Herbal congee recipes

Herbal congee is rice congee or porridge cooked with chinese herbs for the purpose of building immunity and regulating bodily functions.

We chinese like to use rice porridge as a base and add different ingredients to create a comforting food. These herbal rice porridge recipes uses a few common chinese herbs such as goji berries, ginkgo nuts and hawthorn. Pleasant to the palate yet therapeutic.

All in the name of good health.

Apple and ear wood fungus congee

Do not peel the apple. The skin helps it keep its shape during the cooking process.

Ingredients
20g wood ear fungus, rehydrated
1 red apple
225g lean pork
6 cups of water
2 cups of cooked rice
12 goji berries
Pinch of cornstarch
Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Wash and cut the wood ear fungus
2. Wash and quarter the apple
3. Slice the pork and marinate with a little cornstarch
4. Bring the water to a boil and add the cooked rice
5. Add the fungus and the apple and cook for 15 minutes
6. Add the pork and goji berries and cook for 10 minutes
7. Add salt to taste

Hawthorn slimming congee

Hawthorn is well-known as a weight loss ingredient. It aids digestion by increasing digestive enzymes. The idea is that if you are well-nourished, you will be less inclined to over-eat. Do you agree?

The glutinous rice can be replaced with plain rice white rice.

This is a sweet congee recipe, so can be served as a light refreshing dessert or snack.

Ingredients
1 cup of short-grained glutinous rice
150g hawthorn
14 cups of water
75g crystal sugar

Directions

1. Soak the glutinous rice for 2 hours
2. Wash the hawthorn
3. Bring the water to a boil
4. Add the hawthorn and boil for about 15 minutes
5. Add the glutinous rice and cook for 1 hour
6. Add the crystal sugar

Beancurd gingko porridge

The beancurd sheets used here are the thin fragile type, not the type used for wraps. The pith of the ginkgo nuts must be removed. Halve the nuts and remove the green centres.

If you don't have rock sugar, use plain sugar although rock sugar is nicer. (^_^)

Beancurd sheet and ginkgo nuts is a classic pair in chinese sweet desserts.

Photo source: masaya.yamauchi at flickr

Ingredients
1/2 cup of short-grained glutinous rice
2 dried beancurd sheets
225g fresh ginkgo nuts
1 egg
75g crystal sugar
14 cups of water

Directions

1. Soak the glutinous rice for 1 hour
2. Wash the beancurd sheet and gingko nuts
3. Bring the water to a boil, add the glutinous rice, beancurd sheet and gingko nuts
4. Lower heat and simmer for 50 minutes
5. Add the rock sugar and stir to dissolve
6. Remove from the heat
7. Add the egg before serving

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Recipe source: <a href="http://www.homemade-chinese-soups.com/herbal-congee.html">Herbal congee recipes</a>

Other herbal congee recipes

Ginseng lamb porridge

chicken porridge recipes with chinese herbs

pork congee with euryale seeds