10-Minute Leftover-Rice Congee (Sheng Fan Zhou)
The midnight-raid breakfast of a billion people: last night's rice boiled into silky congee in ten minutes.
The story
Proper congee simmers for an hour. Chinese home cooks have a cheat that is just as old: leftover rice boiled with extra water breaks down into creamy congee in ten minutes flat. Top it with anything — it is the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge meal.
Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)
- Cooked leftover rice — 2 cups / 300 g
- Water or chicken broth — 5 cups / 1.2 L
- Eggs (optional) — 2, beaten in at the end
- Scallions — 1, sliced
- Soy sauce — 1 tbsp (to season)
- Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp
Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt, white pepper. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.
Steps
- Boil the rice and water, stirring to break the grains apart.
- Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until creamy and thickened.
- Swirl in the beaten eggs (if using), then season: salt, white pepper, a few drops of soy and sesame oil. Scallions on top.
Swaps
Top with whatever the fridge offers: leftover shredded chicken, frozen corn, a fried egg, pickles, pork floss from an Asian grocery.
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