Congee is normally a dish that takes over an hour on the stove and lots of stirring. The idea is to cook the rice until it comes to a porridge consistency. The Thermomix is great for making congee because it does the stirring for you and the blades help to break down the rice which reduces the cooking time.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
500mL warm water
12 dried shitake mushrooms
1 cup rice (approx. 200g)
700g cold water
2 tbsp Thermomix vegetable stock concentrate
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces
150g oyster mushrooms, cut into 1 cm slices
600g chicken breast, thinly sliced
Garnish
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
Sesame oil
White pepper
Instructions
1. Soak shitake mushrooms in a bowl with the warm water for 15 minutes
2. Rinse rice under cold water and then put into the Thermomix bowl
3. Put cold water and stock concentrate into the Thermomix
4. Cook with the measuring cup (MC) on for 12 minutes/Varoma/Reverse/Speed soft
5. Remove the shitake mushrooms from water and gently squeeze the excess liquid back into the bowl; set water aside
6. Slice shitake mushrooms into approximately 1 cm slices
7. After the Thermomix stops, add chicken, ginger, shitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and 450g of the mushroom water (top up with tap water if required)
8. Cook with the MC on for another 20 minutes/100C/Reverse/Speed soft; use the spatula to help the ingredients mix together
9. Finish by cooking with the MC on for 3 minutes/Varoma/Reverse/Speed 1
10. To serve, garnish with spring onions, drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with white pepper
[updated: January 5, 2014]
