Onion & Fish Cake Rice Bowl: An Extremely Simple One-Bowl Meal
Clean Out Your Fridge! Delicious One-Bowl Rice with Onions and Fish Cakes
Are you in that phase where you need to use up ingredients in your fridge before grocery shopping again? You might feel stumped about what to cook! Luckily, you can make a hearty and delicious fish cake rice bowl using just fish cakes, onions, and carrots you likely have on hand. For busy couples or households of two, a satisfying one-bowl meal is perfect, eliminating the need for multiple side dishes. Let’s make a wonderfully sweet and savory fish cake bowl packed with onions!
Main Ingredients- 800g Fish cakes (sheet type)
- 2 medium Onions
- 1 medium Carrot
Seasoning & Other Ingredients- 8 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 5 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup)
- 2 Tbsp Minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp Water
- Sesame seeds, a pinch
- Sesame oil, a drizzle
- 2 Cheongyang chili peppers (or other small hot peppers)
- 1 Red chili pepper
- Black pepper, a pinch
- 8 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 5 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup)
- 2 Tbsp Minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp Water
- Sesame seeds, a pinch
- Sesame oil, a drizzle
- 2 Cheongyang chili peppers (or other small hot peppers)
- 1 Red chili pepper
- Black pepper, a pinch
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the vegetables. Peel the onions and slice them into strips. Peel the carrot and also slice it thinly into strips. For the onions, I find it’s best not to slice them too thinly, as they can become mushy when cooked.
Step 2
We’ll slice the fish cakes into strips as well, making them perfect for a rice bowl. If they’re too thick, it can be difficult to mix them with rice. Slicing them as thinly and as long as possible will help them blend well with the rice and be easier to eat.
Step 3
Thinly slice the Cheongyang and red chili peppers after removing their stems. These will add a nice spicy kick and vibrant color.
Step 4
Now, let’s make the delicious sauce! In a bowl, combine 8 Tbsp soy sauce, 5 Tbsp gochugaru, 5 Tbsp oligodang, and 2 Tbsp water. Mix them well. Add the sliced Cheongyang and red chili peppers to this mixture. A pinch of sesame seeds and black pepper can also be added for extra flavor. (We’ll add a drizzle of sesame oil at the very end.)
Step 5
Heat about 3 Tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the 2 Tbsp of minced garlic and sauté until it just starts to turn pale yellow. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can quickly become bitter. If you love the aroma of cooked garlic, you can mix the sautéed garlic directly into the sauce mixture beforehand. I personally enjoy the fragrance of garlic as it cooks, so I always sauté it first.
Step 6
Once the garlic is fragrant, add the thinly sliced carrots to the pan and stir-fry. Since carrots are firmer than onions, stir-frying them first will help them soften nicely.
Step 7
When the carrots start to look slightly translucent, add the sliced onions and stir-fry them together. Onions cook down quickly and can become too soft, so just stir-fry them briefly until they begin to soften.
Step 8
Now, add the sliced fish cakes to the pan and stir-fry. (Tip: Adding about half a cup of water when stir-frying the fish cakes will keep them moist and prevent the sauce from sticking or burning.) Add the fish cakes and pour in about half a cup of water, then continue to stir-fry. The fish cakes will become tender as they cook.
Step 9
Pour all the prepared sauce mixture into the pan. Stir everything together – the fish cakes, vegetables, and sauce – and continue to stir-fry over medium-high heat until well combined. Keep stirring to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 10
Just before you turn off the heat, sprinkle in some sesame seeds and black pepper. Add a final, light drizzle of sesame oil and give it a quick stir. This adds a wonderful nutty aroma and elevates the flavor! Your delicious stir-fried fish cake with onions is ready!
Step 11
This is a wonderfully sweet fish cake and onion stir-fry, perfect for topping rice. The natural sweetness from the generous amount of onions means you don’t need to make it overly salty to be delicious. Spoon a generous amount over a bowl of hot rice and mix it all up – it’s pure bliss! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who dislikes stir-fried fish cakes. How about trying this for a quick and satisfying dinner after a long day, or for a leisurely weekend meal? It’s a truly hearty and delicious one-bowl dish!
