Eggplant Rice (Gaji-bap): A Simple Yet Delicious Home-Cooked Meal
Baek Jong-won’s Eggplant Rice Recipe!
You can easily make delicious eggplant rice at home with this straightforward recipe! Follow along step-by-step for a truly satisfying meal. This dish is incredibly flavorful and perfect for a comforting lunch or dinner.
For Cooking Rice
- 3 cups rice
For Stir-fried Eggplant
- 5 Tbsp cooking oil
- 4 eggplants
- 3 cloves garlic (or about 1/4 stalk of green onion)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
For Eggplant Rice Seasoning Sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cheongyang chili pepper (minced)
- 2 Tbsp plum extract (maesil)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 5 Tbsp cooking oil
- 4 eggplants
- 3 cloves garlic (or about 1/4 stalk of green onion)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
For Eggplant Rice Seasoning Sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cheongyang chili pepper (minced)
- 2 Tbsp plum extract (maesil)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, gather and prepare all the ingredients needed to make this delicious eggplant rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly and let it drain in a sieve. Wash the eggplants, removing the stems. Finely chop the green onions. Mince the cheongyang chili pepper after removing the seeds.
Step 2
Thinly slice the green onions into strips. This will help to release a deeper flavor when making the green onion oil.
Step 3
Heat a pan over medium heat and add a generous 5 tablespoons of cooking oil. Using enough oil is key to achieving a soft texture for the eggplant.
Step 4
Add the sliced green onions to the pan and slowly cook over medium-low heat until fragrant, creating green onion oil. Be careful not to burn them; cook them gently until their aroma is released.
Step 5
While the green onion oil is infusing, cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces. You can cut them into roughly 1.5-2 cm cubes for easier eating, or into longer strips – feel free to choose your preferred shape.
Step 6
Once the green onion oil is fragrant, add the cut eggplants to the pan. Stir-fry quickly over high heat. As the eggplant begins to soften and absorb the oil, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Continue to stir-fry over high heat for just 1-2 minutes. The goal is to quickly cook the eggplant until some of the moisture evaporates and the sauce slightly coats it.
Step 7
Now it’s time to cook the rice. Add 3 cups of rice (equivalent to 2 cups using a rice cooker cup) to your rice cooker and rinse it clean. Use about 90% of the usual amount of water you would use for cooking rice. Spread the stir-fried eggplant evenly over the top of the uncooked rice. Then, start the cooking cycle on your rice cooker.
Step 8
While the rice is cooking, let’s prepare the seasoning sauce to enhance the flavor of the eggplant rice. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of gochugaru, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 minced cheongyang chili pepper, 2 tablespoons of plum extract, and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds. Mix everything together thoroughly. You can adjust the amount of chili pepper to your liking.
Step 9
Once the rice is perfectly cooked, transfer it to a serving bowl. Spoon a generous amount of the prepared seasoning sauce over the warm rice, according to your preference.
Step 10
Now, mix it all together and enjoy! Your delicious eggplant rice is ready. The fragrant eggplant combined with the savory and slightly sweet sauce makes for an incredibly satisfying meal!
