4 Delicious and Nutritious Oyster Congee Recipes Everyone Will Love

Oyster porridge has long been known as a dish that is both easy to digest and highly nutritious, suitable for adults, children, and those recovering from illness. With the natural sweetness of fresh oysters combined with slowly simmered rice, this porridge is not only delicious but also very healthy. If you are looking for a simple yet authentic way to cook delicious oyster porridge, let’s explore 4 recipes in this article with Ola Squid right now! Explore our premium products at our shop for more culinary inspiration.

1. How to cook nutritious milk oyster porridge

Among the ways to cook oyster porridge, milk oyster porridge is the most popular choice because of its rich, creamy flavor, ease of eating, and ability to retain the full nutritional value of the oysters.

1.1. Ingredients

To cook delicious and creamy milk oyster porridge, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• 25g glutinous rice, 300g regular rice
• 1.5 kg milk oysters
• 5g salt, 10g MSG
• 5g sugar, 200g leeks or green onions
• 5g ground pepper, 2 fresh chilies
• 50ml cooking oil, 20ml fish sauce

1.2. Instructions

The steps to cook milk oyster porridge are as follows:

• Step 1: First, you need to finely chop the leeks, separating the white parts for sautéing and the green parts for garnishing. Soak the milk oysters in saltwater with lemon or vinegar to clean, remove the meat, and drain. Thinly slice the fresh chili, wash the regular rice, and toast it until golden for aroma.
• Step 2: Sauté the white leek parts with cooking oil, then set aside. Next, add the milk oysters to the pan, season to taste, and stir-fry quickly until the oysters are just cooked, then turn off the heat to keep them sweet.
• Step 3: Add the toasted rice to a pot of water, add the sautéed leek oil, and cook until the rice grains bloom and the porridge is smooth and creamy. Next, add the stir-fried oysters, re-season, and boil for a few more minutes.
• Step 4: Finally, ladle the porridge into a bowl, sprinkle with leeks, chili, ground pepper, and fried onions on top. Enjoy while hot to fully experience the sweetness of the oysters combined with the creamy aroma of the porridge.

2. How to cook green bean oyster porridge

Oyster porridge cooked with green beans is not only delicious but also helps cool the body, making it perfect for hot weather days.

2.1. Necessary ingredients

To cook authentic green bean oyster porridge, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• 40g glutinous rice, 80g regular rice
• 500g milk oysters
• 40g green beans, 10g minced ginger
• 10g sliced shallots, 30g green onions
• 10g cilantro, 20g Vietnamese balm (rau răm)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• Seasoning: salt, sugar, pepper, MSG, seasoning powder

2.2. Execution method

The simple way to process green bean oyster porridge is as follows:

• Step 1: Wash the glutinous rice, regular rice, and green beans, removing any bad grains. Add everything to a pot with water and seasonings, cook until the porridge is soft and smooth.
• Step 2: Wash the oysters with diluted salt water and drain. Marinate the oysters with seasoning, minced ginger, and shallots, mix well, and let it soak for about 15-20 minutes.
• Step 3: Wash the green onions, separate the white parts and green parts; pick the young Vietnamese balm and cilantro, wash, and chop finely.
• Step 4: Sauté the shallots and ginger until fragrant, add the marinated oysters, and stir-fry quickly over high heat until just firm, then turn off the heat and sprinkle with pepper to enhance the aroma.
• Step 5: Add the stir-fried oysters and white onion parts into the porridge pot, simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Ladle the porridge into a bowl, sprinkle with green onions, Vietnamese balm, fried shallots, and a little pepper; serve hot to feel the full richness of the oysters combined with the nutty flavor of the green beans.

3. Instructions for cooking lotus seed oyster porridge

Lotus seeds have a nutty flavor and cooling properties; when cooked with oysters, they create a light porridge that is extremely suitable for the elderly.

3.1. Prepare ingredients

The ingredients you need to prepare for this dish include:

• 50g glutinous rice, 200g regular rice
• 20g straw mushrooms, 20g lotus seeds
• 600g live oysters
• 50g green onions, 50g Vietnamese balm
• 1 shallot, 1 carrot
• 5g ground pepper, 5g sugar, 5g salt
• 2 chilies, 20ml fish sauce
• 50ml cooking oil

3.2. Processing method

Detailed instructions for cooking lotus seed oyster porridge are as follows:

Step 1:

• First, mix the regular rice and glutinous rice, wash them, and soak for 1-2 hours so the grains are soft, helping the porridge cook faster.
• Peel the lotus seeds, remove the bitter centers, wash, and drain. Clean the oysters, remove the meat, and chop into small pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into small cubes.
• Wash the straw mushrooms, remove the base, soak in diluted salt water, and cut in half. Wash green onions, Vietnamese balm, and chilies, and chop finely.

Step 2: Next, add the rice, lotus seeds, carrots, and broth to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the porridge is soft. Sauté the shallots with cooking oil, add the oysters and straw mushrooms, stir-fry quickly with fish sauce to bring out the aroma. When the porridge reaches the desired consistency, add the stir-fried oyster mixture, cook for another 10 minutes, and re-season to taste.

Step 3: After that, ladle the porridge into a bowl, sprinkle with green onions, Vietnamese balm, ground pepper, and fresh chili on top. Serve while hot to feel the natural sweetness of the oysters blended with the nutty lotus seeds and the soft, nutritious porridge.

4. How to cook oyster porridge with straw mushrooms and green beans

The combination of oysters, straw mushrooms, and green beans creates a porridge that is both naturally sweet and nutritious, very good for the digestive system.

4.1. Prepare ingredients

Ingredients to cook oyster porridge with green beans and straw mushrooms include:

• 200g regular rice, 70g glutinous rice
• 300g oyster meat
• 150g straw mushrooms, 70g peeled green beans
• 100g fried shallots
• 10g Vietnamese balm, 10g shallots
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, 1 tablespoon ginger wine
• Seasoning: fish sauce, MSG, seasoning soup powder, seasoning powder, salt

4.2. Processing method

Detailed instructions for cooking oyster porridge with green beans and straw mushrooms as follows:

Step 1:

• First, after buying the oysters, wash them gently with salt, ginger wine, and tapioca starch to deodorize, then rinse clean, drain, and sprinkle with a little pepper.
• Wash the green beans, soak in warm water for about 30 minutes until soft, then drain. Remove the roots of the straw mushrooms and wash them with diluted salt water.
• Chop green onions and Vietnamese balm, and mince the shallots. Wash the rice.

Step 2: Sauté shallots with cooking oil, add the oysters and straw mushrooms, stir-fry quickly until just firm, season with a little fish sauce, then turn off the heat. Stir gently so the oysters do not break.

Step 3: Boil green beans with water until soft, then add more water and rice (glutinous and regular) and cook until the porridge is soft and smooth. Next, add the stir-fried oysters and mushrooms into the pot, season to taste, and boil for a few more minutes to blend the flavors.

Step 4: Finally, add the green onions and Vietnamese balm, stir well, then turn off the heat. Ladle the porridge into a bowl, sprinkle with fried shallots and ground pepper. Enjoy while hot to fully feel the nuttiness of the green beans, the sweet richness of the oysters, and the aroma of the straw mushrooms. 

>>> Delicious dishes you can refer to:

• What to cook with oysters? 14 delicious and nutritious oyster dishes
• How to make nutritious, non-fishy sour oyster soup and how to choose good oysters
• 3 ways to make creamy, irresistible cheese-grilled oysters
• 2 ways to make greasy, fragrant scallion-oil grilled oysters that you will love

5. Health benefits of oysters

Not only delicious, but oysters also provide many health benefits such as:

• Boost immune system: Oysters are rich in vitamins C, E, and essential minerals, helping to enhance resistance, fight inflammation, and act as an effective antioxidant.
• Protect cardiovascular health: Oysters help reduce plaque buildup in the blood vessels, making them more flexible, while magnesium and potassium help stabilize blood pressure.
• Provide high-quality protein: As a complete protein source, oysters contain all 9 essential amino acids to help nourish and restore the body.
• Support weight control: Oysters are high in protein, creating a feeling of fullness for a long time, helping to reduce cravings and support healthy weight loss.
• Improve vision: Oysters are a rich source of natural zinc, which is necessary for maintaining the pigment and function of the retina.
• Enhance brain function: Vitamin B12, omega-3, iron, and zinc in oysters help improve memory, concentration, and nervous system activity.
• Healthy skin, hair, and nails: Zinc promotes collagen production, supports skin regeneration, increases elasticity, and helps keep hair and nails strong.
• Improve physiological health: Oysters support testosterone production, contributing to increased libido and sperm quality in men; and help balance hormones in women.
• Enhance bone health: Oysters provide many minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium,… to help bones stay strong and maintain bone density.
• Stabilize mood: Oysters supplement natural zinc – an essential mineral to help improve mood, reduce stress, and stabilize emotions.

6. Tips for choosing fresh oysters

To make the oyster porridge delicious and safe, choosing ingredients is extremely important, so you need to note some tips below when choosing oysters:

• Prioritize oysters with a high, pointed shell, which are usually meatier and fatter.
• Choose oysters with tightly closed shells that feel solid in your hand and avoid those that open easily, as they may be dead.
• When opening the shell, the oyster meat must be firmly attached, plump, and full of water inside.
• Do not choose oysters without water inside or those that don’t make a sound when shaken/tapped, as these are signs of stale oysters.
• Avoid buying oysters with eggs, as the meat is often bitter.
• With small oysters, you should choose round ones with a plump shell that feels heavy in the hand, and limit flat, light, and empty ones.

7. Notes when cooking oyster porridge

To achieve the best flavor for the porridge, you need to note:

• Prepare the oysters gently to avoid breaking the belly, so the meat doesn’t dry out and lose its natural sweetness.
• Do not wash oysters directly under a strong tap; instead, wash them in a bowl with clean water to maintain the softness of the meat.
• You should sauté the white part of the green onions and shallots before adding the oysters to remove the fishy smell and make the porridge more fragrant.
• Toasting the rice before cooking helps the porridge smell better and the grains bloom evenly without becoming mushy.
• You should combine regular rice and glutinous rice so the porridge is smooth and has a beautiful appearance without being too thick.
• Only add the oysters to the porridge and cook for about 2-3 minutes; avoid overcooking, which makes the oysters mushy and reduces nutrition.
• Keep the oyster-boiling water, filter it clean, and use it to cook the porridge to increase the natural sweet flavor.
• Choose a pot with a thick bottom or use a rice cooker, adding a little cooking oil when cooking to prevent the porridge from boiling over or burning the bottom.
• Prioritize buying fresh oysters and processing them soon to keep their fatty sweetness and nutritional value.

Hopefully, the above shares have helped you understand how to cook delicious and nutritious oyster porridge that is easy to make at home. Just by choosing fresh oysters, preparing them properly, and seasoning skillfully, you can provide a warm, nutritious porridge for the whole family. If you want to explore more attractive recipes, useful kitchen tips, and other interesting culinary knowledge, don’t forget to visit the Ola Squid Culinary Corner to stay updated!