Instant Pot Congee with Brown Rice and Turmeric
Today we're going to explore congee. And, spoiler alert, making congee in your Instant Pot is literally reason enough to buy one. A complete home run.
For the latest installment in my Instant Pot recipe adventures, we're going to explore Instant Pot congee. And, spoiler alert, making congee in your Instant Pot, or other multi-cooker, is literally reason enough to buy one. A complete home run.
You put your rice into the pot, walk away, and start daydreaming about toppings. Return later for a beautiful pot of perfect congee. You can also make this on a stovetop (of course), but it requires more babysitting.
I experimented with different ratios of brown to white rice here. And played around with different amounts of water. I found the congee made with a minority percentage of white rice was texturally superior compared with the 100% brown rice versions. There was just too much separation between grains in the 100% brown rice version, and not enough creaminess. Add some white jasmine rice, and you get that classic congee porridge texture with the added nutritional benefits of whole brown rice.
I hope you love this congee. It is spiked with turmeric, and I also can't resist sprinkling a few tablespoons of whatever quick-cooking grains I have on hand - quinoa, Job's tears, millet, etc.
Congee (and other related rice porridges) are popular in many Asian countries. It's a beloved breakfast, and anyone who has traveled with me knows, there are few things that boost my spirits more than discovering a DIY, congee bar breakfast at whatever hotel I'm staying.
Use this recipe and ratio as a jumping off point. Play around with different broths and seasonings. And, have a blast with toppings and be sure to play around with texture, crunch, color, and ingredients! You can also make this in a thick-bottomed pot on the stovetop - no Instant Pot necessary.
Lastly, for anyone looking for more Instant Pot recipe inspiration, I've set up an Instant Pot recipe category - all my favorite successes are featured there.
Other favorite turmeric-rich recipes to try! This Dynamite Cold Tonic, my favorite Pad Thai, Turmeric Popcorn, Turmeric Cashews (so good!), Pickled Turmeric Eggs, and these Turmeric Soaked Chickpeas. There's also a whole directory of recipes using turmeric.
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Instant Pot Congee with Brown Rice and Turmeric
You can absolutely make this on a stovetop if you don't have an Instant Pot. Combine the ingredients in a thick-bottomed pot bring to a simmer, and then cook over low-medium heat until you have a loose porridge.
- 1 cup brown jasmine rice
- 1/2 cup white jasmine rice
- 9 cups water or mushroom broth
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground turmeric
- (optional) 1/4 cup of other quick-cooking grains: quinoa, millet, french lentils, Job's tears, etc.
- salted peanuts, flash sautéed bok choy, pickled shaved mushrooms*, soy sauce, a spicy chile oil or sriracha, sprouts or micro greens, a few rogue chickpeas
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Combine the rices (and any bonus grains), water, salt, and turmeric in the Instant Pot or multi cooker. Secure the lid, set the pressure release valve to SEALING. Press MANUAL and set for 30 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure NATURAL RELEASE (30-40 minutes). Gently shake or tap the pressure cooker, and then carefully open away from you. If you like the consistency a bit thinner, add more hot water or broth.
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Serve the congee topped with whatever toppings you like - peanuts, a spicy chile or oil sriracha, something a bit salty, and something green are favorites. But, you're only limited by your imagination here!
*To make pickled shaved mushrooms, shave 1 pound of mushrooms very thin. Place them in a medium saucepan with 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Bring to a simmer for just a minute or two. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Return them to the brining liquid (in a jar) once it has cooled and refrigerate for up to a week. Serve the mushrooms drizzled with brine.
For reference, this is the Instant Pot I used for this recipe: Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1
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Comments
This is super good- an easy weeknight meal that’s impossible to mess up.
I made congee with 1 cups brown basmati and 1/2 cup short white rice. I added a big strip of kombu while simmering and decreased the sea salt to 1/2 tsp. After simmering on the stove for about 35 minutes, the congee came out creamy with some bite from the brown rice. I topped with kale ‘n beans, umeboshi slices, chili oil, sesame oil, and scallions.
I’ve made IP Jook in the past with brown rice, and you’re right, the texture isn’t quite there. Today, I made your recipe. I halved it (to fit in my 3qt IP). I didn’t have Jasmine rice, but I did have generic brown and white rices, and multicolor quinoa. I also had some, lamb broth (leftover from another cooking adventure), so I used a 50/50 mix of it and water. My toppings are (store-bought Nasoya) Sesame Ginger Baked Tofu cut in tiny (1/4″ or so) cubes, thin-sliced green onion, soy sauce, and I stirred in an egg (and nuked for 1 minute to congeal the egg). Yum! This is fabulous! Thank you for the recipe.
I’m making this for the second time this week – it’s so good! We mixed in some leftover rotisserie chicken and topped it with chopped cilantro, fried onions and spicy chilli crisp. Yum!
And I’ll admit, I’m biased when it comes to congee. For me, it’s hard to top the one my Mom used to make, but while quite differerent, this recipe comes very close. Thanks for sharing!
Love hearing this Karen! My congee love is strong. xx
Heidi, your suggestion for adding Jasmine rice to the brown rice is genius! I was making a brown rice congee from some cooked rice that I had on hand. Like you mentioned, you just don’t get a creamy texture with brown rice alone. After reading your notes, I remembered that I had some cooked brown jasmine rice tucked away in my freezer. I added some of the brown jasmine to the brown rice I’d already been cooking down and, voila, amazingly creamy congee! I will be pinning this recipe as a reminder, for sure (I don’t have an Instant Pot). Thanks!
Yes! It works wonderfully. Let’s hear it for delicious congee! 🙂
I have a question: I made avgolemono soup, and it’s bland. I’m wondering if there is a way to turn it into something else, with beans and veg? Any suggestions? It’s just chicken, white rice, lemon, and egg. Thank you!
Hi Halle, my guess is that you might just need to adjust the seasoning to make this simple soup delicious. If it’s bland, add more salt, a balancing squeeze of lemon juice, etc. You might just be undersalting.
This was fantastic! I quartered the recipe, added 2 tablespoons of mung dal, and used Better than Bouillon and water for the broth and it cooked nicely in my Instant Pot 3 qt. For toppings I used roasted chickpeas, braised chard, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and green onions. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
The mixed rice technique is just brilliant. I’ve been using your ratios for the past couple months, and I just wanted to express my gratitude. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks Chris! It took a few tries, but I like the ratio too :)…
Wow, next level congee right there. Beautiful photography as well!
Only one addition missing must have white pepper. Living in Thailand I’d line up with the students and get my congee breakfast. On my own, it is more often dinner.
Hi Heidi! I’ve been keeping a watching eye on your Instant Pot recipes for awhile, but I didn’t have an Instant Pot…until now. Yay! I’m excited to try your recipes! Clarification about the rice: should I use cooked rices, or washed uncooked rice for the Instant Pot? Does this require any pre-soaking of the more hardy rices?
Hi Irene! I usually try to specify the type of rice I’m testing/using, and whether I rinse or soak. Neither is the case here, I put the jasmine rices into the IP and go. Hope this helps!
I’ve been hearing so much about congee on the vegan blogs I follow that I had to try it! I was inspired by your other congee recipe with spinach, but I did not have spinach so I made this turmeric congee and added in several cups of chopped cabbage along with the rice. I also threw in a handful of urad dal and chopped ginger and garlic scapes. I know I have highly modified the recipe, so this is not really a review of it as written…but it all turned out great! I am a huge cabbage fan, and it just melts right in with the rice. It had a little bit of a sweet flavor…not sure if that comes from the cabbage or the rice itself. This is definitely a keeper…super creamy and hearty and adaptable. And so easy in the Instant Pot. Your recipes inspired me to finally get one, and I’m glad I did! I’ve been using it regularly to cook beans. I’ve had several failed vegan yogurt attempts so if you have a fool-proof method for that, I’d love to read it!
Thanks for the nice note Priscilla! So happy to hear you liked it. Also, I love your tweaks! Will definitely post when I crack the yogurt code 😉
Hi Heidi, Is there an easy way to print the recipe?
HS: Hi Binay – yes 🙂 there is a print icon at the bottom of each recipe.
OMG-this was so good. Instead of brown Jasmine, I used 1 cup of white Jasmine and 1/2 cup of black Chinese rice. I topped with a high quality soy sauce, yuzu, and a heaping of hijiki. On the second helping, I topped with a dash of ponzu instead of soy sauce. YUM!!!
HS: So glad you like it M!
Can I use a traditional crockpot/slow cooker instead?
Hi! Really excited to try this recipe but I’m wondering how well it stores. The servings being 8-10 make it seem like there will be lots of extra for two people. How long, if at all, will it keep in the fridge and how do you suggest reheating so it doesn’t get thick or gummy? Thanks!
HS: Hi Nicole – I freeze any that I don’t think I’ll use in 3-4 days. And you can control the thickness by adding more (or less) water when reheating.
made it in my good ol’ pressure cooker, adding 1/4c. millet. cooked for 30 mins on medium, turned out creamy and delicious. i’m thinking of stirring in a raw egg and maybe some miso, next time i eat some! so yummy!
Thanks Maya!
Hi! Just wondering what kind of microgreens you have there- they are so pretty!
HS: Hi Leah – I think these were radish greens? xx!
Hi Heidi, This recipe comes at a perfect time as I’ve been craving a kicked up congee lately. One question about the optional quick cooking grains- when should those be added to the pot? At the beginning with the rice or later in the cooking process so they don’t over cook? Much thanks! Rebecca
HS:Hi Rebecca – add them along with the rice and you’re good to go!
I like to make congee from leftover rice. I cook rice the normal way and the next day I cook it in a big pot and just keep adding water until it’s the consistency I like. Just thought I would mention that option to divide it in two stages to save time.
HS: Thanks Patty!
Heidi, as someone who has lived in Vietnam and has also fallen in love with breakfast and late night congee (also popularly called jook (Chinese) or Chao (Vietnamese)), I was so happy to see your recipe. In Vietnam plain Chao is given to sick people because it’s easy to digest. It’s a common menu item in Vietnamese restaurants here in Honolulu and elsewhere served plain or with fish fillets, chicken, beef and pork. It’s especially good topped with thin julienne of raw ginger and fried shallots. Thanks so much for the instant pot cooking tips! All your recipes have so far turned out delicious.
HS: Thanks Steve! It’s on my dream list to enjoy Chao in Vietnam, and maybe fly home via Honolulu ;)…thanks for the nice note!
Instant Pot provides convince and saves your time.
9 cups of water/broth to 1.5 cups of rice? Just want to make sure that ratio is correct. Sounds like a lot of liquid. So much more than traditional rice recipes. I love brown rice for breakfast so I am eager to try this. Thanks again Heidi for introducing us to a new and different plant based recipe. I’m still enjoying and experimenting with your chickpea plov Instant Pot recipe. It’s become a favorite. I love knowing there is leftover plov the fridge.
Hi Anne – confirmed! I just made another batch this morning. If you’ve been enjoying the plov, this is a cake walk. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!
I have cast iron stove top pots both natural cast iron and porcelain. I have a slow cooker as well. Is it necessary to buy another pot an instant one. I have no intention of doing so. I truly believe we need instructions for both or all. I maybe missing them but…
HS: Not at all – there are conventional instructions in the headnotes Joan – enjoy!
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