Fragrant Autumn Eggplant Rice
Simple Electric Rice Cooker Eggplant Rice Golden Recipe: Baek Jong-won’s Style Delicious One-Bowl Meal Without Pork (Diet, Anti-cancer Effects)
Enjoy this flavorful eggplant rice made with seasonal autumn eggplants, a delightful one-bowl meal that doesn’t even need side dishes! Easily prepared in your electric rice cooker, it’s a healthy and delicious dish.
Eggplant Rice Ingredients- 2 cups medium-grain rice
- 1 and 2/3 cups water (slightly less than usual)
- 6 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1/2 stalk large green onion (scallion)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 4 fresh eggplants
Spicy and Sweet Dipping Sauce Ingredients- 2/3 cup fresh chives
- 1/3 cup green onion (white part or scallion)
- 2 Korean green chili peppers (adjust to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp coarse gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (or crushed)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2/3 cup fresh chives
- 1/3 cup green onion (white part or scallion)
- 2 Korean green chili peppers (adjust to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp coarse gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (or crushed)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, rinse the rice 2-3 times in cold water, gently to avoid breaking the grains. Drain the washed rice in a sieve and let it soak for about 15 minutes. This will result in fluffier rice.
Step 2
Wash the 4 eggplants thoroughly, remove the stems, and cut them in half lengthwise. Then, slice them into half-moon shapes about 0.5cm thick. You can also cut them into long strips or cubes according to your preference.
Step 3
Wash the 1/2 stalk of green onion, remove the root end, and finely chop it. This will be used to make fragrant scallion oil.
Step 4
Prepare a wide pan or wok. Add the chopped green onion and 6 Tbsp of cooking oil. Stir-fry over medium-low heat until the moisture evaporates and fragrant scallion oil is extracted. This step is crucial for infusing flavor.
Step 5
Once the scallion oil is sufficiently fragrant, pour 3 Tbsp of soy sauce along the edge of the pan. This allows the soy sauce to caramelize slightly, enhancing the flavor.
Step 6
Now, add the sliced eggplants to the pan. Gently stir and cook until the eggplants soften and wilt, being careful not to overcook them to mush.
Step 7
Add the soaked rice to your rice cooker and pour in 1 and 2/3 cups of water. Important note: Since the eggplants release moisture, use about 10-15% less water than you normally would for cooking rice to prevent it from becoming too mushy.
Step 8
Arrange the sautéed eggplants evenly over the rice in the rice cooker. Select the ‘normal cook’ setting and start the rice cooker. Once cooked, transfer the eggplant rice to a serving dish and serve with the prepared dipping sauce. For an extra delicious touch, you can top it with a fried egg!
Step 9
Now, let’s make the dipping sauce. Wash the fresh chives thoroughly, drain them well, and finely chop them. The fresh aroma of chives will enhance the sauce’s flavor.
Step 10
Cut the green onion (white part or scallion) and 2 Korean green chili peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and finely chop them. Adjust the amount of chili peppers if you prefer it spicier.
Step 11
In a bowl, combine the chopped chives, green onion, and chili peppers. Add 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 2/3 cup soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp coarse gochugaru, 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Mix all ingredients well to create a flavorful dipping sauce. Tip: If you don’t have chives or green onions, you can use just one of them. If you have neither, you can still make a delicious sauce by adjusting the soy sauce amount so that it just covers the other ingredients.
