Winter Congee Recipe for Colds & Flu
Congee
Traditionally known as hsi-fan or rice water, congee is eaten throughout China as a breakfast food. It is a thin porridge or gruel consisting of a handful of rice simmered in five to six times the amount of water. Although rice is the most common grain for congees, millet, spelt or other grains are sometimes used. Cook the rice and water together in a covered pot for four to six hours on warm, or use the lowest flame possible; a crockpot works very well for congees. It is better to use too much water than too little, and the longer the congee cooks, the more powerful it becomes.
Healing Properties
This simple rice soup is easily digested and assimilated, tonifies the blood and qi, harmonizes the digestion and is demulcent, and nourishing. It is also useful for increasing a nursing mother’s supply of milk. The liquid can be strained from the porridge to drink as a supplement for infants and for serious conditions.
Other therapeutic properties may be added to the congee by cooking appropriate vegetables, grains, herbs or meats in with the rice water. Since rice itself strengthens the Spleen-Pancreas digestive centre, other foods added to a rice congee become more completely assimilated, and their properties are therefore enhanced. Listed below are some of the more common rice based congees and their specific effects.
- Aduki Bean - Diuretic, curative for edema and gout
- Carrot - Digestive aid, eliminates flatulence
- Celery - Cooling in summer, benefits the large intestine
- Water Chestnut - Cooling to viscera, benefits digestive organs
- Duck or Carp Broth - Reduces edema and swelling
- Fennel - harmonizes the stomach, expels gas, cures hernia
- Ginger - warming and antiseptic to viscera, used for deficient COLD digestive weakness: diarrhea, anorexia, vomiting and indigestion
- Leek - warming to viscera, good for chronic diarrhea
- Mustard - Expels phlegm, clears stomach congestion
- Black Pepper - expels gas, recommended for pain in bowels
- Poppy Seed - relieves vomiting and benefits the large intestine
- Purslane - detoxifies, recommended for rheumatism and swellings (phlegm)
- Radish - Digestant, benefits the diaphragm
- Pickled Radish - benefits digestion and blood
- Taro Root - nutritious, aids the stomach, builds blood
Congee Recipe
Use 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice, unless you already have some cooked rice in your fridge. You’ll have to extend the cooking time to 1-1/2 to 2 hours with uncooked rice, but you will be rewarded with a bowl of yummy goodness that is soothing both spiritually and physically. There are so many things that you can add to congee that add both flavour and texture to the final dish. You can refer to the list above or see what you have in the fridge and be creative!
Time: About 1 hour
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 pound chicken bones or 2 chicken thighs
- 3, 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh ginger
- 1 plump clove garlic, smashed
- 1 green onion, tied into a knot
- 1/4 of a whole yellow or red onion
- Soy sauce, salt, and white pepper to taste
- Sesame oil and/or kecap manis for drizzling (optional)
Garnishes:
- Shredded chicken (from the thighs above or leftovers)
- Green onions, chopped
- Fried garlic
- Fried shallots
Directions
- In a medium pot, combine the rice, water, chicken bones, ginger, garlic, green onion, onion and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any scum or foam that rises to the surface.
- Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of pot and burn.
- If using chicken thighs, remove them after 20 minutes and scrape off the meat and shred or chop. Set the meat aside and return the bones to the pot. Continue cooking for another 40 minutes or so.
- When the rice grains are swollen and the mixture is as thick as oatmeal, the congee is ready. If it gets too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, cook it until it reaches the desired smoothness and thickness.
- Remove the bones, ginger, garlic, green onion and onion. Add soy sauce, salt, and white pepper to taste.
- Ladle into individual bowls, drizzle with sesame oil, and garnish as desired.
Winter Congee Recipe for Colds & Flu : Chinese Medicine Living
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If you would like a downloadable information sheet that will tell you all about how to live in harmony with the Winter Season in Chinese Medicine, you can find it here - The Winter Season in Chinese Medicine.
Recipe for Nursing Colds/Flu
By Vicky Chan of NourishU
This winter has been a worse-than-average flu season and many people have been infected. The Western medicine approach of using antibiotics to fight the cold and flu virus is “over-prescribing” because the success rate has only been around 20%. The overuse of antibiotics has caused many experts to project an imminent “antibiotic apocalypse”.
On average, adults can get two to four colds per year and kids can get as many as six to eight. This is why the ailment is called the COMMON cold/flu. Normally by treating it with enough rest and proper dietary care, the body will be able to recover within days if not a week, without having to use drugs. Usually, it is only people in poor health that can develop serious symptoms and complications that can result in death in extreme cases.
Chinese Medicine knows a lot about the common cold/flu. The renowned classic textbook called The Theory of Febrile Disease describes the different stages and manifestations of the illness. It gives a detailed explanation on what and how to use proper dietary care to speed up recovery and to prevent the illness from going deeper into the body. The key to dietary care is to know what not to eat and what to eat, and to stick to it.
For wind-cold type of conformation, it is crucial not to eat cold foods (temperature wise as well as foods that are cold in nature). This includes cold drinks and foods, fresh fruits and raw vegetables, and cooling foods and herbs. Eat only hot and warming foods and drinks. The common condiments found in most kitchens such as ginger, garlic, scallions, vinegar, pepper, chili and onion are all effective in helping the body to raise its internal temperature to drive out coldness and to kill bacteria and viruses. They are tried-and-true remedies and are suitable for most people. We just need to be mindful to not take more than our stomach can handle especially hot spices and vinegar.
For wind-heat type of conformation, using foods that have a cooling nature such as tofu, daikon, Chinese pears, mung beans, water chestnut, chrysanthemum tea and bok-choy are highly recommended.
In all cases, deep-fried foods and hard to digest foods are restricted because they are more work for the body to digest when it needs all its energy to heal. Plain, easy to digest, fluid and semi-fluid foods such as soup and congee are most suitable. Nutrient dense foods, warming and enriching foods and herbs are to be avoided because they can intensify the virus and prolong the suffering.
Here is a recipe which is most suitable for treating influenza and coughing with phlegm. Take it as many times as needed until most symptoms are gone. Please also refer to our website www.nourishu.com for many other related recipes.
Snow-Ear Mushroom, Fritillariae and Pear Soup
SYMPTOMS
Cold and flu with cough, chronic dry cough, weakened lung function with lack of energy and difficulty breathing.
THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
Treats cold/flu with sore throat and headache, nourishes lungs, clears heat in the lungs, clears phlegm, astringes cough and promotes vital fluids.
INGREDIENTS
Fritillariae Cirrhosae (chuan bei mu) 川貝母 – 5 grams
Snow-Ear Mushroom – 20 grams
Chinese Pear – one
Honey – to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Crush chuan bei into powder.
2. Rinse and soak mushroom for 30 minutes. Cut out bottom brown stem and separate into smaller pieces.
3. Skin pear, cut into halves and hollow out seeds in the centre.
4. Put chuan bei powder in the center of pear and put pear in a casserole.
5. Add mushroom and enough water to cover the pear (about 1.5 cups). Add honey to taste (about 2 spoonfuls) and cover casserole with lid.
6. Use a slightly bigger pot with water and a stand at the bottom to steam the casserole for about an hour. Add hot water regularly to the cooking to prevent drying.
7. Serve warm and be sure to eat it all for full therapeutic effect.
USAGE
To be taken once a day on an empty stomach. This recipe is suitable for all ages.