But it wasnвЂ™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. ThatвЂ™s how I came to know itвЂ¦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. It also hits the spot for warming you up on chilly days.Д¬hinese rice porridge congee, or вЂњjookвЂќ in Cantonese, is very much a вЂњhomeвЂќ sort of meal, made by Chinese mothers and grandmothers for their families. If you are interested in another porridge recipe, try my vegan congee recipe! It uses shiitake mushrooms, lemongrass, and ginger for flavor.Comforting and hearty, rice porridge congee is a traditional Chinese homey meal that is perfect for easing symptoms when you're under the weather. The residual heat will continue to crisp up the fried dough. Then, turn off the heat but leave the fried dough sticks in the oven. Just bake it on a pan for 5 minutes at 375вњЇ (190вњ¬) for 5 minutes. There is no need to defrost them before reheating. I usually buy the fried dough frozen at Asian supermarkets. Cantonese-speaking regions call it жІ№з‚ёй¬ј, which literally means oil fried ghosts-no idea where that phrase comes from. Mandarin-speaking regions often call the fried dough жІ№жўќ, which roughly translates to oil sticks. In Chinese restaurants, youвЂ™ll almost always see congee served with fried dough sticks that are crunchy on the outside and spongy on the inside. You might also see people add fried shallots or chili oil, like IвЂ™ve done in the photos. WHAT TO SERVE WITH CONGEEД¬ongee is often served with fresh scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, or fish sauce. Give everything a stir and reheat the congee in a microwave or saucepan with a splash of water. YouвЂ™ll notice that the porridge thickens the next day. You can make this congee recipe up to 1 or 2 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Jasmine rice breaks down quite easily, so there is no need to presoak the grains. DO YOU NEED TO SOAK THE RICE BEFORE COOKING? You can always boil down the congee with the pot uncovered or let the cooked congee sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. DonвЂ™t worry if you think youвЂ™ve started out with too much water.

Keep in mind that rice continues to absorb liquid even after itвЂ™s cooked. You can play with the amount of water or broth you use to determine what works best for you. The congee is neither too watery nor too thick. She always seems to figure out a magical rice-to-water ratio whenever she makes it.ДЄfter cooking congee numerous times on my own, I figured out that I prefer a 1-to-9 rice to liquid ratio: 1 cup of jasmine rice to 9 cups liquid (can be water, broth, or a mixture of both). I would be lying if I told you that Mama Lin follows a specific congee recipe. Because I grew up on congee cooked with dried seafood, I tend to prefer congee with those flavors. In my basic congee recipe, IвЂ™m only using ginger, garlic, dried shrimp, dried scallops, and shiitake mushrooms for flavoring. There are many variations of congee in Chinese cuisine, such as зљ®и›‹з¦и‚‰зІҐ (congee with century egg and lean pork) or йљз‰‡зІҐ (congee with sliced fish). Whenever I was sick, Mama Lin would also make a simple congee for me because it is easy to digest. When I was young, Mama Lin often cooked congee for breakfast on the weekend, and weвЂ™d eat leftovers for lunch or dinner. You can serve congee at any time of the day.

YouвЂ™ll often see people cook the rice along with ingredients that impart umami flavor, such as dried seafood or pork bones.

In Chinese cooking, congee (зІҐ, pronounced jook in Cantonese or zhou1 in Mandarin) usually involves boiling jasmine rice with a lot of water over low heat.

The word вЂњcongeeвЂќ derives from Tamil, and different Asian cultures have their own version of this delectable, often savory, rice porridge. Congee is the ultimate comfort food in Asian cuisine.

Conji rice porridge