Fastest Way to Cook Congee 極速煮粥法
priss | October 9, 2012I posted a recipe on Congee with Pork & Thousand-year-old Egg a while back. It got very popular and got shared on foodie forums. Thanks ALL for loving it! =)
But guess what, I found THE FASTEST WAY TO COOK CONGEE – within 15-20 minutes you’ll have a pot of delicious congee that’s creamy, silky, & smooth! Or your money back! Haha. =p
Too good to be true?
It can be done. It’s Science. =)
So here are 2 tricks to make silky, smooth congee within 15 minutes:
- Freeze the rice grains over night, or at least 4+ hours.
- Stir frequently within the 15 minutes.
Apparently, when you freeze washed rice grains, tiny holes would be formed in the grain. So when you dump the grains into boiling water, the grains can now absorb water A LOT faster, and starch can break down A LOT more easily, greatly shortening the time needed to make the congee creamy and silky!
Brilliant!
I learned the stirring trick from my mom. She’s brilliant too!
Doesn’t this make you drool?!
Licking your screen yet?!
That’s a result of cooking Basmati brown rice for 15 minutes.
I scooped out some portion and made baby G some for dinner. I added lots of organic greens from my dad’s garden, an organic free-range egg, and home-made turkey meatballs.
She ate TWO bowls!!
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Fastest Way to Cook Creamy, Silky, Smooth Congee 極速煮粥法
Ingredients:
Whatever ingredients you love in a bowl of congee – I used Basmati brown rice, marinated pork, preserved duck eggs aka THOUSAND-Year-Old Eggs =p, chopped organic swiss chard from my dad’s garden.
1. Wash one cup of Basmati brown rice several times, soak it for 10 minutes, then pour all the water out and freeze the grains overnight or at least 4+ hours..
2. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add frozen Basmati brown rice. Stir. (If you are using preserved duck eggs, add them in now.)
3. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook for 15 minutes while stirring frequently.
4. It should turn into a pot of silky, smooth congee after 15 minutes.
5. Now add the meat and other remaining ingredients. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked through.
6. Finally. season with salt if you prefer.
You are DONE! EASY eh?! Enjoy. =)
Thanks for this! I love your page 🙂
Oh thank you Maddie! You are too kind! =)
Hi Priscilla
I love smooth congee and inevitably one of my fave comfort food .
Thank you for the tip on how to get that same texture and look often found in Cantonese restaurant.
Home cooking is my hobby – a great home activity to unwind after a hard’s day work .
Presently I m on a stay fit and lose weigh regimen and I m now using brown rice to create congee
using your secret tip.
I observed even after freezing the raw grains overnight and cook next day it took more than 15 minutes to cook
down the rice . Additionally with help of a hand blender I managed to get the right consistency and texture I want
Is brown rice harder to cook using your tip ?
Or should I do some additional steps here .
Please advise.
Thank you
Hi Tony,
Thanks for stopping by and your lovely comment! So glad to hear you love to cook and that’s the best way to be healthy and stay fit. Good on you!
So in this recipe, I used Basmati brown rice, which is different from brown rice. Brown rice does take longer to cook when comparing to white rice, or even Basmati rice. I noticed that even with a rice cooker, brown rice tend to take way longer to cook. So I’m not surprised it took longer for you to cook down the rice.
Based on my research, I think Basmati brown rice is more nutritional than brown rice. It has the lowest glycemic index among the major grains, so it’s better for your health in a long run. Maybe you can try Basmati brown rice? =)
Good luck!!
Thanks Priscilla
Will take note and will experiment to get the best healthi consistency