I remembered grandma congee ingredients also have salted duck eggs, century eggs, preserved olive leaves, spring onions, black mushrooms, dried shrimps, Chinese pickled vegetables, fish, fried oysters and scallops, fresh ginger sticks, fried shallots and poached chicken.

Since today it’s so hot I don’t feel like cooking. Have leftover rice, decided to make congee with minced pork. Also have leftover sai choy so I added in. I change the recipe as I couldn’t find the red fermented beancurd and a few other ingredients. Well, I created something of me with the flavour similarity still there.

This is a combination dish that I am thankful to my grandma for her delicious, braised vegetables that we have it only in Chinese New Year. Then thankful to my mother for her congee method. The is comforting, delicious meal to have on hot day. Let’s cook!!!!

Ingredients

Sai choy (Braised vegetables) – one day in advance for more flavour

6 shiitake dried mushrooms, soak overnight, cut bite size, reserved water
50 g glass noodles
1 Tbs minced garlic
3-5 thinly slice ginger (OPT)
1 packet bean curd sticks, break into pieces and soak about 30 minutes
500 g napa cabbage, cut into bite size
8 pieces dried black fungus, soak overnight, cut bite size, reserved water
1 canned straw mushrooms, about 425 g, drained water, cut in half
1 canned whole mushrooms about 425 g, drained water, cut in half
3 Tbs Sze chuan chili beancurd sauce, about 4 cubed beancurd
2 Tbs Shaoxing Chinese wine
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs oyster sauce
2 Tsp sesame oil
2/3 c water reserved from the mushrooms
extra water if necessary

Minced pork congee

2-3 c cooked rice
1 ” fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 Tbs oyster sauce
1/2 Tbs soy sauce
6-10 prawn heads, fry with 1 Tbs oil and 1 Tsp minced garlic, once turned red, smashed and cook with 4 c water, salt and pepper to make stock
2 drumsticks plus 4 c water; 1 ” ginger, salt, black peppercorns and 4 garlic cloves to make stock
350 g minced pork
2 Tsp olive oil
1/2 Tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 Tsp minced garlic
1 Tsp Shaoxing Chinese wine
1 Tsp soy sauce
1/4 Tsp salt, and extra
1 Tsp pepper and extra
water, if necessary

Garnish
soy sauce
chili sauce (OPT)

Method

In the rice cooker, add cooked rice, two stocks (2 c each stock first), fresh ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce to pot and turn on rice cooker. Uncovered and stir occasionally for 45 minutes; to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom or until congee is smooth and no longer grainy and broken. Add more prawns or chicken stock and water if necessary.

In a bowl, combine minced pork, ginger, garlic, Shaoxing wine, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and oil. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator. When congee is nearly done; has the right consistency: creamy. Add minced pork to congee, breaking down minced pork, and simmer until minced pork is cooked, for about 10 minutes. When congee is done, change setting to ‘keep warm’. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To cook sai choy

Heat oil in wok on medium heat, add oil and ginger. Let the ginger caramelize for about 30 seconds without letting it burn. Next add in beancurd and break it up with wooden spoon. Add the garlic, shiitake mushrooms, black fungus and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the Shaoxing wine and stir fry for another minute. Next, add cabbage, and bean curd sticks; stir fry till softened for 2 minutes. Make sure it’s softened. Add other cut mushrooms, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster and water from mushrooms. Toss to mix well, cover the wok, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let vegetables simmer for about 10 minutes. If water runs dry, add water. Before serving, soak glass vermicelli until softened, and mix into pot. Glass vermicelli absorbs liquid quickly, so if you add the noodles too early, they will bloat and there will be too little sauce left. Keep stirring. You want to have some sauce. Spoon some sai choy onto congee and garnish with soy and chili sauce.

Note: You can use any ingredients of your choice. Or you can add the ingredients like my grandma and mom does as mention above. You might want it more liquid, so add more stock or water.

You can omit chili sauce. You can put fried shallots, Chinese doughnut, or fried tofu. Or create your own flavour ingredients. You can use vegetables, or box ready stock or cube packet stocks.

https://helenscchin.com/2020/11/19/minced-pork-congee-with-sai-choy-chili-and-soy-sauce/

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