When clients ask me for a soothing (breakfast or lunch) recipe I almost always want give them the same dietary advice. Eat warm, cooked foods and congee. Whether when you are feeling bloated, tired, or recovering from a cold or feeling completely fine, everyone can use a good congee.
Why? Because in TCM we say your digestive system relies on warmth to function properly. If you want a meal that restores your energy and is easy to eat, you need to make congee. It is a savory Asian rice porridge. My favorite is Cháo Gà. This is the Vietnamese take on chicken rice porridge.
Why your digestion needs this
Cooking rice down into a soft soup does half the work for your stomach. Because usually your stomach needs to do the work to digest the rice. A congee might be seen as pre-digested. Your body just absorbs the nutrients straight away to rebuild your energy, or Qi. The fresh ginger warms up your system. The slow-cooked chicken broth grounds you. And the optional TCM grade medicinal herbs help you with your immune system.
I personally like to add Huang Qi (Astralagus), Dang Shen (Codonopsis) and Shan Yao (dried Chinese Yam. Huang Qi is a warm herb that works on the Spleen & Lung meridian to tonify the Wei Qi. Dang Shen has a similar effect but also helps with fatigue and blood qi. Shan Yao is a sweet herb that works on the Spleen, Lungs and Kidneys to tonify Spleen Qi and Kidney Qi.
How to make a TCM version of Vietnamese Cháo Gà
This recipe is based on some basic ingredients: chicken broth and rice. Using a mix of short-grain and long-grain rice is a great trick. The short-grain rice releases more starch and makes the soup much thicker. In addition for more fiber and nutrients replace 1/4 cup rice with brown rice, red rice or quinoa. Add your favorite veggies to your liking and additional if you are ready for it you can add the TCM herbs as well.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
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300-450 grams of bone-in chicken thighs or legs.
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8 to 10 cups (2 - 2.5 liters) of water.
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2 cm piece of fresh peeled ginger and thickly sliced.
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1 medium onion, cut in half.
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1 pinch of salt
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1 to 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (you can always add more later).
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a pinch of white pepper (or black pepper corns)
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a teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder (or a block of bouillon)
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1 cup of rice (can be a mix of brown rice, red rice, quinoa).
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3-5 small carrots peeled and cut into small cubes
or other extra seasonal vegetables like potato and/or cauliflower to the congee
additional:
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15 gram Dang Shen
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15 gram Huang Qi
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30 gram Shan Yao
Instructions:
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Start the broth: Wash the chicken, Put the chicken in a pan to cook the chicken clean (until just boiling water). Then drain the chicken and add fresh water to it, ginger, onion, salt, and fish sauce in a large pot. Wash the TCM herbs and bring it all together to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 35-45 minutes at least (the more the better).
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Shred the meat: Take the chicken out and let it cool for a few minutes. Pull the meat off the bones and throw it back into the pot. You can scoop out the bones, onion, and ginger and throw them away. They have done their job.
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Cook the rice: Add the raw rice to the broth, together with the vegetables and bring it back to a boil. Turn the heat down again. Let it simmer for 45 minutes. The rice will break down into a very soft, comforting soup.
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Finish the congee: Check if it needs a little more water for the right consistency or any extra salt, or fish sauce.
Serve the congee hot. For toppings you can add thinly sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, a few slivers of ginger, and a spoonful of chili paste. In Vietnam (and in China) my family would eat this for breakfast or lunch together with thousand year old egg or youtiao or *giò cháo quẩy, *but since we can’t get those at our local supermarket I can recommend to add boiled egg for protein and a fresh kaasstengel (or in my case oliebol) for an oily crisp.
Enjoy!
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Acupuncture in Amsterdam East
My clinic is located in the Oostelijke eilanden, centrally situated between Java Island and Amsterdam Central Station.
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Public Transport: Tram 26 and the bus stop just a 5-minute walk from the clinic.
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Car: You can easily park nearby in the De Loodsen or Withoedenveem parking garages.