This 8 ingredient, sweet Eight Treasure Congee is A Traditional Chinese Porridge. Easily made in a crockpot Or Instant Pot, this recipe is packed with wholesome ingredients, a variety of grains, and a ton of plant-based protein. Serve as a healthy breakfast or even as a side for lunch or dinner. Vegan. Gluten-Free.
Eight Treasures Congee or La Ba Congee (八宝粥) was one of my favorite sweet porridges growing up!
This porridge is traditionally eaten during the Chinese Laba Festival(腊八节), a commemoration of the enlightenment of Buddha. Legend has it, that he meditated so deeply that he forgot to eat and a kind woman saved his life with this rice porridge, allowing him to continue meditation and reach enlightenment.
In Chinese tradition, the Laba Festival is a time to spend with your loved ones and pray for good health and peace in the coming year.
Growing up, my grandma would make a variety of versions of this healingdish year-round. She is one of my biggest influences in my functional medicine background and love for Chinese food. She would always include a variety of multi-colored grains, beans, and nuts in our meals.
I truly believe in the power of including these wholesome ingredients in your diet and had to share this easy recipe with you all!
If you love trying new Chinese recipes, you’ll love myChinese Sweet and Sour Ribs,Authentic Chinese Sticky Tofu, andChinese Scallion Pancakes.
Why We Love Eight Treasure Congee
Affordable
This Congee recipe has 8 ingredients, but many people make it with much less. The main ingredients are rice and water – everything else just adds to the flavor and decadence!
Hearty and Warming
Congee is the food of love, health, and positivity!
You might not think of rice as healing, but Congee has long been a traditional Chinese medicine for digestion. The warmth and texture from the long cooking duration make it our staple recipe for winter mornings.
Real Food Made from Plants
Many Asian cultures eat lots of legumes and our family is no exception. My grandma used to come up with different kind of beans and grains combination to keep the flavors and texture interesting!
- Black Rice
- Adzuki Beans
- Chinese Jujubes
Served Hot or Cold
One of the best parts of this recipe is that it’s perfectly served hot or cold. Now that the days are getting warmer, I like to leave a few servings of this porridge in my fridge so that it’s ready for a quick and easy breakfast!
Simple-Clean Up
I love that you can make this recipe in a crockpot or instant pot because it means that clean-up is a breeze! With Ollie becoming more of an active toddler, recipes like this are a must for a busy mom.
Ingredients for Eight Treasure Congee
To make this authentic Chinese porridge, all you need is 8 ingredients!
Grains
- Black rice
- Rolled (or steel) oats
Legumes
- Azuki beans
- Black beans
- Peanuts or walnuts,raw
Sweetener and Toppings
- Chinese Jujubes
- Goji Berries,optional
- Rock sugar
- Water
Substitutes For Eight Treasure Congee
This recipe is very customizable! Feel free to substitute the grains, beans, and sweeteners as you wish.
Other grains that I enjoy:
Millet
Black sticky rice
Barley
Corn, raw
Other beans that I enjoy:
Mung Beans
Kidney Beans
How to Make Eight Treasure Congee
Congee can be made in a crockpot or instant pot – it’s so easy!
Crockpot
Then, add the rice, beans, oats, nuts, and water all to the crockpot and cook on low for 3 hours.
Finally, add sugar and any other sweeteners/toppings (jujubes, goji berries, etc) to taste!
Instant pot
Finish off the Congee with your favorite sweeteners and toppings.
Yum!
Rice Cooker
Some rice cooker that has “Mixed Grain” or “Stew” functions can also be used for this porridge recipe. It usually takes between 1.5 – 2 hours.
How to Serve Eight Treasure Congee
This mouthwatering dish goes well with so many options. It’s an ideal balance of proteins, carbs, healthy fats, and fiber, which makes it perfect for breakfast or light lunch.
You can also skip the sweetener and add the Congee as a great side dish to your lunch or dinner.
Either way, feel free to get creative with toppings! I’ve seen Congee topped with fruit, eggs, vegetables, seeds, and more – the opportunities are endless.
How to Store Eight Treasure Congee
Once it’s cooled, you can store your delicious Congee in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I think it tastes even better the next day!
And for you mamas out there: YES you can freeze it! Simple remove from the freezer to thaw and then warm to your desired temperature.
What other traditional Chinese recipes would you like to see next? Leave a comment below and I’d love to share my family recipes with you!
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE“TRIED IT”ONPINTERESTOR SHARE ONINSTAGRAMBY TAGGING#SHUANGYSEATS
OTHER Authentic Chinese RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
1. Hot And Sour Soup
2. Cornflour Sponge Cake
3. Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Get the recipe:Eight Treasure Congee {Instant Pot}
Yield: 4 -6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 3 hours hrs
Additional Time: 3 hours hrs
Total Time: 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
This sweet Eight Treasure Congee 八宝粥 is a traditional, healthy Chinese porridge. It is nuritious and packed with plant-based protein!
5 stars (1 review)
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Ingredients
Grains
- 1/4 cup black rice
- 1/4 cup rolled, or steel oats *
Beans/Nuts
- 1/4 cup azuki beans
- 1/4 cup black beans
- 1/4 cup of peanuts or walnuts, raw
- 1/4 cup mung beans
Sweetener/Toppings
- 5-6 Chinese jujubes
- Goji Berries or Dried Long Yan, Optional
- 1/2 cup rock sugar, or to taste
- 4-5 cups of water
Equipment
Instructions
Soak beans for 4-6 hours and rinse (Traditionally, we use dried beans which requires soaking to soften)
Crockpot
Wash all the ingredients, drain them of excess water
Add the rice, beans, oats, nuts, jujubes and water** to the crockpot
Cook for 3 hours on low
Add sugar, and goji berries to taste
Instant Pot
Add the rice, beans, oats, jujubes, nuts, and water* to the pot and cook on high pressure for 20 – 25 minutes (if you like it very soft and porridge like, cook for 30 minutes)
Add sugar and goji berries to taste
Notes
* Or sticky rice
**add more water if you prefer thinner Congee and less if you prefer thicker Congee
Serving: 1g, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 168mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 14g
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Chinese
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