20 Mins Quick - Chicken Congee with Cremimi Mushrooms

Hearty and delicious , this quick fix chicken & mushroom congee is a classic breakfast option across the Cantonese world and I will , very happily , recommend this comfort bowl as a weeknight quick fix dinner option for all the many right reasons . This is fast to stir up and given its flavour profile , its quite a surprise on the pallete . Instead of the usual lengthy process, my recipe introduces a quick method using a pressure cooker .

What is Congee ? Congee is a rice porridge commonly eaten across many parts of Asia. It’s made by slow-cooking rice in a large amount of water or broth until the grains break down and become soft, creamy, and soupy . Simply put - think of this as the Asian comfort version of khichdi or rice gruel.

The personality of a good bowl of congee grows with the variations of its toppings , which can be varied as per your own personal choice , therein making it layered with flavours . Common choices are spring onions / scallions , julienned ginger , fresh coriander (cilantro) , white pepper , sesame oil drizzle , fried garlic or shallots , roasted peanut or the simple homemade chilli oil . The popular protein toppings can be Shredded chicken , Minced pork , Soy Marinated egg , Shrimp or fish , Sliced beef , Soft boiled egg . For the

Vegetable Toppings that can make delicious choices will be Sautéed mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, button) , Stir-fried bok choy or Asian greens , Spinach or mustard greens , Roasted pumpkin or sweet potato cubes , Caramelised onion or braised tofu cubes . Mushrooms especially give deep umami flavour

Congee is proof that the simplest things in the kitchen often bring the most comfort. A humble pot of rice slowly softened in water becomes a warm canvas for whatever the day asks for — ginger and greens, mushrooms and sesame, or just a drizzle of soy and chili oil. Quiet, nourishing, and endlessly adaptable, it is the kind of bowl that reminds us that good food does not need to be complicated to be deeply satisfying.

Things you will need ( Makes 4 Medium portions )

• 2 Chicken breasts

• 10 -12 pieces of Mushrooms ( Here i used cremimi mushrooms , but any other types is also ok , like a Shitate or oyster varierty )

• 1 tbsp ginger , juliened and thinly cut

• 2- 4 cloves of garlic , sliced thinly

• 1 cup small grain rice , washed and pre soaked

• Salt to taste

  
  

For the toppings

• Crushed peanuts

• Soy sauce

• Toasted Seasame oil

• Chilli Oil

• Chopped green chilli

• Chopped scalions

• Chopped onion

• Chopped coriander leaves

• Thinly sliced ginger

Steps to follow

• In a pressure cooker , add water and salt and the chicken breasts . Poach the chicken till well done , slice and keep aside .

• Preserve the Chicken Stock

• In a pressure cooker , add the pre- soaked rice along with salt as per taste taste , garlic & ginger along with equal parts of water and chicken stock . Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Once done , the texture of the cooked rice , must be adjusted to a soft and gooey in texture . You can add some warm water / remaining chicken stock to soften things up and ensure to keep stirring through this process , to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan .

• Remove from the gas . Into this hot rice , add in the sliced cremimi mushrooms and keep covered for 5 mins , untill the mushrooms soften .

• Stir lightly , the mushrooms must not break up and must remain whole.

To Serve and assemble

• In a serving bowl , add a ladel of mushroom rice

• Layer with all the toppings , layer by layer and as per taste

• Top with thr crunch element - either the roasted peanut or the roaster garlic along

  ( Ensure you dont skip any of the toppings as they make up the flavour profile of the dish )

• Serve Hot to enjoy