Breakfast in Thailand
There are not many dishes in Thailand that are considered specifically "breakfast food". Our breakfast often looks like lunch, snacks, or even dinner foods. Growing up in Thailand my breakfast was often just leftover dinner!
Congee is the one exception. Congee, or what we call "jok" in Thai, is one of the few dishes considered "breakfast" and you can easily find it on the streets of Thailand in the morning (although you can buy jok at all times of the day, even night time, too.)
Slow VS Quick Method for Making Congee
I have a video that shows you the traditional way of making congee from scratch, starting with raw rice, just like street vendors do. This takes a long time stirring broken rice in a pot until thick and creamy.
This version is much quicker and takes only 30 minutes. It still comes out equally delicious if you ask me, and is the reason why I never go back to the from-scratch method anymore! It does require that you have some rice already cooked (perfect for leftover rice), and you also need some good pork stock or chicken stock on hand as well.
Watch The Full Video Tutorial!
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Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.
Congee:
- Cooked jasmine rice, can be leftover
- Pork or chicken stock, unsalted (or if salted, reduce seasoning)
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Ground white pepper, to taste
- Green onion, chopped
- Ginger, julienned, or more to taste
Meatballs:
- Ground pork or chicken, preferably not lean
- Cloves garlic, finely grated
- Ground white pepper
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Sesame oil (optional)
How to Make Quick and Easy Congee with Meatballs
Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.
- If the rice is chilled, microwave it for a minute so it’s hot, which will help it absorb liquid more readily.
- Add rice to blender along with just enough of the stock to blend. Blend the rice briefly (several seconds) until you have your desired consistency—this could be coarser or finer depending on your preference, but make sure not to over-blend it cuz you do not want a smooth puree! (Tip: You do not actually have to blend the rice at all, but if you use whole rice it'll take longer to break down in the pot.)
- Pour blended rice into a heavy-bottomed pot, then use the remaining stock to rinse out the blender so you get everything out and add to the pot.
- Add soy sauce and fish sauce and bring rice to a simmer.
- Simmer for at least 10 minutes, or up to 20 minutes. The longer you simmer, the softer and smoother the texture will be, but for a “quick” version, I find that 10 minutes will do just fine. Once the rice starts to thicken up, stir frequently with a rubber spatula to prevent the bottom from sticking to the pot.
- While the rice is cooking, make meatballs simply by combining all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead everything together with your hands until smooth (wear gloves if you have them).
- When rice is done, add meatballs in chunks directly into the rice using 2 teaspoons. Cook the meatballs for about 3 minutes until done.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in julienned ginger if you want, or you can leave it for each person to add to their own bowl when serving.
- Serve with green onions and extra white pepper if desired. Enjoy!
If you want to add eggs, you can poach eggs separately and add it to the congee when serving. Or if you want the eggs mixed in, you can crack the eggs right into the congee, let them poach submerged in the congee for 3-4 minutes to firm up the whites slightly, then stir it up to mix into the congee.
Recipe Card
Print
Quick and Easy Congee with Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings
Description
This Thai style congee recipe is so quick and easy you can make it on a weekend morning! All you need is some leftover rice
Ingredients
Congee
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, can be leftover
- 4 cups pork or chicken stock, unsalted (or if salted, reduce seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- Ground white pepper, to taste
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 inch piece ginger, julienned, or more to taste
Meatballs:
- 250 g ground pork or chicken, preferably not lean
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp sesame oil (optional)
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Instructions
- If the rice is chilled, microwave it for a minute so it’s hot, which will help it absorb liquid more readily.
- Add rice to blender along with just enough of the stock to blend. Blend the rice briefly (several seconds) until you have your desired consistency—this could be coarser or finer depending on your preference, but make sure not to over-blend it cuz you do not want a smooth puree! (Tip: You do not actually have to blend the rice at all, but if you use whole rice it'll take longer to break down in the pot.)
- Pour blended rice into a heavy-bottomed pot, then use the remaining stock to rinse out the blender so you get everything out and add to the pot.
- Add soy sauce and fish sauce and bring rice to a simmer.
- Simmer for at least 10 minutes, or up to 20 minutes. The longer you simmer, the softer and smoother the texture will be, but for a “quick” version, I find that 10 minutes will do just fine. Once the rice starts to thicken up, stir frequently with a rubber spatula to prevent the bottom from sticking to the pot.
- While the rice is cooking, make meatballs simply by combining all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead everything together with your hands until smooth (wear gloves if you have them).
- When rice is done, add meatballs in chunks directly into the rice using 2 teaspoons. Cook the meatballs for about 3 minutes until done.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in julienned ginger if you want, or you can leave it for each person to add to their own bowl when serving.
- Serve with green onions and extra white pepper if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
If you want to add eggs, you can poach eggs separately and add it to the congee when serving. Or if you want the eggs mixed in, you can crack the eggs right into the congee, let them poach submerged in the congee for 3-4 minutes to firm up the whites slightly, then stir it up to mix into the congee.
Want to save this recipe?
We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Maricar says
I just recently saw the video for this. I have brown rice instead, can it get the same treatment as the quick version?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Yes, but the end result may not be as creamy as you're introducing a lot of fiber. I'd do half white half brown rice if possible.
Jim says
As always, love your recipes! Just curious, would this be baby friendly (6 months+). I've read that in Thailand Jok is sometimes a baby food?
Thanks!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Yes this would be baby friendly, but for 6 month olds you will need to smash the meatballs up obviously!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Oh and less seasoning for babies!
kira sandra larsen says
Hi, is it dark soy, light or normal?
Joe says
I make the chicken or pork meatballs with chopped cilantro,garlic white pepper and sesame oil with fish and soy sauce.
I let the mixture set for an hour then drop them into the cooking jook. I serve with toasted garlic, cilantro and rice vinegar with thai chillis. Aroi.