‘Congee’ comes from the Tamil word ‘kanji,’ and refers to a rice-based porridge, eaten through Asia. This variation is a comforting way to start your morning, a traditional breakfast made either with fresh rice or leftover, and served with a little jaggery to sweeten it. It’s also good for building up the strength of recovering invalids. Red rice can be purchased online, and is similar to brown rice in nutritional content; it has a mildly nutty flavor; a healthy choice for breakfast! You can make this with white or brown rice too, of course.
Some people prefer a more soupy version; just add more water at the end. Traditionally, you would smash the rice down with a spoon as a final step, to give it more of a porridge consistency, but personally, I prefer the distinct grains. Another option is to grind about half the cooked rice in a food processor after the step 1, but that does mean one more thing to wash!
Other traditional accompaniments include fruit, nuts, or fiery luna miris sambol. This is a dish that easily adapts to your personal taste.
Ingredients:
1 c. red rice
1 3/4 c. water
pinch of walt
2 T ghee or oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 T ginger, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 Thai green chilies, chopped
1 stalk curry leaves
1 t. salt
1 c. coconut milk
1 c. water
2-3 T jaggery
1. In a pot, combine rice, 1 3/4 c. water, and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, cook 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit 5 more minutes.
2. In a large frying pan, saute onion, ginger, garlic, chilies, curry leaves, and salt in ghee, until onions are golden-brown.
3. Add rice to pan and mix well; add coconut milk and water and simmer a few minutes to desired thickness. Serve hot, with jaggery.
