For over two years now, Martina Hörlein has been serving hot, comforting breakfasts - sweet or savoury - nutritious and wholesome lunches, homemade cakes and small energy snacks in the grains by Saint Charles Alimentary from Monday to Friday. While the lunch offer was immediately accepted, the breakfast offer took some time. In the meantime, however, a regular clientele has built up and more and more customers come once or several times a week for breakfast. Martina revealed one of her most popular breakfast recipes for us: congee.
The origin of congee
Congee comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a rice soup that is very digestible and nourishing due to its long cooking time of 2h or longer. It can be enjoyed as a hot breakfast, but also as a lunch. Spicy or sweet, as you will always find on Martina's menu. Always vegan, with gluten-free variants, as much seasonal, regional and organic as possible.
Recipe: Green tea rice congee with coconut flakes & fig
The preparation of the congee base is very simple, but takes a little time. However, it can be prepared wonderfully in the evening. It is therefore a good idea to make a little more of it and keep it in jars. This way, you have something of the wholesome congee for several weeks.
Preparation of congee base:
- 200 g rice (Martina's favourite is natural round grain rice)
- 2 l water
- In a saucepan, simmer at low temperature for at least 2 h
- The rice swells and it gets a soupy, creamy consistency - add hot water if needed
Preserve in jars:
- Sterilise jars - in the oven at 100 degrees, 10 min
- Boil lids in a pot of water for a few minutes
- Pour in congee and leave to cool, then store in the fridge
What can you make from the base? - e.g.: green tea rice congee with grated coconut & fig
Steep 4 tbsp green tea in 250 ml water for at least 15 min. Simmer the congee base (about 150-180g, for 2 people) with 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cardamom and 2 pieces dried figs chopped and 150 ml green tea for 15 min, adding tea as needed. Toast the coconut flakes in a pan on medium heat without fat - be careful, they burn quickly! Season the green tea congee with a little maple syrup as needed and serve with the coconut flakes and another chopped fig.
Grains by Saint Charles Alimentary
Monday to Friday from 08:00-15:00
Gumpendorferstrasse 33
1060 Vienna.
