Congee is Chinese rice porridge, which can be served plain, sweet, or savoury. It is actually pretty bland in flavour. When additional ingredients such as meat, fish, and flavourings are added while preparing the congee, which is most often served as a meal on its own, especially for persons who are ill. To me, it is the ultimate Chinese comfort food, that my grandma and mom cook for us. Their recipes have fish brain, intestines’, Chinese donut stick pieces, minced pork, bean sprouts, and at times fried tofu.

Congee is served as breakfast, lunch and dinner in Malaysia. But even when I don’t feel sick, I still find it as satisfying meal. Well, my first time cooking congee with my mom helping me on the method. She cooks in a rice cooker.

My congee is cooked in a rice cooker, has prawn heads and chicken stock, fish fillets, and minced pork, garnished with leftover vegetables and added some canned champignon mushrooms; recipe link below. It’s a comforting, delicious, and flavourful congee. Let’s cook!!!!

Ingredients

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 c extra water, 1 ” ginger, salt, black peppercorns and 4 garlic cloves to make stock
200-250 g minced pork
200 g basa fish, fillets
2 Tsp olive oil
1/2 Tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 Tsp minced garlic
1 Tsp Shaoxing wine
1 Tsp soy sauce
1/4 Tsp salt, and extra
1 Tsp pepper and extra
water, if necessary

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 fish fillets and some canned champignon mushrooms to rice cooker. Stir and cover for 5 minutes or until it is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with warmed up in microwave leftovers vegetables. Enjoy!!!

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 vegetables. 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/2021/08/09/fish-and-minced-pork-congee-with-vegetables/

My mixed vegetables with spring onion:

https://helenscchin.com/2019/07/11/mixed-vegetables-with-spring-onion/

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