Black rice congee is hands down the most nourishing and warming dish you can savour this winter! I also like to refer to it as a "choose your own adventure" recipe, because you get to choose what toppings to enjoy it with - no more arguments at the dinner table over what to eat with it.
Jump to:
- 🍲 How this recipe for Black Rice Congee came about
- 🥘 You choose - Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Congee OR Stovetop
- 📖 A brief history of congee
- 💭 About black rice
- ❓Why you have got to try this recipe
- 📝 Ingredients you'll need
- ⭐ Suggested toppings for Black Rice Congee
- How to make the recipe vegan or vegetarian
- Before we get to the recipe
- 📋 Recipe - Black Rice Congee
- Black Rice Congee (Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker or Stovetop)
- Hungry for more high quality recipes?
- 🍜 Other recipes you'll love
🍲 How this recipe for Black Rice Congee came about
This black rice congee is inspired by traditional congee or jook - a savoury porridge of Asian origin traditionally made with white rice.
I can't go past using purple, blue and black foods for their abundant health properties, so my version of congee uses black rice which is a deep inky black. Any type of black or purple rice works for this recipe, however "wild rice" is not suitable. You can find black or purple rice in Asian grocery stores, many standard supermarkets and from online suppliers.
I've been making this dish for years now and let me tell you, I am still not bored of it! The magic is in the endless topping options with so many combinations of crispy, crunchy and tasty to choose from. Combined with the silky smooth porridge, the chewy shiitake mushrooms and the zingy ginger, this dish is unforgettable. If you don't like shiitake mushrooms, you can leave them out.
🥘 You choose - Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Congee OR Stovetop
This is definitely one of the best examples of where pressure cooking really shines because it cuts down on the cooking time and also the required babysitting. This dish requires no stirring if made in the pressure cooker / Instant Pot. As with most of my pressure cooker recipes, I have also provided a stovetop version so nobody misses out!
If you're curious about pressure cooking, have a read of my article 10 Things I Love About My Pressure Cooker. You will be very tempted to get your hands on one of these amazing kitchen gadgets that really changes the way you cook.
📖 A brief history of congee
Some of you may be thinking "what on earth is congee?" - well, I'm glad you asked!
Congee, or jook, is a long-cooked savoury rice porridge that originated in Asia and there are many variations across the continent. In Thailand, this dish is referred to as khao tom moo, in the Phillipines arroz caldo. It's also developing quite the following in non-Asian countries too thanks to the influence of Asian ethnicities.
Congee is comfort food that is often served for breakfast but can be eaten at any time of day. It's silky, creamy and straight up delicious.
Congee is considered a nourishing dish in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) because it is warm and easily digested. Pairing it with ginger is a match made in heaven for digestive health. This is the perfect recipe to supercharge your health.
💭 About black rice
This version of congee uses black rice, which I love for its flavour and health benefits. The dark pigment is from the presence of anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol with anti-inflammatory and gut-microbiome-supporting properties. I genuinely never get bored of eating purple, blue, red and black foods. Use either Thai black rice, purple rice, glutinous black rice, or Chinese Forbidden rice in this recipe.
❓Why you have got to try this recipe
- Incredibly nourishing
- Easy to make
- Customisable
- Mostly hands-off, especially using an Instant Pot (multicooker)
- Perfect for meal prep/batch cooking/freezer meals
📝 Ingredients you'll need
- Black or purple rice
- Fresh shiitake mushrooms
- Grated fresh ginger
- Cooking/kosher salt
- Chicken stock and/or water (highly recommend using chicken stock for all or part of the liquid)
- Tamari sauce or gluten-free soy sauce
- Toppings as suggested below
⭐ Suggested toppings for Black Rice Congee
This is where the real fun begins - choose whatever takes your fancy from the list below and you're well on your way to congee heaven.
- fried garlic
- fried shallots
- sliced and browned sausage
- finely shredded red cabbage
- browned pork mince (ground pork)
- browned chicken mince (ground pork)
- chilli oil
- pork rinds
- sliced spring onion/scallions
- crushed roasted cashews or peanuts
- crushed pork crackling
- sliced meat
- soft boiled egg
- bacon
- crispy tofu
- edamame beans
- charred snow peas
- kimchi
- charred corn
- bacon and chilli jam
How to make the recipe vegan or vegetarian
This Black Rice Congee can be adapted to be vegan or vegetarian really easily! Just use a vegan or vegetarian stock - eg. seaweed or mushroom-based or use water in place of chicken stock. Also, ensure your toppings are vegan or vegetarian as required!
Before we get to the recipe
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📋 Recipe - Black Rice Congee
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Black Rice Congee (Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker or Stovetop)
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Multicooker or Pressure Cooker or Stockpot
- Box grater
- Chopping board
- Measuring cup and spoons
- cooking knife
- stick/immersion blender or blender
Ingredients
- 250 grams black or purple rice (1 ¼ cups)
- 200 grams fresh shiitake mushrooms (½ pound)
- 6 teaspoons finely grated ginger 6cm/2 inch piece
- 1 ½ litres/quarts chicken stock use water or vegan stock if required
- 3 tablespoons tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cooking/kosher salt
Stovetop method
- 3 litres chicken stock (requires more than the pressure cooker version - all other ingredients the same)
Instructions
Instant Pot/multicooker/pressure cooker
- Prep all the ingredients. Grate the ginger, wash the mushrooms and cut off the stems.
- Add all ingredients except shiitake to the pressure cooker bowl and stir. Place shiitake mushrooms on top.
- Close the lid, seal the pressure valve and set the pressure cooker to cook on high for 45 minutes, followed by 20 minutes natural release*. Use the same amount of time whether using a Multicooker/Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker.
- After the time has finished, release the pressure and stir. Remove the shiitake and set aside. Using a stick blender, roughly blend the soup for a minute to thicken it. You could also do this in a blender once it has cooled, just don't blend for too long because you still want the rice to have texture.
- Adjust the salt if desired and serve with your chosen toppings.
- Store in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat on the stove with a little extra hot water added or in the microwave.
- *Natural release means that you don't release the pressure, rather you let the pressure dissipate for the time specified before opening up the pressure cooker
Stovetop option
- Add all ingredients to a stockpot, place the lid on top and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir every 10 minutes or so for 60-70 minutes and add extra water if necessary. The rice should be very soft.
- Remove the shiitake and set aside. Using a stick blender, roughly blend the soup for a minute to thicken it. You could also do this in a blender once it has cooled, just don't blend for too long because you still want the rice to have texture.
- Adjust the salt if desired and serve with your chosen toppings.
- Store in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat on the stove with a little extra hot water added or in the microwave.
Notes
Hungry for more high quality recipes?
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