Tilapia in Rice, Congee-Style

Pesa is our native version of the Chinese’s famous congee. We merged these two favorites and came up with our very own lip-smacking take. It’s a thinner version of our arroz caldo or lugaw. You can use any white fish fillet, shrimp, or even chicken instead of the tilapia.

Serves 4  Prep Time 10 minutes  Cooking Time 20 minutes

4 tilapia fillets
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 piece fresh ginger root, peeled and julienned
1 small onion, quartered
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked rice
10 peppercorns, crushed
1/2 cup sliced leeks or scallions
1 cabbage, quartered
1 bunch Chinese lettuce, cut into 3-inch pieces
fish sauce or salt and pepper to taste
misu-tomato sauce

1 Season the fish fillets with 2 teaspoons salt.

2 In a medium saucepan, heat oil and sauté ginger and onion. When onion turns transparent, add water, rice, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil.

3 Add the fish fillets. Bring to a quick second boil. Check if rice is cooked through. Turn off the heat.

4 Add leeks or scallions, cabbage, and Chinese lettuce. Season with fish sauce or salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with misu tomato sauce (recipe below).

Tip: To make misu-tomato sauce: In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon cooking oil and sauté 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic until light brown. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and cook until transparent and 1/2 cup finely minced ripe tomatoes until soft. Add 2 tablespoons salted bean paste (misu). Mix and mash the whole mixture with a fork. Add 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil.

Photography by David Hanson │ Food Preparation by Carina Guevara │ Styling by Elaine Lim

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