Congee Recipe

Congee ( or ) is a classic chinese breakfast dish. It is also a staple in many other countries, including burma, indonesia, japan, and even parts of europe. Congee is essentially a rice porridge made by boiling rice in a great deal of water until it breaks down into a pudding-like consistency. When made with water, the taste of congee is very bland, but there are many ways that you can add sweet or savory flavors. For a different base, switch to beef, chicken, or vegetable stock (or use equal parts of water and stock), and the rice will soak up that flavor as it cooks. You can also add flavorings like minced ginger and garlic and toppings such as chicken or mushrooms. The flavor possibilities are only limited by your imagination and the ingredients in your kitchen. Congee is often served with chinese crullers (youtiao, ), and the fried dough is dipped into the congee. Although eaten by all family members, congee is most often served to children and people who are ill or convalescing as it is nutritious and easy to digest. It's also incredibly economical3/4 cup of rice turns into 6 cups of porridgeand has traditionally been used to stretch rice when food is scarce.