Plant based, dairy free, gluten free option, low FODMAP options.
In China, 8 treasure congee was originally prepared as an offering to the Gods. Nowadays it is eaten widely and is indeed a most divine experience! The beautiful soft purple colour, with the pops of red goji berry make it a delight to behold as well as to eat. It calms the heart, quiets the mind and soothes and tones the digestive tract and the muscles of the womb.
8 Treasure Congee with Lily Bulb and Lotus Seed
8 treasure congee is a fantastic vehicle for introducing new wholegrains into your diet. It is infinitely variable, and a wide variety of grains, legumes, nuts and fruit can be added or substituted. Feel free to experiment and create a version that is delicious to you and works for your body and gut. All the grains are pre-soaked, well-cooked and in small quantities, so the gut can slowly adjust to new foods without rocking the digestive boat too much. If you discover that your digestion can’t cope with a particular ingredient, simply replace it with something similar. For example:
if you react to cashews, replace them with blanched almonds
if you can’t digest kidney beans, try mung beans
if you’re coeliac or gluten free, choose the whole sorghum option
for low FODMAP or fructose intolerance, omit the dried legumes
Lotus seed, lily bulb, Chinese yam and goji berries
These dried Chinese herbs add something special. They contribute to the soothing and nurturing quality of the congee. You can buy then in small quantities from Asian grocers where they’re often sold under their Chinese names:
Lotus seed = lian zi
Lily bulb = bai he
Chinese yam = shan yao/shu yu
Goji berries (gou qi zi) are considered a superfood and are easy to find at your local organic wholefoods store.
If you live locally, get in touch with us at Thornbury Acupuncture Studio and place an order for our high grade, organic dried herbs to add to your congee.
Cooks tips
The grains, herbs and legumes are soaked overnight in separate bowls of water. There are two reasons for this; the lily bulb and lotus seed are both slightly bitter and we need to leach some of that bitterness out so they’re pleasant to eat. Soaking separately prevents the other ingredients picking up their bitterness. Soaking legumes releases gut-challenging phytates into the water, making the legumes gentler on the gut.
Congee absorbs a surprising amount of water as it cooks, so keep a boiled kettle on standby and add more water to loosen as you go. You’re aiming for soupy, not gloopy. It’s better to add more water than you need and to reduce it down towards the end than to end up with a sticky mess that won’t come off the bottom of the pot.
A slow cooker and is a great option if you don’t have the space in your life for tending to the congee while it cooks. Simply soak the ingredients as directed, then place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do its magic.
You can either eat the dried herbs or take them out - they do have a texture that’s quite unusual, and not to everyone’s taste. You’ll receive their health benefits whether you eat them or not, as their essence will transfer into the congee as it cooks.
You can sweeten your congee to taste. I’ve chosen a conservative amount of palm sugar for health reasons, but it’s often served very sweet.
I love this served warm, especially in the winter, but many sources suggest eating it at room temperature, like a rice pudding.
Congee keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days and can also be frozen.
8 Treasure Congee with Lily Bulb and Lotus Seed
Plant based, dairy free, gluten free option, low FODMAP options.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup black sticky rice
2 tbsp pearl barley OR whole sorghum (GF option)
½ cup cashews
2 tbsp lian zi (lotus seed)
1 tbsp bai he (lily bulb)
2 tbsp mung beans OR kidney beans
¾ shortgrain white rice
4 pieces shan yao (Chinese yam)
At least 6 cups of filtered water or spring water
Pinch of Himalayan crystal salt
4 tablespoons of chopped palm sugar, OR coconut sugar
¼ cup goji berries
Method:
The night before soak the wholegrains and herbs in filtered or spring water: For the best results, some of the ingredients need to be soaked separately. Bowl 1: black rice and barley OR sorghum. Bowl 2: cashews and mung beans OR kidney beans. Bowl 3: lotus seed and lily bulb.
The next morning, drain and rinse all of the soaked ingredients.
Add the soaked ingredients, white rice, Chinese yam, salt and 6 cups of water to a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 – 45 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. Have a boiled kettle on standby ready to add more water as you go. It’s ready when the white rice has broken down and the texture has become velvety. It will turn a beautiful red-purple colour.
Add the goji berries and palm sugar or coconut sugar. Stir, turn off the heat and let the congee rest for a few minutes allowing the sugar to melt and the goji berries to soften.
Enjoy warm during the winter, or at room temperature in the summer months.