beans
-Adzuki beans
Substitutions / Alterations / Notes
To cook congee in an Instant Pot, combine rice and water in the Instant Pot. Set to Pressure Cook on High for 18 minutes. When it is done, be sure to let the pressure naturally release completely before opening the lid to avoid potential splatter (which can happen if you try to quick release starchy liquids).
Growing up, my family would make jook the day after Thanksgiving, boiling the rice and water with the leftover turkey bones so the jook would be infused with extra flavor. If you’re cooking it on the stove, just add the bones to the pot with the water and rice and cook for the same amount of time. I haven’t tried adding bones when cooking it in an Instant Pot, so if you have suggestions, let me know. Just remember to remove the bones before serving!
If you want the ginger flavor without the sharp bite of eating the ginger raw as a topping, you can add 3-5 slices of ginger to the pot when you cook the rice and water, then remove the slices before serving.
References
Wang, Y., Sheir, W., & Ono, M. (2010). Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.