Everyday Kitchen

Chinese · Breakfast

Plain Rice Congee

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
VegEasy

Diet: Veg · Vegan · Gluten-free

Simmer short-grain white rice in plenty of water. Stir until the grains break down into a soft porridge.

Prep
5 min
Cook
80 min
Total
85 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Chinese
Course
Breakfast

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Representative photograph of plain rice congee
Representative plain white rice porridge. This photograph is not a tested result of our draft recipe. Photo credit and licence
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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 4

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Main ingredients

Liquids

Equipment

Large heavy saucepan with lid; sieve; wooden spoon.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Prepare · About 1 min

  1. Rinse 120 ml uncooked short-grain white rice in the sieve.
  2. Put the drained rice and 1920 ml cooking water, plus water for rinsing in the saucepan.
  3. Bring the water to a boil.

Simmer · About 75 min

  1. Reduce the heat to low.
  2. Leave the lid partly open.

    Check: Small bubbles should rise gently; a fully closed lid can trap foam and cause overflow.

  3. Simmer for 60–75 minutes, stirring from the bottom every 10 minutes.

    Check: The grains should split and soften into a thick, flowing porridge.

  4. If the rice sticks or the porridge becomes too thick, add boiling water 2 tablespoons at a time.
  5. If firm grains remain, cook for another 5 minutes before checking again.

Serve · About 1 min

  1. Turn off the heat.
  2. Stir the congee thoroughly.
  3. Ladle the porridge into bowls.

Tips

  • This is the plain porridge base. Toppings in some serving photographs are separate dishes.

Substitutions

  • Use prepared vegetable stock instead of some water.

Storage

  • Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.
  • Reheat rice only once, until steaming hot throughout. For this draft, check reheated food reaches 74°C / 165°F. Add a little water and cover while heating.

Make ahead

  • Measure rice ahead; cook close to serving or follow the short rice storage limit.

FAQ

Why is congee so thick?

Rice breaks down and absorbs water; add boiling water to loosen it.

Can I use cooked rice?

That needs a shorter, different method; this draft starts with raw rice.

How should I store plain rice congee?

Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.

Recipe source and adaptation

Measured home adaptation: Maggie Zhu: How to Make Congee (Plain Congee, 白粥).

Stovetop method with an intermediate water ratio for a moderately loose porridge; source’s optional toppings omitted.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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