Eggplant Rice Bowl
A hearty Korean-style rice bowl where savory-sweet vegetables and tender pork belly steam together in the rice cooker, creating perfectly integrated flavors in every bite.
Story
This dish is inspired by the popular Korean comfort food where everything cooks together in one pot. The vegetables get wonderfully caramelized while the rice absorbs all that savory goodness.
Ingredients
lard or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons
garlic, minced
4 cloves
pork belly, sliced
300g
onion, diced
1 small
green bell pepper, diced
1
potato, cubed
1 medium
eggplant, cut into strips (peel 2/3 of skin)
2 medium
light soy sauce
2 tablespoons
dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon
oyster sauce
1 tablespoon
salt
1 teaspoon
Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons
MSG or chicken powder
1/2 teaspoon
water
a few splashes if needed
rice
2 cups
water for rice cooker
2 cups
Instructions
1
Start the aromatics
Heat lard in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pork belly and stir-fry until nicely browned.
2
Cook the vegetables
Add onion, green pepper, potato, and eggplant strips. Continue stir-frying for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and develop some color.
3
Season the mixture
Pour in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Add salt, Hoisin sauce, and MSG. Give everything a good toss. If the mixture looks too dry, add a few splashes of water to keep it moist. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4
Steam in rice cooker
Add rice and water to your rice cooker pot. Spread the cooked vegetable and pork mixture evenly on top. Close the lid and cook on the regular rice setting.
5
Serve
Once the rice cooker finishes, let it sit for 5 minutes with the lid closed. Fluff everything together and serve hot.
