Instant Pot Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu)

Step-by-Step Guide on how to make Instant Pot Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu). Creamy soft Japanese congee filled with dashi umami flavors. Enjoy this heartwarming and comforting porridge with egg or your favorite flavoring toppings. Soothing to eat and easy to digest.

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okayu recipe | japanese rice porridge | japanese congee

Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu お粥)

Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu) is mostly made with Japanese short grain rice and water. Similar to Chinese Plain Congee.

You can enjoy this simple Japanese congee for breakfast, as a side dish, as comfort food when feeling unwell, or when in need of mild soft food that’s easy to digest.

During our visit to the Michelin-starred Burdock & Co, we were inspired to craft this Amy + Jacky’s Japanese Rice Porridge.

Excited to share with you the deliciousness of simplicity.

Burdock & Co Masa's rice porridge
Burdock & Co – Masa’s Rice Porridge with Pine Mushroom, Foxglove ginger stem & scallion oil

So our goal is to develop a tasty okayu recipe you can enjoy on its own, as a comforting side dish, or as a base for many creative dishes. While staying true to its simplicity.

What We Look for in a Tasty Japanese Rice Porridge

  • Texture: Creamy starchy, silky smooth; fully cooked & softened rice, rice is not disintegrated or fully broken down; not watery but not thick, it has the right balanced water-to-rice ratio
  • Taste & Aroma: We prefer dashi-flavored rice porridge for some umami flavors and aroma. But feel free to use water if you want plain rice porridge.

japanese porridge

To add complexity to the porridge’s flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel, we’re using dashi and a combination of Jasmine rice and Calrose rice. 

So this is more of a Japanese-Chinese fusion okayu recipe.

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How to Make Japanese Rice Porridge

japanese congee

Here are the ingredients for making Japanese Rice Porridge in Instant Pot:

Japanese rice porridge ingredients

Rice. Okayu is mostly made with Japanese short-grain rice. But we developed this Japanese congee recipe with a combination of Jasmine Rice and Calrose rice. The Jasmine rice contributes a nice aroma and texture; while the Calrose rice creates a better creamy starchy texture.

  • Note: If you only have one type of rice, you can just use one type of rice to make this okayu recipe.

Dashi だし, 出汁 – Homemade Dashi Stock vs. Instant Dashi Powder

  • Homemade Dashi Stock: Elevate the okayu’s flavors by making dashi stock from scratch. It’s quite easy! Substitute the dashi powder and cold water with 6.5 cups of homemade dashi stock.
  • Instant Dashi Powder – Time-saving way to make a quick dashi stock with dashi powder and cold water. The porridge will still be tasty.

Tools for Japanese Rice Porridge Instant Pot Recipe

Step 1

Add Ingredients

Rinse rice under cold water, then drain well.

Add 86g Jasmine rice, 86g Calrose rice, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 1.5 teaspoons (6g) dashi powder in Instant Pot.

add rice and dashi

Add 6.5 cups (1625ml) cold water in Instant Pot, then give it a quick mix.

add water

Step 2

Pressure Cook Japanese Rice Porridge

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes

Instant Pot Japanese Rice Porridge Cook Time: Pressure Cook Japanese Rice Porridge at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes of natural release, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Step 3

Thicken Instant Pot Rice Porridge & Season

Amy + Jacky’s Notes: It’s normal for the rice porridge to look a bit watery at this point.

okayu instant pot

Heat up the Instant Pot using the “Sauté” function.

Stir the rice porridge until desired thickness and consistency. Then season the Japanese congee with salt if necessary.

Japanese rice porridge instant pot

Step 4

Serve Japanese Congee

Garnish Japanese congee with your favorite toppings and seasonings like sliced green onions, sliced ginger, umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum), toasted sesame seeds, shredded nori (seaweed), or mitsuba (Japanese parsley).

Then, serve immediately.

japanese porridge instant pot

What to Serve with Japanese Rice Porridge

This okayu recipe is designed to be a simple nourishing Japanese porridge.

You can serve it with Hard Boiled Egg or Ramen Egg (Japanese Soft Boiled Egg), pickled daikon radish or other tsukemono (Japanese pickles), sweet potatoes, squash, salmon, roe, carrot, or other vegetables.

Other Japanese recipes you may enjoy:

okayu

Enjoy Comforting Instant Pot Japanese Rice Porridge!

5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu)

Author: Amy + Jacky
Easy to make Instant Pot Japanese Rice Porridge. Creamy soft Japanese congee filled with dashi umami flavors. Enjoy this heartwarming and comforting okayu with egg or your favorite flavoring toppings. Soothing to eat and easy to digest.
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Servings 4 - 6
Total Time 55 minutes
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Ingredients

Garnish

  • Finely sliced green onions
  • Finely sliced ginger

Share this Recipe so We can create more yummy recipes for you.  Thank you 🙂

Instructions 

  • Add Ingredients: Rinse rice under cold water, then drain well.
    Add 86g Jasmine rice, 86g Calrose rice, 1 tsp fine salt, and 1½ tsp (6g) dashi powder in Instant Pot. Add in 6½ cups (1625ml) cold water, then give it a quick mix.
  • Pressure Cook Japanese Rice Porridge: Close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes. Release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position. Open the lid carefully.
  • Thicken Rice Porridge & Season: It's normal for the rice porridge to look a bit watery at this point.
    Heat up the Instant Pot using the "Sauté" function. Stir the rice porridge until desired thickness and consistency.
    Then season it with salt if necessary.
  • Serve: Garnish rice porridge with toppings and seasonings like sliced green onions, finely sliced ginger, umeboshi, toasted sesame seeds, shredded nori, mitsuba, or Japanese pickles. Serve immediately & enjoy~

Notes

1. Rice: Okayu is mostly made with Japanese short grain rice. But we developed this recipe with Jasmine Rice and Calrose rice. If you only have one type of rice, you can just use one type of rice.
2. Dashi:
  • Substitute with Homemade Dashi Stock: Elevate the flavors with homemade dashi stock. Substitute the Dashi Powder and Cold Water with 6½ cups of Homemade Dashi Stock.
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Calories: 105kcal
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
Keyword: Japanese congee, Japanese porridge, Japanese rice porridge, okayu instant pot, Okayu recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 0.04IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.2mg
japanese rice porridge | japanese congee | okayu instant pot
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