Carrot and Maltose Congee

Why people make this congee

When little ones catch a chill or cold, the cough that follows often drags on and worries parents no end — and very young children frequently refuse herbal congees and soups. Bro Niu suggests turning to gentle, everyday foods like carrot and white radish, which traditionally help transform phlegm and ease cough. Carrot simmered with red dates is helpful for a child’s lingering cough; cooked with maltose into a congee, it suits a wind-heat cough with thick yellow nasal discharge, a cough that won’t clear, and throat discomfort.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Gentle enough for small children with a wind-heat cough who won’t take medicinal brews.
• It also supports a weak appetite and digestion — useful for children who are picky, listless, or who pass undigested food.
• If the cough worsens, comes with fever, or persists, please see a doctor.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Carrot (hong luo bo): traditionally used to transform phlegm and ease cough; left unpeeled here to keep its goodness.
• Maltose (mai ya tang): gently sweet and soothing, and welcoming to a child’s palate.
• White rice: carries the congee into an easy, gentle meal.

Ingredients (1 small pot)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Carrot	1	Unpeeled, washed, finely chopped
White rice	to taste
Maltose	to taste	Mixed into the chopped carrot

Method

1. Don’t peel the carrot — wash it well and chop finely, then mix with the maltose.
2. Cook with white rice into a thin congee.
3. Feed in small, frequent amounts as the child takes it.

Bro Niu’s tips

This congee also supports the spleen and helps clear stagnation, so for children with a weak spleen and stomach, poor appetite, low spirits, or undigested food in the stool, it can be given regularly as a gentle measure.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Hui): My son is coughing harder today, with a slightly muffled cough and no phlegm — could it be the cool mornings and evenings? What congee can I make that helps? Bro Niu: You can make a carrot–red-date congee; if he coughs more at night, add two pieces of dried tangerine peel.
• Q (Hui): Will red dates be too heating? How many should I add? Bro Niu: Use 6 red dates — they contain a substance that helps with allergies, which can benefit children with an allergic cough.
• Q (cabbage): My 7-year-old coughs a lot day and night, no runny nose or phlegm; my 4-year-old coughs a lot with no phlegm, a runny nose and a slightly changed voice. What soup can ease them? Bro Niu: Try 2 cored snow pears and 1 thinly sliced white radish with 3 qian of xinyi flower, 6 bowls of water down to 4, adding the xinyi flower late; split between them over a day.

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Published January 5, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.