Chinese Healing Congee
Congee is a kind of the thick rice porridge. In Chinese, we call it 粥(zhōu). It’s a very popular staple food in many Asian countries. In different areas of China, it has different cooking ways. In northern area, people prefer to combine congee and Chinese bread together to be staple food with other side dishes. In my hometown, we often have congee for dinner. In southern area, congee has been treated as one part of the breakfast. China has various kinds of congees. It can be plain or with other ingredients, such as meet or vegetables. It can be salt or sweet. When mentioned Chinese food therapy, congee can never be ignored.It's good for promoting good health and strong digestion.
As a traditional Chinese food, congee has thousands years of history. According to the historical record, the Emperor Huang Di cooks the earliest congee. Congee can be cooked in various ways. People can add anything inside. The plain congee is just rice and water. Unlike cooking the rice, congee needs more water to boil until it becomes thick. The author will introduce some kinds of congee recipes. You may find more online.
Plain congee
Ingredients:
8 cups water
1/2-cup rice
Procedure:
Bring the rice and water to boil in a large pot.
When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to the medium low. Stir slightly until the rice becomes thick (1 hour).
Add peanuts or any other vegetables, such as lettuce and green onions if you want.
Sweet potato congee
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1/2 cup rice
9 cups water
Procedure:
Chop the sweet potato in small pieces;
Bring the sweet potato, rice and water to boil in a large pot.
When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to the medium low. Stir slightly until the rice becomes thick (1 hour).
Add the brown sugar or white sugar when you are ready to eat.
