Congee is a simple dish in Asian Culture and can be found across many countries including China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, and Japan. Although the recipes may differ depending on country, region, and personal preference, they have one thing in common: soft rice and plenty of liquids to create a hearty, warming, easily eaten and digestible dish.
Congee is commonly eaten as a breakfast food or when feeling sick or under the weather, similar to chicken noodle soup because it is warm, filling, and easy on the stomach.
I created this healthy dish with an assortment of Chinese Herbs to help nourish the blood and promote blood circulation:
Radix Angelicae Sinensis-Dang Gui,
Peony Root-Bai Shao,
Licorice Root-Gan Cao,
Poria Mushroom-Fu Ling,
Chinese Yam-Shan Yao.
These Herbs Work Together To:
Nourish blood and regulate menstruation
improve blood circulation and alleviate pain
moisten intestines and promote fluid metabolism
nourish the spleen, stomach, lungs, kidneys, heart, and liver
promote digestion
soothe and calm the nervous system
adaptogenic properties: enhance the body's ability to combat stress factors
Nutrition from a Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective:
Beets:
Colors and flavors play a role in the nutritional properties of foods. For example, red is associated with the heart and blood. Red beets are therefore believed to nourish the heart, blood, promote menstruation and helps to move liver qi (energy). Beets are rich in minerals and are good for growing strong hair and nails.
Ingredients:
1 cup Toasted Rice
7 Cups Organic Vegetable Stock or Organic Chicken Bone Broth
2-3 Cups of water
2-3 Red Beets
2-2 Potatoes
1/2 Onion Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic- Sliced or Minced
5-9 g Radix Angelica Sinensis-Dang Gui
5 g Peony Root-Bai Shao
5 g Poria Mushroom-Fu Ling
5 g Chinese Yam - Shan Yao
3 g Licorice Root- Gan Cao
1/2 inch slice of Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Salt (or to preferred taste)
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper (or to preferred taste)
1/4 Teaspoon Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Rosemary
Optional:
1 lb Ground Pork, Turkey or Beef
1/2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
2 Cloves finely minced garlic
A pinch of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
Optional Toppings:
Thinly sliced ginger
Sliced Green Onion
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Instructions:
Gently rinse the herbs with water.
Break up the Poria, Chinese Yam, and Peony root into small pieces using a knife or mortar and pestle, this will help the herbs cook quicker and create small, bite sized pieces. Keep the Radix Angelica Sinensis and Licorice Root whole to make it easier to remove from the soup.
*note: Peony root is slightly bitter, so it can be left out if you do not like bitter foods.
Soak the herbs in water for 20-30 minutes.
To prepare the other vegetables: cube the beets and potatoes, dice the Onions, and thinly slice or mince the garlic.
In a heated pan, toast 1 cup of rice until it turns into an opaque white.
Rinse the rice in cool water.
Season the ground meat with Fish Sauce, Soy Sauce/Coconut Aminos, and finely minced garlic, salt and pepper.
In a large pot, add stock, water, rice, herbs salt, and ginger. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to simmer. Stir the contents occasionally to prevent rice from clumping and sticking or burning on the bottom.
Using a spoon, scoop small spoonfuls of the ground meat to add to the congee to cook.
The herbs and rice soak up a lot of water as it cooks, add additional water or stock if necessary to make the congee to your desired thickness.
Simmer the congee for about 1 hours or until the congee is thickened and creamy.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and optional toppings such as sliced green onion sesame oil, and soy sauce to taste.
*Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and entertainment purposes only, and is NOT intended as medical advice. If you or any other person have a medical concern, please seek guidance from a medical professional.