Creamy Millet Porridge with Chinese Yams (Instant Pot) 淮山小米粥

Creamy Millet Porridge with Chinese Yams (Instant Pot) 淮山小米粥 is a nutrient-packed breakfast that's excellent for busy mornings. Millet is a whole-grain, unprocessed food that will keep you satiated for an extended period. This millet porridge Chinese recipe also helps improve sleep, nourishes the spleen, tonifies kidneys and lowers blood sugar.

> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For The Best Chinese Instant Pot Millet Porridge Recipe

Chinese people have eaten this nutritious ancient grain with tiny round seeds for over four millennia. Like quinoa and amaranth, tiny grains are perfect for anyone on a gluten-free diet. This basic Instant Pot millet recipe takes little preparation and can be meal prepped. In fact, everyone should include some nutritious millet grains in their breakfast porridge repertoire! 

Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!

Jump to:

• > In This Post: Everything You'll Need For The Best Chinese Instant Pot Millet Porridge Recipe
• What is a Millet?
• TCM Properties & Health Benefits of Millet
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Instructions
• What To Serve With Homemade Gluten-Free Millet Congee
• > Recipe Card
• Creamy Millet Porridge with Chinese Yams (Instant Pot) 淮山小米粥

What is a Millet?

Millets are an excellent plant-based protein grain with numerous health benefits. They are cereal grains in the Poaceae family, commonly called the grass family.

Uncooked millet looks like a tiny round pearl seed. They are also a good food source for honey bees!

There are various types of millet, such as pearl, proso, delay (Job's tears) and foxtail millet.

The Nutritional profile of these starchy grains packs 9 grams of fibre per 100-gram serving with just 207 calories. In addition, millet has the highest calcium content of all cereal grains. 

Millet has a nutty, grassy, corn-like flavour. It pairs well with both sweet and savoury ingredients. 

TCM Properties & Health Benefits of Millet

These tiny whole grains are phosphorus and magnesium-rich. They support digestion and healthy gut functions.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, millet is cool in nature and sweet and salty in taste. It enters the kidney, Spleen and stomach meridians. It strengthens the Spleen and stomach, replenishes deficiency, and harmonizes the kidneys while removing heat and detoxes thanks to catechins such as quercetin.

Those suffering from broken sleep, headaches, indigestion due to a heaty spleen and stomach, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting would find relief after eating cooked fluffy millet.

As a bonus, millet can also relieve bad breath too! 

Ingredients and Substitutes

Cooking a pot of nutritious creamy porridge is convenient for supporting good health and boosting essential fluids. 

Compared to Western-style Instant Pot cranberry millet porridge with fresh fruit, vegetable broth, and plant-based milk, Chinese congee with millet typically includes dried traditional Chinese herbs.  Dried ingredients are readily available at Asian supermarkets and Chinese herbalists. Chinese traditional millet porridge recipes can be either sweet or savoury.  

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I store my dried herbs in an airtight container. I like to portion and meal prep into herbal soup packs for Chinese breakfasts, which I frequently make.

Chinese traditional millet porridge recipes can have either sweet, savoury or mild flavours.

Have you ever tried adding brown sugar to millet congee? Sweet porridge is lovely. Some say that if breakfast porridge lacks brown sugar, it is missing its soul. 

The perfect millet congee with Chinese yams includes just three ingredients.  

Millet 小米 (Xiǎomǐ) - Millet is an excellent alternative to the basic white rice congee. In white rice vs. millet comparison, millet is high in fibre, protein, micronutrients, and B Vitamins, while rice is an excellent source of carbohydrates. Millet also has a lower glycemic index than rice. Try this Asian Rice Porridge recipe. 

Dried Chinese Yams (淮山, Huáishān) - Dioscorea Polystachya is sweet, neutral and targets the kidney, lung and spleen meridians. Huai Shan helps individuals with spleen deficiencies 脾虚, reduces blood sugar and pressure, improves vitality and is anti-inflammatory.

Dried Lily Bulbs (百合, Bǎihé) - Lilium lancifolium nature is cold and helps lower heat, relieve coughs, dry throats and other respiratory conditions like chronic bronchitis, asthma, etc. Its properties treat restlessness and irritability and promote restful sleep to improve overall health.

Optional Add-On Ingredients

In addition to the medicinal herbal ingredients, consider adding the following ingredients to enhance the flavour and texture of this herbal soup.

Pork Shank (豬展 Zhū zhǎn or 瘦肉, Zhū gǔ) - Pork ribs, shank or tenderloin are great options to boost the flavour of your healthy breakfast. Pork meat enhances the flavour profile and adds minerals, B vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Opt out of adding this if you prefer a plant-based diet. 

Dried Lotus Seeds (蓮子, Liánzǐ) - Semen Nelumbinis Nuciferae, dried lotus seeds are sweet and promote the Spleen, kidney and heart. Those suffering from insomnia will find comfort in the 'de-heating' properties of lotus seeds. Lotus seeds also reduce hemorrhaging. Enjoy this absolutely delicious Green Mung Bean Dessert Soup that quenches thirst and detoxes the liver!

Peanuts (花生, Huāshēng) - peanuts are sweet in taste and neutral in nature. They enter the spleen and lung meridians, strengthen the Spleen and stomach, promote the kidneys, remove water, and regulate Qi. Use unsalted raw peanuts with skin or unsalted peanuts blanched skinless for cooking.

Optional Garnish Ingredients

• Finely Chopped Green Onions
• Fresh Cilantro
• Chili Oil
• Chilli Flakes
• Toasted Garlic Flakes
• Shredded Pork Floss

Most dry goods ingredients, tools, and supplies can be purchased at local Asian markets, Chinese grocery stores, or Amazon Online. Amazon Prime members receive free shipping and faster delivery times.

Instructions

This is a quick and straightforward method for making a delicious bowl of Millet congee (小米粥, xiǎomǐ zhōu) in the Instant Pot every time! Just three ingredients make this healthy Chinese breakfast nourishing, flavourful, and soothing. It is suitable for all ages—kids and the elderly. Follow our step-by-step instructions, and your Chinese millet porridge recipe will burst with flavour! The taste is incredibly addicting and scrumptious! 

Soak the herbs in a small bowl in cold water for 5-10 minutes to remove traces of impurities. This will help remove dust and debris. Rinse and set aside in a small bowl.  

If using fresh Chinese yams, wash and peel the yams. 

Cut into slices.

Wash the millet.

Wash the pork ribs, shanks, or tenderloin with cold water and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. If your pot needs to be bigger, only cut the pork ribs into small pieces.

Blanched pork ribs in a medium pot to remove the impurities and excess foam. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooking Instructions

Add a cup of millet gluten-free grain, Chinese yams, and lily bulbs to the Instant Pot with 8 cups of water. 

If you want to include meat in the simple millet congee, combine millet with pork ribs, tenderloin, or shank.

Close the lid, toggle the pressure valve, and set the set to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. 

Once the timer beeps, let its natural pressure release. If you are in a hurry, you can opt for a quick release.

Carefully turn the venting knob to release the remaining pressure. Open the lid. Stir and check for a porridge-like consistency. 

Stir in salt to taste as desired.

Serve in individual bowls.

To enhance your morning congee's flavour and texture, add one or a combination of finely chopped green scallions, fresh cilantro, chilli oil, chilli flakes, shredded pork floss, and toasted garlic flakes to garnish.

Rice Cooker Instructions

Alternatively, simple millet congee can be cooked quickly in the rice cooker. It also does not require a long cooking time. Usually, it takes about 30 minutes to select the standard cook rice mode, or if it is a fancy rice cooker, select the cook porridge mode.

Add rinsed millet, fresh herbs and cold drinking water to the inner rice cooker pot. Set to cook on rice or porridge setting. When the timer beeps, open the lid and stir well with a wooden spoon. Serve and enjoy.

Using fresh Chinese yams and lily bulbs instead of dried herbs is best. Dried herbs require time to resuscitate and extra time to become soft.

Add rinsed millet and 4 cups water to the rice cooker pot. Set to the Porridge setting. When the timer beeps, open the lid and stir everything. 

Salt to taste.

Serve and enjoy.

Stove Top Instructions

Add rinsed millet, Chinese herbs, and cold drinking water to a large ceramic pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, frequently stirring to avoid burning at the bottom. The cooked millet will retain its shape. If the millet congee is thin, increase heat and cook for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid or reach the desired consistency.

Salt to taste.

Serve and enjoy.

Other Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes You'll Love

If you love this creamy millet congee recipe, you may also like our blog's Instant Pot Chinese recipes. It takes little time and requires minimum effort to nail delicious, mess-free dinner ideas that require almost no clean-up! 

Here are our reader's favourites:

• Pressure Cooker Salted Pork and Century Egg Congee 皮蛋瘦肉粥 壓力鍋
• Easy Instant Pot Braised Chinese Mushrooms 髮菜炆冬菇食譜
• Creamy Vegan Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• No Soak Red Bean Soup (Instant Pot) 蓮子百合紅豆沙

How To Meal Prep Chinese Millet Congee

You can efficiently work this cozy and versatile into your family meal prep ideas for the week. Millet porridge is delicious on its own or served with savoury dishes.

Store the meal-prepped Xiao Mi Zhou (millet congee) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make a basic recipe, then add your favourite toppings on different days to create "new recipes."

This healthy meal prep for kids and adults can be reheated on the stovetop or rice cooker. Select keep warm mode or the porridge setting.

What To Serve With Homemade Gluten-Free Millet Congee

On cool mornings, the best grounding breakfast is a warm bowl of fluffy millet congee. Millet grain bowls are a great lectin-free alternative to oatmeal. 

The homemade millet porridge recipe is fluffy, similar to the perfect white plain congee base (白粥) that Chinese people adore. 

It takes little time and requires minimum effort. To complete your meal, serve it with the following side dish recipes!

• Mini Ramen Eggs 味付け玉子 
• Killer Vegan, Plant-Based Dumplings
• Chinese Pan Fried Supreme Soy Sauce Noodles 豉油皇炒麵

I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.

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