Quick and easy to prepare pumpkin millet congee (南瓜小米粥).
Millet, the ingredient from ancient China, is one of the “five grains” on Chinese tables and is the popular staple food for Northern China. Millet is rich in nutrition, just like other grains, including fat and carbohydrate. However, it has a high level of carotene. Millet is usually used to make congee or brew alcohol. In addition, it is an idea coating for ribs or pork belly. In additional to home cooking, millet is used to make Chinese white spirit or syrup due to the high production in China.
Congee is a very popular staple food in Chinese cuisine. It can be served as staples just like dumplings, steamed rice, Chinese bread and steamed buns.
Millet is believed to be more nutritional than white rice. But it tastes coarser and less refined. If cooked with less water, millet cannot provide a good texture. But millet congee or porridge is quite popular in China. Millet congee comparing with rice porridge is less aromatic and tasteless. A common way to improve the flavor and taste is to add other ingredients as natural sweetness, like sweet potato or pumpkin. I use pumpkin this time. Since pumpkin has a natural sweetness, the congee has a faint sweet flavor.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup millet
- 2 cups pumpkin cubes
- 8 cups water
Steps
Wash millet and then place in a large pot. Peel the pumpkin and cut into small cubes.
Load the pot with enough water, place pumpkin cubes in a cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. Smash the pumpkin.
Place smashed pumpkin, millet in the pot. Cover and bring a a boil over high heat.
Slow the fire to medium heat, skin any floatings on the surface. Continue cook for 15 minutes. Stir the congee from time to time to avoid sticky to the bottom.
How to Serve
This congee can be served as a sweet version by adding rock sugar or other sweet agent.
Or you can serve it with a savory with pickles or fermented tofu or salad.
Healthy Millet Congee with pumpkin
- 1/2 cup millet
- 2 cups pumpkin cubes
- 8 cups water divided
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Wash millet and then place in a large pot. Peel the pumpkin and cut into small cubes.
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Load the pot with enough water, place pumpkin cubes in a cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. Smash the pumpkin.
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Place smashed pumpkin, millet in the pot. Cover and bring a boil over high heat.
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Slow the fire to medium heat, skin any floating bubbles on the surface. Continue cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir the congee from time to time to avoid sticky to the bottom.
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How to serve
Add sugar to taste to serve a sweet version
Or serve with savory dishes, pickles or salad
Hi Elaine,
I didn’t know millet porridge was a dish in China, too. Around here it’s usually cooked with milk and sweetened with honey or sugar and sometimes dried fruit. There is even an old and rather well known folk tale “Der süsse Brei” involving this dish (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Porridge).
Now I haven’t eaten this since my childhood days, but your recipe tempts me to try it again.
This sweet porridge seems quite good! In China, we have eight treasure congee or mixed congee, usually served as a very popular sweet porridge. Will try to cook porridge with milk.