Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Pumpkin Chicken Congee
南瓜雞肉粥
Recipe overview
Rice is simmered until creamy, partly mashed pumpkin adds natural sweetness and tender chicken makes a complete soft meal for children or elderly diners.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 180 g white rice
- 300 g boneless chicken thigh (boneless thigh, cut small)
- 300 g pumpkin (peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm cubes)
- 15 g ginger (finely shredded)
- 1 stalk spring onion (chopped)
Marinade
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Soup base
- 1.8 litres water
- to taste salt
02
Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- vegetable peeler
- mixing bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- strainer
- soup pot
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Rinse and soak rice
Rinse rice 2 to 3 times, soak in clean water for 20 minutes, then drain.
Step 2
Check and cut chicken
Thaw chicken in the refrigerator, inspect, trim fat and cut small using separate raw-meat tools.
Step 3
Marinate chicken
Mix chicken with soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil and white pepper, then refrigerate 15 minutes.
Step 4
Prepare pumpkin
Peel and seed pumpkin, then cut into even 2 cm cubes.
Step 5
Prepare ginger and spring onion
Finely shred ginger and chop spring onion, keeping them separate.
Step 6
Add rice to boiling water
Boil 1.8 litres water, add drained rice and ginger, and stir to separate the grains.
Step 7
Simmer rice for 25 minutes
Return to a boil, reduce to low, leave the lid ajar and simmer 25 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes.
Step 8
Add pumpkin
Stir in pumpkin and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes until tender.
Step 9
Mash some pumpkin
Mash about one-third of the pumpkin into the congee, leaving the rest as soft cubes.
Step 10
Add chicken
Keep a gentle simmer, add chicken gradually, stir to separate and cook on low for 8 minutes.
Step 11
Check doneness and season
When chicken reaches 75°C and rice is fully bloomed, season with salt and add hot water only if thinning is needed.
Step 12
Garnish and serve
Turn off heat, add spring onion, ladle into bowls and cool slightly before serving children or elderly diners.
Common mistakes
- A fully sealed lid makes congee boil over.
- Adding chicken too early makes it dry.
Tips
Soaking rice for 20 minutes helps it soften faster.
Congee thickens as it cools; adjust gradually with hot water.
