Healing Homemade Congee

What is Congee?

Congee is an ancient Eastern meal that is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a detoxifying and cleansing remedy for not only the digestive system but the body and skin too.

You could say that this is a healthier alternative to porridge which is often made with milk. Congee on the other hand is made with water and the ratio is a lot more than you would think. With many people now having dairy intolerances, this could also be a good alternative to those sensitivities, as well as providing you with so many other benefits.

The healthy and interesting benefits of Congee

Hydration is one key benefit, due to its high water content, the rice is cooked slowly while the water is absorbed allowing for a easy to digest and surprisingly light meal.

Anti - Inflammatory and cleansing - due to it's simple and clean ingredients, this will help reduce inflammation in the body through the gut.

If you find that you are craving sweet foods and sugar, having a small bowl of this as part of your diet, you will notice the cravings start to become less and less.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 Cup of Jasmine Rice or Short Grain Rice

8 Cups of Water

Handful of dried Shitake Mushrooms for mild flavour

How to prepare Congee

1 - Add the water to a saucepan allowing the water to boil.

2 - Add the rice to the boiling water, gently stir the rice and then bring the heat down to steady simmer.

3 - Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 35 to 40 minutes occasionally stirring, to ensure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

4 - Once you have the desired consistency, you are ready to serve.

You can of course add additional flavourings and toppings of choice, such as soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil, coriander and boiled or marbled tea eggs.

Enjoy!