1. Congee with lean pork and Chinese yam

This rice congee is touted as a flu prevention soup recipe. The congee is supposed to be light and bland but if you really can't stand the blandness, introduce some flavour by adding a bouillion stock cube that contain no MSG.

The white hyacinth beans have beneficial medicinal properties associated with dispelling the damp heat of a hot summer. 

Ingredients

• 20g white hyacinth beans 白扁豆 (bai bian dou)
• 20g dried Chinese yam 淮山 (huai shan)
• 50g rice
• 1500ml water
• 150g lean pork

Directions

1. Soak the dried Chinese yam in water for about 2 hours
2. Cut Chinese yam into bite-sized pieces
3. Cut the lean pork into thin slices and pound lightly with a meat mallet or the back of the knife to tenderize the meat
4. Marinate pork slices with soy sauce and cornstarch
5. Bring 1500ml water to a boil
6. Cook the beans, Chinese yam on low heat for about 30 minutes
7. Add the rice and cook till rice become congee
8. Add the lean pork and cook for about 10 minutes or till pork is cooked
9. Serve

2. Pork congee with euryale seeds

This congee is a mild herbal congee. Cook on the stove top or in a rice cooker or slow cooker.

Ingredients

• 100g pork fillet
• 20g euryale seeds
• 1 stalk of spring onion
• 1 cup of rice
• 12 cups of soup stock
• Salt and pepper

Marinate for the pork

• 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Wash and soak the rice and euryale seeds for 30 minutes
2. Clean the pork and slice thinly
3. Place in a bowl and add the marinate for the pork. Leave to stand
4. Place rice and euryale seeds in a pot and add the soup stock
5. Bring it to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cook till done
6. Blanch the pork in hot water quickly
7. Wash the spring onion and chop finely
8. When the porridge is done, add the pork and cook till done
9. Add the salt and pepper, sprinkle the chopped spring onion before serving

3. Pork congee with Chinese mushrooms

This is a very simple dish to prepare especially when you use the rice cooker. No intricate technique, no long preparation time. Just wash and cut everything up and throw into the pot. When the button pops, the congee is done.

Ingredients

• 100g pork fillet
• 5 dried Chinese mushrooms
• 1 stalks of spring onion
• 1 cup of rice
• 8 cups of soup stock
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Wash and soak the Chinese mushrooms
2. Remove the stems and cut the caps into thin strips
3. Clean the pork and cut into thin strips across the grain
4. Wash the spring onion, remove the white stem and root, and chop finely
5. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes
6. Place rice in a pot or rice cooker and add the soup stock
7. Bring to a boil and cook till porridge is done
8. Add the mushroom and pork and simmer till mushroom and pork strips are cooked
9. Add the salt and pepper to taste
10. Sprinkle the chopped spring onion before serving

4. Congee with yam and pork ribs 芋头排骨粥 (yu tou pai gu zhou)

This pork congee features rice, yam (or taro) and prime pork ribs.

In certain parts of the world, including Singapore, taro is commonly called yam. This is not strictly accurate. I have not found out why the locals here refer to taro as yam. If you do, let me know.

In the past, taro, like sweet potato and tapioca, is considered a working class vegetable. It is added to congee or rice to supplement it as rice can be more expensive especially in times of drought. Later, it was discovered that yam has complex carbohydrates and good trace minerals which is good for health. So its status has somewhat been elevated.

Fry the yam to keep it intact when it is added to the congee. It also makes it crispier and imparts a smoky flavour. However if you are concerned about the oil, you can steam the yam instead.

If you have a rice cooker, you can use it to make this congee. It is not necessary to bring the stock to a boil. Add both soup stock and washed rice together into the cooker. If your rice cooker doesn't have a congee setting, leave the rice cooker partially covered in case there is a boil over.

Ingredients

• 300g prime pork ribs
• 225g yam
• 12 cups of soup stock
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 cup of cooking oil

Directions

1. Wash and parboil the pork ribs
2. Peel the yam, cut into bite-sized pieces and wash thoroughly
3. Use gloves when doing this as the mucus just underneath the yam skin can irritate the skin and cause itching
4. Heat the oil and fry the yam pieces till golden brown
5. Wash the rice to remove any grit and excess starch
6. Bring the soup stock to a boil and add the rice
7. Cook for 20 minutes
8. Add the pork ribs and cook for another 30 minutes
9. Add the yam and cook for another 10 minutes
10. Add salt to taste

5. Tomato pork congee

Cook the rice, pork ribs and soup stock at the same time. When the congee is about done, add the tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rice
• 12 cups of soup stock
• 300g prime pork ribs or 100g minced pork
• 2 big tomatoes
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Wash the pork ribs, parboil and drain
2. Cook the tomatoes in hot water for about 2 minutes. Drain and soak in cold water
3. Peel off the skin and cut into quarters
4. Boil the water, add the rice. Bring back to a boil
5. Lower heat, and simmer for 20 minutes
6. Add the pork ribs and cook for another 30 minutes
7. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 20 minutes
8. Add salt to taste. Serve

6. Congee with pork liver

It is important to blanch the pork liver prior to adding them to the congee, unless you are in the mood for brownish looking congee. Blanch for about 30 seconds just to cook the surface of the liver. Do not overdo as they will become dry and chewy.

If you think 100g of pork liver is too much, do reduce the amount. Slice them as thin as you could.

Ingredients

• 100g pork fillet
• 100g pork liver
• 10g ginger
• 1 cup of rice
• 6 cups of soup stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Marinate for the pork

• 1 tsp cooking wine
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Wash and cut the ginger into thin strips
2. Clean the pork and pork liver and slice thinly
3. Place in a bowl and add the marinate for the pork. Leave to stand for 5 minutes
4. Parboil the pork and pork liver slices. Drain and set aside
5. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes
6. Place rice in a pot and add the soup stock
7. Bring it to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cook till done
8. Add the pork and liver to the porridge and cook till done
9. Add the salt, pepper, sesame seed oil and pepper before serving