8 Treasures Congee (Chinese Porridge), Instant Pot Recipe
8 treasures congee is a great option for a quick and healthy meal. As a university student, planning/cooking meals for yourself that are healthy, delicious, and taste like home can be a challenge — especially when you have schoolwork and other ‘adulting’ to do. (One pro of #covid19 quarantine at home with mom + dad: not needing to do my own laundry.)
Luckily, my mom has graciously shared her really easy congee recipe that you can make in the Instant Pot! Traditionally, 8 Treasures Congee (八宝粥 or bā bǎo zhōu in Mandarin) is called such because it contains 8 ingredients. These are typically a combination of whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and/or dried fruit. Moreover, this recipe is nut-free (hello nut allergy gang). However, feel free to add in some peanuts if you would like to stay true to tradition.
This congee is a treasure chest of nutrients (pun intended). The variety of whole grains and rices are a great source of complex carbohydrates and come with a punch of fibre and B-vitamins. Goji berries provide Vitamin C and antioxidants, and the dried fruits add a touch of sweetness.
If you find that it comes out a little watery, pour into a container and leave it in the fridge overnight. This helps the starches from the grains mix in with and thicken the liquid. Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave to boil off more water until you reach the desired thickness.
Have any questions or suggestions? Leave a comment below!
8 Treasures Congee (Chinese Porridge), Instant Pot Recipe
Course: SidesCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy5
servings5
minutes40
minutesA quick and easy recipe for a healthy and delicious 8 Treasures Congee. Share your creation and tag @hou_bakes on Instagram!
Ingredients
1/4 cup 10 Multigrain Rice blend*
2-3 tbsp dry red beans
2-3 tbsp black rice
2-3 tbsp sticky/glutinous rice
1 tbsp dried Goji berries
3-4 dried red dates
6-8 dried Longan fruit
2 tbsp millet
5 cups water
Directions
- Wash Goji berries, dates, and Longan separately.
- Combine all ingredients in an 8qt Instant Pot. Rinse and drain any debris.
- Fill to the pot to the 5 cups line with water.
- On “Porridge” mode, set timer for 40min. Allow natural release, and keep warm until served.
- Can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat in a small pot on the stovetop or in the microwave; add water as needed if congee becomes too thick.
Notes
- *You can use any multigrain rice blend you wish. We use something similar to this: https://www.tntsupermarket.com/70805301-t%26t-10-multigrain-rice.html
Looking for another easy Chinese recipe? Try this 2-ingredient Char Siu Pork.
Hi I’m just trying this recipe for the first time today. I can’t find longan and I’m wondering if there is a good substitute. Also do you/can you add any salt or spices?
Sorry for the late reply! You can skip the longan if you can’t find it 🙂 but if you want to add a substitute you can use any kind of dried fruit for sweetness or add extra dates.
Since this is a sweeter/neutral tasting congee, I wouldn’t add any salt or spices, but then again I’m not stopping you. You get quite a bit of flavour from the ingredients included. This congee is also meant to be eaten alongside other dishes as well.
I also find myself tempted to add a bit of ghee or oil.. any reason i should not?
This is more of a sweet/neutral congee (northern style). I’ve never heard of adding oil to congee before. It’s unnecessary and I don’t think it would add to the flavours in this type of congee.