Flavorful Eggplant Rice
Clear Out Your Fridge! Super Simple & Healthy Eggplant Rice Recipe
The perfect choice for busy modern life! Introducing the ‘Eggplant Rice’ recipe that makes even a solo meal special. You can whip it up with just eggplant and green onions, no special ingredients needed. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to use up leftover vegetables or meat from your fridge for an even more abundant and nutritious meal. Today, I used leftover pork from making siraegi-bap (dried radish greens rice) to create a richer and more flavorful eggplant rice. Let’s start this simple yet satisfying meal right now!
Eggplant Rice Ingredients- 2 cups rice (approx. 360g)
- 4 eggplants (medium-sized)
- 1 green onion (white part mainly)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil
Seasoning Ingredients- 1/3 green onion (white part mainly)
- 2 chili peppers (or your preferred type)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 0.5 cup soy sauce (approx. 100ml)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/3 green onion (white part mainly)
- 2 chili peppers (or your preferred type)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 0.5 cup soy sauce (approx. 100ml)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the green onions and eggplants that will add flavor to the rice. Finely chop the green onion and cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. We’ll set aside a bit of the green onion and one eggplant to use as toppings. The reserved green onion will be finely minced for the seasoning, and the reserved eggplant will be cut into strips and pan-fried until slightly crispy for garnish.
Step 2
Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan over high heat. Add the chopped green onions and stir-fry until they turn a nice golden brown and release a strong aroma. Then, add all the prepared eggplant pieces and stir-fry together with the green onions. The scallion-infused oil will help remove any gamey smell from the eggplant and add a wonderful fragrance.
Step 3
Eggplant absorbs sauces and oil very quickly. As soon as you add the eggplant, immediately drizzle 3 tablespoons of soy sauce evenly over it. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the eggplant reduces in volume by about half. It doesn’t need to be cooked until crispy. This process helps the eggplant become tender and infused with savory flavor, perfect for mixing with rice.
Step 4
Now, let’s cook the rice. For 2 servings, wash 2 cups of rice thoroughly and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Use the usual amount of water for cooking rice, or slightly less. Place the soaked rice in your rice cooker and arrange the stir-fried eggplant evenly on top. Then, simply press the ‘cook’ button, and your delicious eggplant rice will be almost ready!
Step 5
Once the eggplant rice is cooked, gently stir to combine the rice and the stir-fried eggplant. Taste it to check the seasoning. The rice itself will have a mild flavor from the eggplant, but if you prefer it saltier, you can add the prepared seasoning sauce. Adjust to your liking.
Step 6
Let’s make the seasoning sauce to enhance the flavor. Finely mince the chili peppers and the reserved green onion. Then, combine 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 0.5 cup of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds. Mix everything well to create a delicious seasoning sauce. The spicy kick from the peppers and the sweet and savory soy sauce will be a perfect match for the eggplant rice.
Step 7
This step is optional but adds a lovely touch to your meal. Let’s prepare some crispy eggplant toppings. Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a pan and fry the long strips of eggplant until they are slightly crispy. They taste even better with a bit of crispness at the edges! Even though you might start with one whole eggplant, it shrinks considerably, so it’s a good idea to prepare a bit more.
Step 8
To make this dish even more special, we’ll also make stir-fried ground pork. Place about 100g of ground pork in a pan. Add 1 shot glass of soju, 1 cup of water, and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, then stir-fry. To remove any porky smell, adding 1 bay leaf will impart a pleasant aroma. Bay leaves are excellent for deodorizing and their subtle fragrance complements pork dishes wonderfully. Stir-fry carefully, making sure not to break the bay leaf, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Step 9
Alright, all the preparations are complete! The steam rising from the eggplant rice in the cooker looks so appetizing. I think I used a bit too much rice since 2 cups looks quite generous. It looks too delicious to eat alone!
Step 10
Serve the steaming eggplant rice in a bowl. Top it generously with the stir-fried pork, the crispy fried eggplant garnish, and the seasoning sauce. If you like, adding a fried egg on top will make it a truly perfect meal. The vibrant colors and abundant ingredients come together to create a visually appealing and hearty eggplant rice. Enjoy your delicious meal!
