Five-Colour Bean Congee (Wu Se Dou Zhou)

The recipe is rooted in classical Chinese medicine thinking, in which the body's five major organ systems each correspond to a colour: green for the liver, red for the heart, yellow for the spleen, white for the lungs, and black for the kidneys. Using one bean of each colour is traditionally associated with offering balanced nourishment across all five systems at once, rather than targeting just one.

According to the recipe's tips, adding a piece of dried tangerine peel when cooking beans is key to preventing uncomfortable bloating. It is listed as a standard ingredient alongside the five bean varieties and glutinous rice.

The recipe states that the whole family, including young children, can enjoy this dish. It is described as a gentle, high-protein, low-fat congee suited to everyday wellness.

The beans require at least 1 hour of soaking, followed by approximately 1.5 hours of simmering. The full recipe yields roughly 1.2 to 1.8 litres of congee.

Yes. The recipe notes that regular white rice or brown rice can replace the glutinous rice if you prefer a firmer texture, and that brown rice is actually more nutritious than white rice for this dish.