Spicy Sichuan Laba Congee Recipe

Ingredients with Measurements:
- 1 cup glutinous rice
- 1/2 cup black rice
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 cup mung beans
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup dried lotus seeds
- 1/2 cup dried red dates
- 1/2 cup dried goji berries
- 1/2 cup dried longan
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup rock sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons chili flakes
- 10 cups water
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Special equipment needed:
- Large pot
- Wooden spoon

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Rinse the glutinous rice, black rice, and brown rice in cold water and soak for 2 hours. Rinse the mung beans, peanuts, dried lotus seeds, dried red dates, dried goji berries, dried longan, and dried apricots in cold water and soak for 1 hour.

2. In a large pot, add the soaked rice, mung beans, peanuts, dried lotus seeds, dried red dates, dried goji berries, dried longan, and dried apricots. Add 10 cups of water and bring to a boil.

3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. In a separate pan, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes until fragrant. Grind them into a powder using a mortar and pestle.

5. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, rock sugar, and ground Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes to the pot. Stir well and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

6. Serve hot, garnished with chopped scallions and cilantro.


Time:
Preparation time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 2.5 hours
Temperature:
Low heat
Serving size:
8-10 servings

Nutritional information:
Calories: 350
Fat: 5g
Carbohydrates: 70g
Protein: 8g
Sodium: 500mg
Fiber: 7g
Sugar: 20g

Substitutions for ingredients:
- Glutinous rice can be substituted with short-grain rice.
- Black rice can be substituted with wild rice.
- Brown rice can be substituted with white rice.
- Mung beans can be substituted with adzuki beans.
- Peanuts can be substituted with cashews.
- Dried lotus seeds can be substituted with dried chestnuts.
- Dried red dates can be substituted with dried figs.
- Dried goji berries can be substituted with dried cranberries.
- Dried longan can be substituted with dried cherries.
- Dried apricots can be substituted with dried peaches.
- Rock sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar.

Variations:
- Add diced chicken or pork for a meatier version.
- Add chopped vegetables such as carrots, celery, and mushrooms for a heartier version.
- Use vegetable broth instead of water for a vegetarian version.

Tips and tricks:
- Soaking the rice and beans beforehand will help them cook faster and more evenly.
- Stir the congee occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Adjust the amount of chili flakes and Sichuan peppercorns to your desired level of spiciness.

Storage instructions:
- Store leftover congee in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating instructions:
- Reheat the congee in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Presentation ideas:
- Serve the congee in individual bowls and garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro.

Garnishes:
- Chopped scallions
- Chopped cilantro

Pairings:
- Serve with steamed buns or fried dough sticks.

Suggested side dishes:
- Stir-fried vegetables
- Pickled vegetables
- Steamed dumplings

Troubleshooting advice:
- If the congee is too thick, add more water or broth to thin it out.
- If the congee is too thin, continue to simmer until it thickens to your desired consistency.

Food safety advice:
- Make sure to soak the rice and beans before cooking to ensure they are fully cooked and safe to eat.

Food history:
- Laba Congee is a traditional Chinese dish that is typically eaten on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month to celebrate the Laba Festival.

Flavor profiles:
- Spicy, sweet, savory

Serving suggestions:
- Serve hot as a main dish or as a side dish.

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Region: Chinese

Taste: Spicy, Savory, Tangy, Umami, Aromatic