The benefits of eating congee are being recognized by more and more people. Eating more congee not only replenishes the body's moisture but also nourishes and protects the stomach, making it a great nutritious food. So, how can you cook a delicious, thick, and nutritious congee? Follow along to learn these cooking tips.
1. Soaking
Before cooking, soak the rice in cold water for half an hour to allow the grains to expand. This method saves time and results in a softer, smoother texture.
2. Cooking the Base and Toppings Separately
Most people are accustomed to putting everything into the pot at once when making congee. In fact, making congee is an art: the congee base and the toppings are cooked separately. The base is boiled, and the toppings are blanched before they are combined for a final brief simmer. This results in a clear, non-cloudy congee where the flavor of each ingredient is fully extracted without mixing. This is especially important when the toppings are meat or seafood.
3. Start with Boiling Water
Everyone knows that soups are made with cold water, so it's easy to assume the same for congee. However, true experts always use boiling water to make congee. Besides saving time, the biggest advantage of starting with boiling water is that it prevents the congee from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
4. Heat Control
For both making congee and soups, controlling the heat is crucial. First, bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Don't underestimate the importance of this heat adjustment; it's what brings out the congee's rich aroma.
5. Stirring
We used to stir congee to prevent it from sticking. Since that's no longer a concern with boiling water, why stir now? The main reason is to achieve a thick consistency, ensuring each grain of rice is plump and perfectly textured. The technique is: stir a few times when adding the boiling water, then when you reduce the heat to a simmer after 20 minutes, start stirring continuously for about 10 minutes until the congee reaches a thick, sticky consistency.
6. Adding a Touch of Oil
Do you need to add oil when making congee? Yes. About 10 minutes after reducing the heat to a simmer, add a little oil. You'll find that the finished congee not only looks more vibrant but also has an incredibly smooth texture.