Congee (jook, or zhou) is rice cooked in a large amount of water until the grains break down into a soft, silky porridge. It is the comfort food of the Chinese kitchen: what you eat for breakfast, what you make when someone is sick, and what you fall back on when you want something warm, gentle, and almost free.

It is worth knowing because it costs pennies and asks almost nothing of you. A little rice and a lot of water, left to simmer, becomes a big pot of something soothing. It is endlessly adaptable through what you put on top, it stretches a tiny amount of rice into several servings, and it is about as easy on the stomach and the wallet as food gets.

What you need #

• Rice, about one cup. Plain white rice is standard.
• Water (or broth), roughly eight to nine cups for a soft, loose congee. More water means thinner, less means thicker. This ratio is the only thing to get roughly right.
• Salt to taste.
• Toppings, which is where the flavor lives (see below).

The steps #

1. Rinse the rice a couple of times until the water runs less cloudy.
2. Combine rice and water in a large pot and bring it to a boil.
3. Drop to a low simmer and cook, uncovered or partly covered, for about 45 minutes to an hour. The grains will slowly burst and thicken the water into porridge.
4. Stir every so often, especially toward the end, so the rice does not stick to the bottom. Add more hot water if it gets thicker than you like.
5. Season and top. Salt it to taste, ladle it into bowls, and add your toppings.

Swaps, simplifications, and upgrades #

The base is plain on purpose. The toppings make the bowl.

• Classic toppings: green onion, a drizzle of soy sauce, a few drops of sesame oil, white pepper, and slivered ginger. A soft or century egg stirred in is traditional.
• Make it a meal: simmer in thin slices of pork or chicken, or stir cooked shredded chicken in at the end. Dried scallops or a handful of shrimp make a seafood version.
• Richer base: cook the rice in chicken or pork broth instead of water for a savory congee that needs almost no toppings.
• Faster version: freeze your cooked rice first, or start with leftover cooked rice. Both break down into porridge much faster than raw rice, cutting the simmer time down considerably.
• Thicker or thinner: this is entirely up to you, just adjust the water. Some people like it spoonable and thick, others like it loose and drinkable.

Tips #

• Use plenty of water and be patient. Congee is mostly waiting. The long, low simmer is what turns hard grains into silk.
• Stir near the end. As it thickens it wants to catch on the bottom of the pot, so give it a stir and keep hot water nearby to loosen it.
• Season in the bowl. People like it at different strengths, so keep the pot lightly salted and let each person add soy sauce and toppings to taste.

One cup of rice, a pot of water, and you have warm, comforting bowls for the whole day. That is the essence of living well in SF for cheap. For another lazy, cheap classic, try the two-ingredient pork and seaweed soup.