Soy Bean Sprout Rice

This is rather similar to Korean Rice Dish - Kongnamul Bab. You can even simplify it by having two ingredients -  rice and soy bean sprout,  with simple seasoning like salt or light soy sauce with or without sesame oil.  You may even replace carrot with mushroom or other ingredients you have in your kitchen.

Never underestimated the taste of this simple dish! We are surrounded by many simple and yet delicious vegetarian dishes. So just experience the richness of vegetarian food by taking the opportunity to savor it and fully taste it, by just focusing on the sensations in the mouth and appreciate it fully.

Preparation:     15 mins  Cooking time:            15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         200g rice, washed and drained

°         400ml water

°         125-150g soy bean sprout, trimmed

°         25g carrot, peeled and shredded

°         1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)

°         salt and granulated mushroom bouillon  to taste

Garnish

°         some shredded nori and roasted sesame seeds

Method

1.      Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.

2.      When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and garnish with shredded nori, sesame seeds and serve hot.

Woodsy Gobo Gohan

Quick and easy, awesome and yet wholesome brown rice with root and sea vegetables that anyone can whip up! Marrying Kinpira to One-pot Rice! Burdock Root or gobo is a nutritive powerhouse which is high in fiber and low in calories. It is also a blood purifier in herbal medicine but not suitable for pregnant and lactating women due to the plant's uterine actions.

Preparation:        15 mins  Cooking time:    30 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°          200g brown rice, washed and soaked and drained

°          1 tablespoon barely

°          500ml water

°          100g gobo/burdock root, cut into thin match-stick length

°          4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

°          25g carrot, peeled and cut into match-stick length

°          2 pieces konbo (4cmx 6cm)

°          4 tablespoons light soy sauce

°          1½  tablespoons cooking rice wine (optional)

°          ½  tablespoon sugar or to taste

Garnish

°          some coriander leaves or spring onion shreds

°          sesame seeds and chilli flakes or shichimi (optional)

Method

1.       Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.

2.       When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and garnish with coriander leaves or spring onion, sesame seeds and chilli flake or shichimi and serve hot.

Simple Gomoku Gohan (Japanese One-Pot Mixed Rice)

I had GOMOKU YASAI KAMAMESHI  @ Miyako and decided to re-create it. Well, this is like Gomoku Gohan (five ingredients mixed rice) cooked using dashi stock. To skip the process of making dashi stock, I added the ingredient for shojin dashi (fish free stock for vegetarian) which consist of shiitake and kombu plus the carrot to the rice and cooked together.

Replace chicken with king oyster mushroom or add vegetable like burdock root, bamboo shoot to it, if desired.  The light green shiraganegi (Japanese-style spring onion) thinly sliced would be the classic garnish which can impact flavour and visual appeal to this rice dish.  I had added a little too much of spring onion for garnish, reducing it a little would make it more presentable.

Kids would like this too … Serves with miso soup, pickles and few side dishes to make a complete meal set.

Preparation:     15 mins  Cooking time:            15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         200g rice, washed and drained

°         450ml water

°         4 chinese dried mushrooms, reconstituted and diced

°         25g carrot, peeled and shredded

°         10 kelp in knot

°         3 tablespoon light soy sauce

°         1 tablespoon cooking rice wine (optional)

°         ½  tablespoon sugar or to taste

Garnish

°         some coriander leaves or spring onion shreds 

°         sesame seeds and chilli flakes or shichimi (optional)

Method

1.      Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.

2.      When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and garnish with coriander leaves or spring onion, sesame seeds and chilli flake or shichmimi and serve hot.

One-Pot Cabbage Rice

Incredibly simple and healthy one-pot meal. What you need to do is to have a rice cooker and just dump all the ingredients in and leaves everything to it. Light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, seasoning or sesame oil can be added, if desired. You may even opt to use Brown Rice. The vegetarian mushroom I used in this recipe is the seasoned mushroom from Yuan Jen Product range. If you cannot find this, just substitute with 2-3 dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms.

To make it look presentable, just garnish with some chopped spring onion or coriander, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds or even nori shreds on top. The beauty of this dish is that you don’t have to do much washing after that – just the rice cooker, 2 plates and 2 spoons!

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g rice, washed and drained
° 400ml water
° 150g vegetarian mushroom
° 100g Chinese cabbage (Wong Bak/Bok Choy), cut into broad strips
° 50g carrot, peeled and diced
° 1 slice ginger (optional), finely chopped
° ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
° pepper (optional), to taste

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Oriental Mix and Match Claypot

Oh, another easy one-pot meal, just put most of the ingredients in a claypot and bring to a boil. Short and sweet! It goes well with yellow noodles and rice. You may even add few different types of mushrooms, fungus to make this a mushroom pot.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 100g broccoli florets
° 100g can bao-bailing mushroom, sliced
° 50g golden needle mushroom (enoki), based trimmed
° 25g deep-fried beancurd stick, cut into strip
° 25g fresh lily bulb, trimmed and peeled
° 2-3 slices ginger
° 1½ tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce, or to taste
° 350ml water or vegetable stock
° 1 teaspoon Chinese wolfberries, soaked
° pepper to taste
° 1 teaspoon tapioca flour, mixed with 4 tablespoons water

Method
1. Combine the bao-bailing mushroom, golden needle mushroom, beancurd stick, ginger, vegetarian oyster sauce, water or vegetable stock in a claypot and bring to a boil.
2. Add in the broccoli, chinese wolfberries, lily bulb and season to taste with pepper. Stir in the tapioca flour mixture and bring to a boil
3. Garnish with coriander leaves and serves hot.

One-Pot Tom Yum Rice

I was a bit lazy yesterday and wanted only minimal washing. Instead of cooking Tom Yum Fried Rice, I just combined all ingredients in the rice cooker and it is done within 15 minutes. If you like to add some frozen mixed vegetables, just throw in after the rice is cooked. Alternatively, blanch the frozen mixed vegetables and mix with the rice prior to serving.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g rice, washed and drained
° 400ml water
° 1 stalk lemongrass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 5cm, bruised
° 4-6 kaffir lime leaves
° 100g king oyster mushrooms, sliced
° 6 straw mushrooms or button mushroom, sliced
° 1 teaspoon olive oil
° 1 thin slice ginger, finely chopped
° 1 tablespoon vegetarian tom yum paste
° 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, or to taste
° ¼ teaspoon sugar (optional)
° ½ fresh red chilli (optional) , finely shredded
° a small handful fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and discard lemongrass, lime leaves.
3. Garnish with red chilli, coriander leaves and serve hot.

Claypot Braised Mushroom and Beancurd

With this recipe, you can whip up a home cooked meal in minutes or when you are tired. There is not much works at all, just throw in the entire ingredient into a claypot and leave it to cook. By using claypot or corningware, you can transfer it from the fire to the table and reduce lots of washing to be done later. Again, this is an any one can cook recipe, it won't go wrong at all.

Preparation: 5 mins, Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients (serves 4)
° 2 firm tofu/beancurd (225g), cut into 4 or 6 sections
° 250ml water
° 4-8 chinese dried mushrooms, soaked
° 1 slice ginger
° 4 red dates (optional)
° 1 star anise
° 3 cloves
° 2cm cinnamon stick
° ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
° 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
° 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
° ½ teaspoon sesame oil
° 1 teaspoon cooking rice wine (optional)

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into a claypot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serves hot.

One-Pot Pineapple Rice

An easy dish to prepare and makes a satisfying light meal. Just combine all the ingredients in a pot. By leaving out the stir-frying of the ingredients, it speeds up the cooking process and also reduces the amount of oil used.

Preparation: 15 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g rice, washed and drained
° 400ml water
° 75g pineapple, diced
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers, cut out 2 cm , bruised
° 2 pandan leaves (screwpine), tied into a knot
° 1 slice vegetarian ham, diced
° 2-3 chinese dried mushrooms, soaked and diced
° 1 star anise
° 1 tablespoon sesame oil
° 1 teaspoon salt
° ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
° ¼ teaspoon sugar (optional)

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Tip
1. For pineapple preparation refer to http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=113&id=835

One-Pot Curry Rice

This is a quick and simple one-pot vegetarian rice dish recipe. Not much work is required and can be ready in just a moment.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g rice, washed and drained
° 100ml coconut milk
° 300ml water
° 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into chunks
° 4-6 vegetarian meats
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 7.5cm
° 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
° 1-1½ tablespoons vegetarian curry powder or curry powder (meat blend)
° ½ teaspoon salt
° 10 curry leaves (optional)
° ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Tip
1. Carrot can be used to replace vegetarian meat, if desired.
2. Curry powder and chilli powder can be mixed with a tad of water to form curry paste, fry with one of tablespoon oil and then added to the rice.

Vegetarian Nasi Biryani

Now with this easy-to-follow recipe, anyone can cook up a quick and easy vegetarian Nasi Biryani. Just add vegetarian curry chicken, vegetarian sweet and sour vegetable pickles and few pieces of pappadum.

Preparation: 5 mins Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g basmati rice or jasmine rice, washed and drained
° 400ml water
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 7.5cm
° 1 thin slice ginger
° 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
° 1 teaspoon vegetarian curry powder or curry powder (meat blend)
° ½ teaspoon salt
° ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
° ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done, leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Tip
1. Sprinkle a few drops of yellow food colouring on top of cooked rice, if desired.
2. Use 6 cardamoms, 6 cloves, ½ cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp ground turmeric to replace curry powder, if desired.
3. Alternatively, microwave pappadum on HIGH for 40-60 seconds, instead of deep frying.
4. Lemon cannot be used as a substitute for the unique flavour of lemon grass.

Mushroom and Yam Rice

Yam Rice is a favourite rice dish among Chinese Singaporeans. This is an improvised version, by just dumping all of the ingredients into a pot without stir-frying any of them. With a simple soup, it will make a complete meal.

Preparation: 15 mins Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g rice, washed and drained
° 400ml water
° 2 dried mushrooms, washed and soaked for 5 mins
° 4 small black fungus (optional), washed and soaked for 5 mins
° 50g yam, cut into cubes
° ½ carrot, cut into pieces of 1cm thickness
° 1 slice of ginger
° 1 tablespoon sesame oil
° 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
° ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
° ½ teaspoon salt
° Pepper to taste (optional)

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.
2. When done leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Tip
1. Unused yam can be kept in freezer for 1 month.