Delicious comforting Congee can be made in the Instant Pot in only 20 minutes.
The only Congee I would eat before meant trekking all the way down to Chinatown. It’s not a difficult dish to make, but on the stovetop it could take up to 2 hours of simmering and monitoring to get the right consistency. Making Instant Pot congee takes only 20 minutes, and it is divine!
I am a relative newcomer to the Instant Pot. I got my first one this past summer, the 3 quart size which I keep out at my country house. I have to say that for a small family, or for a couple, it is a perfect size, and doesn’t take up much counter space. The second Instant Pot, which I purchased on sale sale, is the 6qt size for the city. A bit bigger, but it has a few more options which I appreciate, and do use.
The reason for the second one is due to the fact that I am completely SPOILED now. Who doesn’t want gorgeous garbanzo beans in 30 minutes from dried beans? Brown rice is a breeze, cooking beets is simple and fast, I have conquered Soy yogurt to creamy perfection, and now congee. Typically I am not a huge fan of gadgets, and I really resisted jumping on this bandwagon since it seemed like it was a lot of ado about nothing. Man was I wrong! There is rarely a day where I am not putting my pots to work. So, of course, I would be unfair if I didn’t share this all with you.
Enough about the pots, let me swoon on about the Congee.
If you have never had congee, it’s some of the best comfort food around. The overcooked rice develops a velvety texture that makes you wish you had a cold. I make mine with lots of garlic and ginger and use a vegetable broth. The soup comes out fragrant and super hot from the pot. On top I add some tofu straight from the fridge along with a splash of high quality soy sauce and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. The cold creamy tofu is a beautiful foil to the warm soup and tangy seasonings. If I am looking for something heartier I will add chopped spinach to the hot soup, or any other greens I have around, plus a jolt or two of any fermented veggies I have on hand.
Traditionally congee is a breakfast food, and a great alternative if you are more of a savory person. Congee is also good for lunch or a light supper. Making a large batch in advance is possible. Just add some water to your serving and reheat. I made mine with some jasmine rice I had on hand, but you can use brown rice too.
Right now Amazon has a sale on the Instant Pots. If you use the links I provided above I get a few sheckles that helps keep the lights on, but don’t feel compelled. Whatever it takes. Just get on the congee bandwagon any way you can.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice of your choice
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- To add on:
- Cubed tofu
- chopped spinach
- fermented vegetables
- high quality soy sauce
- a few drops of sesame oil
- scallions
Instructions
Place all the ingredients into an Instant pot. Set to "porridge" and seal the pressure valve. Alternatively pressure cook on normal for 20 minutes.
When the 20 minutes is over slowly release the steam and enjoy.
Some Instant pots have timers so you could set this up before bed and have hot congee for breakfast.
It's also possible to make a large batch of congee and reheat with a little added water to get the consistency you like.