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    Home » Recipes » Asian » Chinese Rice Porridge Congee (Jook)

    Chinese Rice Porridge Congee (Jook)

    Published: Feb 12, 2018 · Modified: Jan 13, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

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    Comforting and hearty, rice porridge congee is a traditional Chinese homey meal that is perfect for easing symptoms when you're under the weather. It also hits the spot for warming you up on chilly days.

    A black spoon in a blue bowl containing Chinese rice porridge congee

    Chinese rice porridge congee, or “jook” in Cantonese, is very much a “home” sort of meal, made by Chinese mothers and grandmothers for their families. That’s how I came to know it…my mom would make it for us whenever we were sick with a cold or the flu and it was the perfect remedy to make us feel more comfortable. But it wasn’t only limited to when we were sick! No matter when my mom made it, it was always a welcome meal, especially on chilly days.

    Needless to say, the idea of rice porridge to ease cold or flu symptoms was so ingrained in me that I started making it on my own after I got married whenever my husband or I got sick. I continued making it after I had kids and it is still one of their favorite things to eat. It gives me great satisfaction, being able to share these childhood food memories with them and to teach them how their Chinese grandmother fed her family.

    As you can probably guess, rice porridge congee all starts with…rice! 😉

    A stainless steel ½ cup measuring cup containing dry uncooked rice

    It is basically rice that is cooked in a lot of liquid (in this case, chicken stock) so that you end up with a thickened rice soup. The ratio in my recipe is ½ cup of uncooked rice to 7 cups of liquid.

    In its most basic form, rice is simply cooked in water, but it is incredibly plain. This is a common way to cook it, though, and flavor is achieved through tasty toppings such as pickled vegetables, soy sauce, green onions, sliced fresh ginger, etc.

    I, however, like to cook the rice in a really good flavorful chicken stock, and I have included the instructions on how to make it in the recipe below. If you do not want to make your own stock, however, or you don’t have the ingredients on-hand or the time, you can also use your favorite good quality chicken broth/stock to make this.

    A split image, dried bean curd on the left, soaked and softened dried bean curd on the right, for using in Chinese rice porridge congee

    Also, like my mom, I like to put in dried bean curd, or “foo jook”. I know…the name doesn’t exactly sound the most appealing.

    And if you see it in the store, you probably wouldn’t think it looks particularly appetizing. However, once you learn how to use it, it’s actually really good and does offer great texture to the congee. It is sold dried, in stick-like form, and they need to be re-hydrated by soaking in water for a couple hours before cooking. This ingredient is optional, of course, but this is how I grew up eating congee, and it doesn’t seem quite right without it. It is simply an ingredient that ties it to “how Mom made it”!

    A wooden cutting board with sliced Chinese doughnuts

    I mentioned toppings earlier, and one that my mom always served alongside her rice porridge was Chinese doughnuts, or “yu ja guai” in Cantonese. It literally means “oil fried devil”. I have no clue whatsoever where they came up with the word "devil" to describe this food, but I do know that they taste good and are awesome in rice porridge congee!

    If you’re lucky enough to have a Chinatown where you live, you can buy them freshly made there. (I have memories of my mom sending me down to Chinatown to buy them!) I have also seen them sold already cooked and frozen in Asian supermarkets and all you have to do is heat them up in the oven.

    (By the way, my husband will go into a long bit about how these can’t be called “doughnuts” because, by definition, they are NOT doughnuts in any way, shape, or form. I just ignore him…)

    A dark bowl containing Chinese rice porridge congee, chopped green onions, and Chinese doughnut slices

    This, to me, is homey comfort. And much like chicken soup, this really does make us feel a bit better when we’re under the weather.

    You could probably liken his to oatmeal, except it’s not as thick, and it’s savory as opposed to sweet. Here in Hong Kong (and probably in China and some very traditional Chinese households), rice porridge congee is also eaten for breakfast…much like oatmeal! If you are traveling in Asia, many hotels will have a pot of rice porridge at the breakfast buffet, right near the bread!

    A closeup of a black spoon containing Chinese rice porridge congee and dried bean curd

    If you grew up in a Chinese household, this is probably bringing back lots of memories from your own childhood and you can relate to everything I've written about it! If you didn't grow up with rice porridge congee, but you've tried it and like it, now you can try making it yourself! Consider making this traditional Chinese homey remedy the next time you’ve got someone under the weather in your house, or if it’s cold outside…or just because!

    ~ Lisa.

    A black soup spoon in a blue bowl of rice porridge congee

    Chinese Rice Porridge Congee (Jook)

    Comforting and hearty, this traditional Chinese homey meal is perfect for easing cold and flu symptoms, and also for warming you up on chilly days.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Keyword: congee
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Makes: 4
    Author: Lisa from A Day in the Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup uncooked rice
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 tbs oil
    • 3-4 dried bean curd sticks (optional)
    • 4 cups chicken stock (recipe included below, or use your favorite good quality chicken broth/stock)

    Chicken Stock:

    • 1.5 - 2 lbs. (680-900g) raw chicken pieces, bone-in can use any combination of wings, thighs, drums, etc.
    • 6 cups water
    • 1 knob fresh ginger, about the size of a lemon peeled and cut into 2-3 chunks
    • ½ onion cut into chunks
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    Chicken Stock (if making your own):

    • Put all chicken stock ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
    • Reduce heat to a gentle boil and remove the scum that floats to the surface using a mesh skimmer or flat spoon.
    • Once the scum stops appearing, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot, leaving a small gap open.
    • Simmer for approximately 1.5 -2 hours.
    • Remove the chicken pieces. Remove the meat from the pieces (if any) and set aside for later use.
    • Remove all solids from the stock and discard. You should have about 4 cups of stock remaining.

    Rice Porridge Congee:

    • Combine the uncooked rice, 3 cups of water, and oil in a bowl and let soak for 1-2 hours.
    • Soak the dried bean curd sticks in warm water until re-hydrated and soft, about 1-2 hours.
    • Once dried bean curd has softened, drain well and cut into either narrow strips or 1-2" lengths.
    • Add entire rice, water, oil mixture and the hydrated bean curd to a pot with 4 cups of chicken stock. (If making your own chicken stock with the recipe included here, simply add the water and rice to the same pot that you made the chicken stock.)
    • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
    • Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot, leaving a small gap open.
    • Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir well.
    • Add any of the reserved chicken meat back into the rice porridge congee, if desired. Stir to combine.
    • Serve hot.

    Notes

    1. The chicken stock recipe included above should make the right amount needed for the rice porridge congee without any leftover.
    2. If the rice porridge congee gets too thick, you can dilute it with some water.
    3. The rice porridge will thicken, even with the heat off.
    4. Garnish your rice porridge congee with chopped green onions, white pepper, soy sauce, chili sauce, or pickled vegetables, if desired.
    5. You can also add beef balls or fish to your congee instead of chicken.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @dayinthekitchen or tag #adayinthekitchen!

    If you make this rice porridge congee, share your photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @dayinthekitchen!


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    1. ysl

      May 30, 2020 at 8:01 pm

      Ahh good old jook! My family on my mother's side called the doughnuts "yew tcha kwei" where the "kwei" corresponds to "cake". What do you think ?

      Reply
    2. Chantal

      February 15, 2018 at 6:21 am

      5 stars
      The one thing I want when I'm sick or feeling under the weather! Now I don't have to call my grandmother and ask her how to do this for the hundredth time 😛

      Reply
      • Lisa

        February 15, 2018 at 8:27 am

        Yes! Now you can make it yourself! You can even try making the chicken stock, too!

        Reply

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