Congee is a creamy rice porridge that is most commonly served for breakfast but is cozy and satisfying at any time of day. The Instant Pot makes it an incredibly fast meal.
Even though congee originates from China, it’s popular all over Asia and was a staple for Frank and I when we lived in Thailand. When I walked to work on warm Bangkok mornings I would pass vendors ladling steaming hot congee into bowls at stalls along the street. It smelled starchy and strangely familiar and turned fragrant when handfuls of fresh herbs were piled on top. Morning, noon, or night, if I felt a cold coming on, or needed something warm and comforting, congee was my go-to. The best was to find congee at breakfast buffets in hotels where there would be elaborate toppings set out to pile on top. Crispy fried shallots were always my favorite. (Like tiny little onion rings!) Now, when I make congee at home, I like it with a soft-boiled egg, herbs, and of course, crispy fried shallots. I have a fail-proof method for making them - see below!
What is Congee?
Congee is rice porridge that is made by simmering a small amount of rice in a large amount of water until the rice breaks down and turns silky and smooth. The congee is sometimes simmered with stock or chicken to add flavor.
For making congee in the Instant Pot, the ratio should be 1:8 rice to water.
Toppings for Congee
The best part of congee is the toppings! The sky is the limit, but here are some favorites:
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, green onions)
- Roasted peanuts
- Toasted coconut
- Fish sauce or soy sauce
- Sriracha
- Crispy bacon
- Soft or hard boiled eggs
- Crispy fried shallots or garlic
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Shredded chicken or pork
- Sliced chili peppers
How to Make Crispy Fried Shallots
I love mixing up my congee toppings, but there always has to be something with crunch. Crispy fried shallots have the tiniest bit of natural sweetness and awesome crunch. They’re like tiny little onion rings, and disappear crazy fast.
To make crispy fried shallots:
- Slice the shallots evenly (so they finish cooking at the same time)
- Add the shallots to room temperature oil and bring the heat up slowly
- Fry the shallots slowly, stirring often, until golden brown, ~10 minutes
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate
- Sprinkle with some salt
- Serve within 2-3 days!
Make-Ahead Congee
Congee can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to serve. The congee may thicken as it sits, so stir in some water if needed.
More Easy Thai Recipes
- Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry
- Thai Crispy Rice
- Thai Chicken Satay
- Mango Sticky Rice
- How to Make Thai Fried Rice
- Sweet Thai Chili Baked Tofu
- 20 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
- Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
- Thai Beef Salad (Nam Tok)
Favorite Tools
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Congee Recipe
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
- 8 cups water
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse rice under cool water.
- Combine rice, water, ginger, and salt in the bowl of an Instant Pot / pressure. (Note: If using ginger, add the piece of grated ginger whole so that it will infuse the congee with flavor but can be removed at the end of cooking. If you like a more intense ginger flavor, you can grate the ginger into the congee, but use half as much as listed.)
- Close and lock the lid.
- Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 22 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally. (Note: This is important. Congee is very starchy and, if the pressure is manually released, it may foam and clog the pressure release valve.)
- If you added a whole piece of ginger to the congee, remove and discard the ginger.
- Unlock the lid. Serve congee warm.
Hao
Good evening. Am looking for a congee recipe to try in the instant pot. Yours seems very straight forward.
Question: Is there any rinsing of the rice before it gets placed in the instant pot? Thank you for sharing.
Jess
Hi Ham - absolutely. I would definitely recommend rinsing the rice before making the congee. I'll make sure we get a note added to the recipe to remind everyone of that!
Chrissy
How long do you Natural Realise for?
Frankie
Holiday greetings!
A question about the fresh ginger... ingredient list says 2"peeled. Do I understand correctly that I simply peel the ginger and put it whole into the IP inner pot with the rice and water, no mincing, no grating. Before serving, I would remove the ginger?
Jess
Hi Frankie! Happy holidays to you. I'll add a note to the recipe to clarify. You are correct though that you just put the whole piece of ginger (peeled) into the congee. Then remove it when it's done. This gives the congee a subtle ginger flavor and makes it easy to remove the ginger after cooking. If you love ginger, it will definitely work to grate it and add it, but I'd reduce the amount to about 1".
Diego Lopez
How long should you cook for if you double the recipe?
Jess Smith
I don't think you should need to change the cook time at all. Since it's cooking under pressure - it should work just fine if you double the recipe and keep the cook time the same. Hope that helps!
Naveed
Hi,
How can I make congee as I don't have a pressure cooker.
Jess Smith
Hi Naveed - just simmer the rice and water on the stovetop over low-medium heat. You'll need to add more water whenever the rice looks dry.
Shauna
I have made this recipe COUNTLESS times. It always comes out perfect. We love adding Spam or bacon to it. Sometimes Breakfast sausage. I always make eggs for it ( specific to my family's liking.... hard fried, medium fried, scrambled and poached) we ALWAYS have lots of green onions on hand, some cheese, coconut aminos and some siracha. I make congee any time I get glutened (I am celiac) and it always helps me heal.
Jess Smith
Thanks so much Shauna - that's wonderful to hear!