Purslane (Ma Chi Xian) Congee

Why people make this congee

After a severe respiratory illness, some people find that their lungs do not fully return to normal — a condition researchers describe as pulmonary fibrosis, where scar tissue forms and impairs lung function. A food-therapy text called “A Hundred Vegetables for a Hundred Diseases” describes purslane (Portulaca oleracea) as a “natural antibiotic,” documenting its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and its traditional association with preventing lymph vessel inflammation and blocking fibrotic changes — including preventing silicosis nodule formation. Purslane is a remarkably hardy wild plant found in fields, roadsides, and wastelands across the world. It is nutritionally dense: it contains exceptionally high levels of iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and calcium, as well as vitamins A, B-group, C, and E. Modern research has also found that purslane can improve arterial lipid metabolism, help clear cellular waste, prevent macrophage degeneration, and inhibit the fibrotic cellular changes that are the underlying concern here. For people who have recovered or are recovering from respiratory infections, making this congee regularly is a practical, accessible way to support long-term lung health.

Method

1. Remove the roots from the purslane, wash thoroughly, and roughly chop.
2. Rinse the white rice; mix with a small drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt (this helps the rice cook smoothly into congee).
3. Combine all ingredients — purslane, ginger, honey dates, and rice — in a pot with 1.8–2.1 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until a smooth, thick congee forms.
5. Serve warm. Eat the congee including the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Fresh purslane has a sour, cooling flavour. To make the congee gentler and more nourishing, you can add euryale seeds (qian shi), lily bulb (bai he), dried tangerine peel (chen pi), or honey dates alongside the purslane — this strengthens the nourishing effect and moderates the cooling nature. For those who cannot eat large amounts of purslane (e.g., dialysis patients with potassium restrictions), a lean pork broth simmered with snow fungus, goji berries, apricot kernels, dried figs, and tangerine peel is a good alternative for lung support.