Whenever I had a stomach virus and I couldn't hold anything down, my mom would make me "Jook" - Rice Porridge or Congee.
What is rice porridge good for?
It's not the hardest dish to cook since the name of the game is to "overcook" it. Not too many dishes I know require that sort of technique. It's basically, boil the heck out of rice in a pot full of water until the texture becomes creamy and thick. And that's it! Ok, so maybe it's not as easy as that but that's the general idea. Regardless, the soothing effect of sipping hot, creamy but bland liquid always did the trick. I'd drink the rice water, intermittently, until I'm able to chew the soft, overcooked, rice without 'losing it'.
In fact, when my daughter caught the flu a few years ago, this was the only dish she was able to tolerate for a week. Then, we discovered, coincidentally, that her Eczema disappeared afterwards. By process of "accidental" elimination diet, we discovered that her Eczema was caused by food allergies! But that's another story. You can read about it here and here. Also, porridge is good if you had a dental work done and can't eat hard foods.
You can certainly make plain white rice porridge but for variation, I add veggies to add flavor and texture for "non-infirmary" occasions. You can add any veggies you like but stay with non-bitter veggies so they don't alter the taste of rice too much. I love to add spinach, broccoli florets, mushroom, zucchini, carrots, finely chopped onions, and green peas at the end. Some people add ground up pine nuts too.
Reduce arsenic in rice porridge?
Ironically, to reduce arsenic in rice, boiling rice in 1:6 ratio in water is highly recommended. Obviously, it's not exactly called 'rice' when you add that much water because, essentially, you are making this dish - rice porridge. But least you are eating less arsenic this way.
Tip for Stove Top Version: The only issue with making it on the stove top is burning the bottom of the pot and over flowing. So stir frequently with a flat edge spatula and scrape the bottom of the pot when stirring, getting every bits of the rice. Otherwise, you'll end up with white glue-y rice mess. Also, when you see water or foam bubble up to the top, pour some cold water in the pot and the foam will die down. You'll have to do this time to time while it's cooking. If you don't want to stand by the stove, use the Instant Pot (Instant Pot Aff) method.
Instant Pot - when you use the Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker), you don't need as much liquid as the stove top method since the lid is sealed shut and no steam escapes. So you need less water to make this recipe. I love making porridge in the Instant Pot (Amazon Aff) since there is a "PORRIDGE" setting already so it takes the guesswork out of cooking! The best part? You don't have to stir or watch for overflowing mess. So, no scraping, and no burning pots! Just press the "PORRIDGE" setting and walk away! So easy peasy!
So check out both methods below and enjoy this mild but nourishing food!
Vegetable Rice Porridge or Congee Recipe (Stove Top and Instant Pot)
Recipe
Vegetable Rice Porridge or Congee Stove Top Method
Ingredients
- 6 c water
- 1 c medium grain white rice
- 1 c chopped spinach or zucchini
- 1 c diced Shitake mushroom or you can leave it out
- 1 clove garlic minced or finely chopped
- 1 small carrot diced
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 scallion finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash rice thoroughly. Drain water and wash again until water is clear. Soak rice for 15 minutes in cold filtered water.
- Place rice and water in a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a bubbly simmer, stirring frequently with a flat bottom spatula, until the rice has completely broken down and the mixture is creamy. If you need more water, add ¼ cup of cold water at a time until you achieve the consistency you want. This make take up to 30 minutes.
- Stir to combine the rest of the ingredients except sesame oil, sesame seeds and scallions.
- Stir occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- When vegetables are soft, turn off the heat, add chopped scallions and cover and let it steam for another 10 minutes.
- Drizzle sesame oil and stir. Ladle porridge in a bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve Immediately.
Nutrition
Recipe
Vegetable Rice Porridge or Congee Instant Pot Method
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 c water
- 1 c medium grain white rice
- 1 c chopped spinach or zucchini
- 1 c diced Shiitake mushroom optional
- 1 clove garlic minced or finely chopped
- 1 small carrot diced
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 scallion finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon oasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash rice thoroughly.
- Place all the ingredients except sesame oil, scallions and sesame seeds in the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Close the vent to 'Sealing" and close the lid securely.
- Press the "PORRIDGE" setting. The time should set at 20 minutes and on LOW pressure.
- When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally (NPR)
- Open the lid carefully, and stir. Drizzle sesame oil, garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
greentalk says
Thanks Karen for sharing my ongoing battle with the FDA setting limits in arsenic in rice. That soup looks yummy especially when you are under the weather.