Upgraded Baek Jong-won Style Eggplant Rice with Beef
Baek Jong-won’s Eggplant Rice: An Upgraded Version for a Hearty Meal!
A nutritious and satisfying meal! Today, we’re making delicious eggplant rice generously filled with tender eggplant and juicy beef. This recipe is easy to make in a rice cooker or on the stovetop and is loved by everyone, young and old.
Rice Cooking Ingredients
- 2 cups soaked rice (approx. 360ml)
- 3 eggplants (medium-sized)
- 200g beef (for bulgogi or stew)
- 1 stalk green onion
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
Beef Marinade
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- Pinch of black pepper
Chive Sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp minced chives (or minced green onion)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- Pinch of black pepper
Chive Sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp minced chives (or minced green onion)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Chop the eggplants into large, bite-sized pieces (about 2-3 cm). Cutting them large prevents them from becoming too mushy when cooked in the rice. This size ensures a pleasant texture in the finished dish.
Step 2
Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and marinate them with 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, and a pinch of black pepper. You can use sirloin for grilling or stewing beef. If you don’t have beef, pork is also a great alternative.
Step 3
In a deep pan or pot, heat 3 Tbsp of cooking oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped green onions and sauté until fragrant and the oil has absorbed their flavor, creating green onion oil. This infuses the rice with a wonderful aroma.
Step 4
Add the marinated beef to the pan with the fragrant green onion oil. Stir-fry over high heat until the beef is just cooked through and has a delicious savory aroma.
Step 5
Once the beef is partially cooked, add the chopped eggplants to the pan. Stir-fry until the white parts of the eggplant begin to turn slightly translucent.
Step 6
When the eggplant starts to absorb the green onion oil flavor, pour 2 Tbsp of soy sauce around the edges of the pan. Stir everything together, allowing the eggplant and beef to be lightly coated with the soy sauce for enhanced flavor and aroma. You don’t want the eggplant to be fully saturated, just lightly kissed with the soy sauce.
Step 7
Prepare to cook the rice. Place 2 cups of soaked rice in your rice cooker. Use less water than you normally would for plain rice; just enough to barely cover the rice (approximately 1.5 to 1.8 cups). If using a rice cooker, the ‘nutritious rice’ setting is ideal, but the standard ‘cook’ setting will also work. For stovetop cooking (in a pot or stone pot), cook on high heat for 5 minutes, then medium heat for 7 minutes, and low heat for 3 minutes to let it steam.
Step 8
In the rice cooker, place the stir-fried eggplant and beef mixture on top of the rice and start the cooking cycle. Once the rice is done, gently fluff it with a spatula, mixing the eggplant and beef into the rice. Even though the eggplant pieces are large, they will become tender and enjoyable as they steam with the rice.
Step 9
Make the flavorful sauce. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp minced chives (or minced green onion), 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and 1/2 Tbsp gochugaru. Mix well. You can add minced garlic or chopped chili peppers for extra flavor if desired.
Step 10
Serve the finished eggplant rice in bowls. Drizzle with the prepared chive sauce and mix before eating for an even more delicious experience. Enjoy this nutritious and flavorful eggplant rice, where the large pieces of eggplant become tender and meld beautifully with the rice for a delightful meal!
