- 5 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 whole head garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sliced ginger
- 2 tablespoons sliced onion
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon annatto powder
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped spring onions, or to taste
- Bring water and rice to a boil in a large pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is soft, about 25 minutes.
- Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in the hot oil until golden brown, 5 minutes. Transfer half of the garlic to a small bowl.
- Stir ginger into the garlic remaining in the saucepan; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; season with fish sauce and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes.
- Stir chicken mixture into the rice. Dust annatto powder over rice using a strainer; stir until dissolved. Add hard-boiled eggs. Simmer on low, stirring constantly, until rice reaches a porridge-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spring onions.
- Garnish bowls of congee with reserved fried garlic.