ULTRA-FRUGAL RICE CONGEE/STEW: triple duty; uses up leftovers; easy; prep ahead

Waiting-for-payday comfort food that costs pennies but is tasty, nutritious, filling and low-carb... 

Oriental version of ultra-frugal & nutritious thick Rice Congee/Stew

67goingon50 hesitated before posting this recipe, fearing that it is too frugal for most households even in these straightened times.  

But the Ultra-frugal Rice Congee (stew) is a favourite chez 67 and apparently amongst women needing to balance a tight budget, a low-carb diet and daily nutritional needs.

Congee is a thick porridge of mostly disintegrated rice cooked long and slow in water or stock.  It's popular in Asian countries, served for breakfast but is also served for lunch with side dishes.  

It can also be served - as with this 67 recipe - with added protein and flavouring to make it a meal on its own.  

While it is ideal for people who are ill, rice congee has a cult following amongst  aspiring businesswomen, models and actresses trying to surviving healthily on tight budgets.  

The great things about this congee are:

• it requires only 100g/3.5oz protein (meat, fish or tofu)
• it needs no more than 1/2 cup rice 
• it requires 7-8 cups of water or stock, making a large amount 
• this recipe simmers for a couple of hours, maximum, instead of the usual 8-10 hours or overnight
• it's versatile: eaten as is (the blogger's favourite), or with vegetables added or on the side

This congee is thick and unctuous, providing all the necessary amino acids for good health, carbohydrates for energy, fibre for gut health and a flavoursome stock.  

The Congee will last a singleton 3 days, and can be topped up with water or stock as it thickens.  A shot or two of hoisin or oyster sauce or chiu chow chilli oil will add oomph to the flavours. 

It's a great stop-gap when food budgets are strained and an interesting Oriental take on 67's other recent ultra-frugal dish, Splendid Split Yellow Pea Soup (with or without ham). 

This recipe does, however, require rice frozen in advance.  (67 packages up washed rinsed rice in 1/2 cup portions and stores them in the freezer.)

Costs:  depending on protein, about £2.00

Makes: 1 litre

Ingreds:

1/2 cup brown rice (preferred but white will be ok),  washed, drained and frozen at least overnight

3 tb peanut or light veg oil, divided

3-4 med dried shiitake mushrooms (opt but adds unique flavour) PLUS/OR fresh shitake OR oyster OR white mushrooms to make a total of 113g/4oz 

4 green onions, greens & white divided

113gm/4oz meat mince OR prawns, or fish, or tofu in small cubes

1 tb grated ginger

1/2 tb grated garlic

1/2 tb soy sauce

1/2 tb sherry or grape juice

Method:

1. If using dried mushrooms, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water; leave for 30 mins; save juices but strain through a clean j-cloth and set aside;  remove stems of mushrooms and and slice thinly
2. Fresh mushrooms: slice thickly
3. Heat 2 tb oil in a large saucepan pan over medium high heat; add mushrooms, cook, stirring occasionally until golden & crisp (6-8 mins)
4. Thinly slice whites of spring onions, set aside greens 
5. Reduce heat to med-low; add white onions to mushrooms; cook stirring 1-2 mins until fragrant but not brown; push to one side; turn heat back up to med
6. Add 1 tb veg oil, stir in protein, breaking it up with the spoon; add with soy sauce, sherry, grated ginger and garlic; leave 1 min until light brown
7. Add 7 cups of water to pan; bring to a boil; add frozen rice; return to boil stirring to scrape up any brown bits
8. Turn heat down to med; cover pan leaving a small gap, bubble gently, min 20 mins, max 2 hours (an hour was about right for 67) or until rice is soft and close to disintegrating; about a third of the liquid will have been absorbed - feel free to replace with water or stock
9. Garnish with thinly sliced green shoots of spring onions and serve with soy, hoisin or oyster sauce and, if liked, chiu chow chilli oil or equivalent
10. Refrigerate leftovers; rice will continue to swell; when reheating add more water or stock to thin the congee plus any left over proteins.  Eat within 3 days.

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This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.