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Laba congee
Mixed grain and bean porridge
Laba zhou 腊八粥: the mixed-grain, bean and dried-fruit porridge of the twelfth lunar month
On Laba, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Buddhist temples across China from Beijing's Yonghe Temple to Hangzhou's Lingyin hand out bowls of this porridge to everyone who queues, marking the day the Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment. Families cook it at home the same morning, and it signals that the New Year is on its way. It is thick, gently sweet and full of different textures: chewy black rice, soft red beans, creamy lotus seeds and sticky dates. A common mistake is putting everything in at once; the beans need a head start or they stay hard while the rice turns to glue. Chef's tip: soak the beans and black rice overnight, and cook the porridge low and slow with the lid ajar so it does not boil over.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz adzuki beanssoaked overnight
- 1 ¾ oz raw peanutssoaked overnight
- 1 ⅜ oz dried lotus seedssoaked overnight, any green cores removed
- 1 ¾ oz black glutinous ricesoaked overnight
- 1 ¾ oz white glutinous ricerinsed
- 1 ⅜ oz milletrinsed
- 9 ¼ cups water
To finish
- 10 dried red dates (jujubes)pitted
- 1 oz dried longan flesh
- 1 tbsp dried goji berries
- 2 ⅞ oz rock sugaror to taste
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅛ oz adzuki beans, 1 ¾ oz raw peanuts, 1 ⅜ oz dried lotus seeds and 1 ¾ oz black glutinous rice.
Step 2: Put the beans, peanuts and lotus seeds in a large heavy pot with 9 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer over a low heat.
40 minStep 3: Add the black rice, 1 ¾ oz white glutinous rice and 1 ⅜ oz millet. Stir well, scraping the bottom, and simmer with the lid ajar, stirring every 10 minutes so nothing catches.
45 minStep 4: Add 10 dried red dates (jujubes), 1 oz dried longan flesh and 2 ⅞ oz rock sugar and keep simmering until the beans crush easily against the side of the pot and the porridge is thick enough to coat a spoon. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too stiff.
15 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tbsp dried goji berries and cook for 2 more minutes, until the berries plump up.
2 minStep 6: Taste for sweetness and serve hot. It thickens as it cools; loosen leftovers with hot water when reheating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does laba congee take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of black glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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