Silky broken-rice congee simmered until creamy, topped with a soft egg, fried shallots, and ginger for a warming Thai breakfast.
Jok is the rice porridge Thai families eat for breakfast, made by simmering broken jasmine rice in stock until the grains break down into a thick, spoonable congee. It's closely related to Chinese congee, brought to Thailand generations ago and adapted with local seasonings — white pepper, fried garlic, and fresh ginger instead of century egg or scallion oil. The key technique is starting with rice that's already partly broken (or pulsing whole rice briefly in a food processor) so it releases starch faster and thickens the porridge without hours of simmering. Stirring occasionally prevents the rice from catching on the bottom of the pot while it slowly turns from separate grains into a uniform, creamy base. Each bowl gets built at the table: a soft-cooked or raw egg stirred in to cook from residual heat, a shower of crispy fried shallots, julienned ginger, and a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil. It's comfort food, meant to be eaten hot and adjusted to taste as you go.
Serves 4
Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat and fry shallots, stirring often, until deep golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels; reserve the oil.
Mix ground pork with soy sauce and half the white pepper. Roll into small meatballs, about the size of a marble.
Bring stock to a boil, add the pulsed rice, and reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring every few minutes, for 30-35 minutes until thick and creamy.
Drop the pork meatballs into the simmering porridge for the last 8 minutes of cooking, until cooked through.
Ladle porridge into bowls, crack a soft-cooked or poached egg on top, and finish with fried shallots, ginger, scallions, cilantro, remaining white pepper, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
Pulsing the rice briefly before cooking cuts the simmer time nearly in half compared to whole grains.
Keep a kettle of hot stock nearby — the porridge thickens as it sits, so thin it out bowl by bowl before serving.
Use homemade or a good low-sodium stock; store-bought salty stock makes it hard to season correctly at the end.
Swap ground pork for shredded rotisserie chicken or sliced fish for a lighter version.
Add a spoonful of preserved radish (chai po) for extra savory crunch.
Make it vegetarian with mushroom stock and silken tofu cubes instead of meat.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; the porridge will thicken further, so add a splash of stock or water when reheating on the stove.
Jok descends from Chinese congee traditions brought to Thailand by immigrant communities and adapted with Thai seasonings like white pepper and fried garlic. It remains a common breakfast and late-night food across Bangkok.
Yes — use about 3 cups cooked rice and simmer it in the stock for 15-20 minutes, mashing some grains against the pot to help it thicken.
Ground chicken or turkey works well in the same amount, or skip the meatballs and top with shredded rotisserie chicken instead.
You likely didn't pulse the rice or simmer long enough — keep it at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the grains break down and the liquid visibly thickens.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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