Congee is simple rice porridge eaten throughout Asia. Every country has its own variation and ingredients that make it unique to that region. Growing up in Goa, I did have simple congee that we call pej as a mid day snack. But the concept of having congee for breakfast was completely new to me!
On our trip to South Korea, we woke up early in the morning with rumbling stomachs. Mayur said, I have this great place in mind that is a must try for breakfast but it opens at 09:30 am so we have to wait. We walked around 40 minutes to get to the place! The GPS was not cooperating and we were walking in circles around the same area to find this place (thanks to our amazing Korean reading skills!). If you have been to Korea, you know that the shops are located very close to each other and not many people speak English, making it harder to communicate. But they have these tiny tourist help centers and we luckily spotted one. We asked them where this restaurant we were looking for was located. We laughed as we found out out we were standing right below it!
A tiny stairway led to this joint, packed with locals. The aroma of chicken broth filled the air. I personally had no idea what we were there to eat. And as we enter Mayur says, “We are here to get some Korean congee”. I gave him the look like he had lost his mind! Who eats congee for breakfast? He smiled and said, “Pretty much everyone in Asia!” I remember rolling my eyes as I had no option and was starting to get hangry from all the walking and searching for this so called “best congee shop” in Seoul. But when I had the first bite of the congee… Boy! What a flavor punch it was! In that moment I was converted… who said you cannot have congee for breakfast? If it is this good, I can have it all day!
Dak Juk, as they call it in Korea, is served with Korean tea and many sides called banchan. I was doing some research and found that, just like we do in Goa, it is also eaten when you are sick. I am always amazed at how different parts of the world have similar rituals and customs. Here is my humble attempt to replicate this recipe I fell in love with! It is a great recipe to make when you have left over chicken and need a quick, healthy and balanced meal fix!
What you will need:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Chicken Stock | 7 cups |
| Cooked Shredded Chicken | 1 cup |
| Finely Chopped Garlic | 5 cloves |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon (please adjust based on the saltiness of your chicken stock) |
| Scallions | 2 strings |
| Short Grain Rice (glutenous) | 1 cup |
| Toasted Sesame Oil | 3 tablespoon |
| Very Finely Chopped Mixed Veggies of Your Choice | 1 cup |
How to make it:
- Wash the rice and keep aside.
- In an instant pot or pressure cooker, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil (you can substitute it with regular oil as well).
- Once hot, add half the amount of chopped garlic and let it brown.
- Add the washed rice along with the finely chopped vegetables and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and shredded chicken, along with one chopped string of scallion.
- Add salt (please adjust per the saltiness of your stock). Mix everything well.
- Cover and let it cook on the rice setting in the instant pot or for 3 whistles in the pressure cooker.
- Heat the remaining oil in a tadka pan, and add the remaining garlic to it. Let it brown. Use this as a topping.
- Pour the congee in a serving bowl. Garnish with the browned garlic sesame oil and chopped scallions.
- This congee is usually served with sides called banchan. Enjoy!