Simple and nourishing Chinese millet congee, with stove-top and Instant Pot instructions.
Millet is an ancient grain, with small yellow seeds resembling quinoa and amaranth. It's naturally gluten-free, rich in fiber and minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium as well as essential vitamins like folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and Vitamins B6, C, E, and K.
Chinese people have been eating millet for thousands of years, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), millet porridge is regarded as a healing food for postpartum and digestive health.
Millet congee or porridge (xiao mi zhou) can be often found on the Chinese table for breakfast. Common accompaniments to nibble on are fermented tofu (a funky, cheese-like relish) or salted pickled vegetables. My family is from northern China, and at home, we enjoy having a bowl of hot, thin millet porridge to sip on between bites of steamed baozi (stuffed buns) or mantou (plain steamed bread).
Ingredients in Millet Congee
The simplest version of this congee is just hulled millet and water, in a ratio of 1:8.
You can add peeled and cubed sweet potato or jujube red dates to the congee while it's cooking, for natural sweetness and texture. Other possible add-ins are goji berries, lotus seeds, cubed pumpkin, carrot, or squash. Often, my mom would add purple sweet potato for a purple-colored congee.
Where do I find millet?
Millet is sold in the bulk bins at any grocery store or in vacuum-sealed packages in Asian supermarkets. You can also find it online. There are several varieties ranging from white to yellow but my favorite is Northern Chinese millet that's typically larger in size and yellower in color, with a sweeter, slightly nuo (sticky) texture.
How to make Millet Congee
There are three ways of making millet congee: on the stove-top, in a rice cooker, or in an Instant Pot. The ratio of millet to water is 1:8, which results in a soup-like porridge as shown in the photos. You can adjust the water amount if you prefer a thicker/creamier or thinner consistency.
I've found that using the Instant Pot is the easiest and fastest.
Rinse 1/2 cup millet under running water and drain well in a strainer.
Stove-top instructions:
In a medium pot, bring 4 cups water to a boil, then add rinsed millet and any additions like cubed sweet potato. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The porridge is done when the millet is tender but still holds its shape. At this point you can serve it, or continue to cook for 10 more minutes for a thicker, creamier consistency.
Rice cooker instructions:
Add rinsed millet and 4 cups water to the rice cooker pot. Set to the Porridge setting. When timer beeps, open lid and give everything a stir, then serve.
Instant Pot instructions:
Add rinsed millet and 4 cups water, and any additions like cubed sweet potato to the pot. Set to 15 minutes on MANUAL, high pressure. Be sure the pressure valve is set to seal. After the timer beeps, allow pressure to natural release, for about 15 minutes. Open lid and give everything a stir, then serve.
Simple Millet Congee (小米粥)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Millet congee porridge with optional red dates and sweet potato. A simple and nourishing Chinese staple.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) millet
- 4 cups (1000mL) water
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes, optional
- 5 dried red dates, optional
Instructions
- Rinse millet under running water and drain well in a strainer.
- Stovetop instructions: In a medium pot, bring water to a boil, then add rinsed millet and cubed sweet potato. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The porridge is done when the millet is tender but still holds its shape. At this point you can serve it, or continue to cook for 10 more minutes for a thicker, creamier consistency.
- Instant Pot instructions: add rinsed millet, water, sweet potato and dried dates to the Instant Pot and set to MANUAL on high pressure for 15 minutes (make sure the pressure valve is set to seal). After the timer beeps, allow pressure to natural release for 15 minutes. Open lid and give everything a stir.
- Ladle millet congee into bowls and serve hot. You can add maple syrup, rock sugar, or brown sugar for desired sweetness.
Notes
- You can use peeled and chopped pumpkin or squash instead of the sweet potato. Goji berries are also a nice addition.
- Savory version: use only millet and water. Serve warm with pickled vegetables or fermented tofu.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Jan says
Second time I made the recipe. I broke in my new Insta Pot with the recipe. Perfect! I replaced sweet potatoes with carrots.
★★★★★
Hannah says
wonderful, thanks for sharing!
bernie says
Half the descriptions on the internet of millet state it is defined as a grain although it is technically a seed. The statement makes no sense. All grain we eat (rice, corn, wheat, etc.) are seeds. Millet grows in the same way as do other grains, as the seed of an annual grass that humans have domesticated.
Thanks for the water:millet ratios for instant pot.
★★★★★
Hannah says
Some seeds like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat are not defined as grains though (they're psuedo-grains), so the description is just to clarify that millet is, indeed, a grain. Will edit to make it clearer. Thanks for the comment!
bernie says
Just to clarify, millet is a grass like wheat, sorghum, corn, and rice. It's in the Poaceae family (source, wikipedia). Quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat are definitely psuedo-grains because they are not in the Poaceae family. If you google image search "millet plant" versus quinoa/amaranth/buckwheat plant, you'll see that millet looks has thin-bladed, grass-like leaves, whereas the latter are broad-leafed and a bit bushy.
There are many species of millet. In Northern China, millet was the first domesticated crop, and wheat came along later.
Sydney says
Just want to ask for the Instant Pot manual setting, is it on high or low pressure?
Hannah says
Hi! It's manual on high pressure
Christine says
I’ve made this congee so many times now and love it! Usually I make it savory and add some julienned ginger to the congee and when it’s finished cooking I add some chopped greens in and top with an egg. Sometimes I add a couple chicken thighs or tofu with dried wood ear mushrooms. So easy and quick to prepare!
★★★★★