Cantonese Plain Congee
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Category
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Rice
Cuisine
Chinese
Servings
2
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Rice
-
10 cups of water
-
A few drops of oil
- Chinese green spring onion for garnishing
Directions
- Wash the rice.
Soak the rice with just-enough water with a few drops of oil for AT LEAST 30 minutes. You can soak it overnight.
Bring 10 cups of water to boil in a le creuset casserole (or other large heavy bottomed pan).
Drain away the soaking water from the rice. Put the rice into le creuset with the 10 cups of water and cook at mid- to hi-heat. Keep stirring in one direction, say clockwise, until it boils again. Continue stirring clockwise for 5 minutes.
Turn to very low heat. Cover it and simmer for 20 minutes. (check back regularly)
Remove the cover and turn up to mid-to hi-heat and stir clockwise for 10 minutes.
Turn to very low heat. Cover it and simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped green onion. Done!
Recipe Note
You can vary the flavor in two ways:
1. Varying the broth
You can either add in meat or bones or dried scallop in step 3; or replace part of the water with broth.
2. Adding ingredients
You can add in any ingredients you like, e.g. meat, seafood, organs, thousand-year eggs etc. after step 6.
Use a le creuset casserole to cook congee if possible. This is because it can lock in the moisture, so water will not evaporate easily and turn into porridge. The heat is also more even and the congee won't stick to the bottom and get burnt easily. But be careful and check back regularly when you cook to avoid over-spilling.
Best if you do not add more water in the middle of cooking. If water is evaporating quicker than expected and you must add more liquid to it, add hot boiled water (not cold water).