Taiwanese Cabbage Rice (Gao Li Cai Fan)

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

A one-pot rice cooker classic from Taiwanese home kitchens: sweet flat cabbage, pork belly, dried shrimp and shiitake steamed right into the rice until every grain is glossy and savoury. Fried shallots on top make it sing.

Per serving: 565 kcal · 18.0g protein · 78.0g carbs · 18.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups (360g) short or medium grain rice, rinsed until clear
• 400g Taiwanese flat cabbage (or savoy/green cabbage), torn into bite-size pieces
• 150g pork belly or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 150ml warm water, sliced (keep soaking liquid)
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked 10 min and drained
• 3 tbsp fried shallots (plus extra to serve)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (optional, for colour)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 320ml water (plus the mushroom soaking liquid)

Method

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, drain well and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan or wok over medium-high. Add the pork belly and fry 3–4 minutes until the fat renders and the edges brown.
3. Add the dried shrimp, shiitake and 3 tbsp fried shallots. Stir-fry 1–2 minutes until deeply fragrant.
4. Splash in the Shaoxing wine, then add both soy sauces, sugar, white pepper and salt. Toss for 30 seconds.
5. Add the cabbage and stir-fry 2 minutes, just until it starts to wilt and takes on the sauce.
6. Tip the drained rice into the pan and stir 1 minute so each grain is coated in the seasoned fat.
7. Transfer everything to a rice cooker. Strain in the mushroom soaking liquid plus enough water to total about 470ml. Level the top and cook on the standard white rice setting. (Stovetop: use a lidded heavy pot, bring to a boil, then cook on the lowest heat 15 minutes.)
8. When it clicks off, rest 10 minutes with the lid on, then drizzle with sesame oil and fluff gently with a paddle, folding the cabbage through.
9. Serve topped with extra fried shallots and spring onions, with a bowl of clear soup alongside.