Congee & Porridge

Black Bean, Walnut and Black Brown Rice Congee

traditionally associated with calming the nerves and nourishing the spirit

In short: Black Bean, Walnut and Black Brown Rice Congee is a congee & porridge that traditionally associated with calming the nerves and nourishing the spirit. It is most often made for sleep & calm, everyday balance. Total time about 105 min. Key ingredients: green-kernel black beans, walnuts, job's tears (coix), red dates.

Prep
15 min
Cook
90 min
Total
105 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Black Bean, Walnut and Black Brown Rice Congee

Why people make this congee

Sometimes life piles on all at once — work stress, strained relationships, a general sense that things aren’t going your way. Traditional food therapy recognises that our emotional state is connected to the body’s nutritional balance, and that deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can contribute to low mood. This richly coloured congee, packed with whole grains, legumes and healthy fats, is designed to nourish the body from the inside out. It won’t replace professional care for serious low mood, but as a daily warming bowl, it offers genuine nutritional value alongside the comfort of a home-cooked meal.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Black soybeans · Randomized controlled trial, 100 participants · 2013
    Systolic blood pressure fell more in the black soy peptide group (-9.69 mm Hg) than in the placebo group (-2.91 mm Hg) after baseline adjustment. Plasma malondialdehyde decreased and superoxide dismutase activity increased compared with placebo.Limitation: Used an isolated peptide supplement rather than whole black soybeans, and followed participants for only 8 weeks, so the results may not apply to food intake.PubMed 23924691
  • Walnuts · Randomized controlled trial, 305 participants · 2019
    Office systolic BP changed by -4.61 mm Hg with walnuts versus -0.59 mm Hg in controls (P=0.051); 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP difference was not significant (P=0.111). No diastolic BP changes were observed.Limitation: Only 236 of 305 participants (75%) completed the study, and the main between-group differences did not reach conventional significance.PubMed 30879358 · 2 more walnuts studies
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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