Vegan Clay Pot Rice (Bao Zai Fan)

THE rice bowl to end all rice bowls! Fluffy, perfectly cooked rice with "meaty", savory toppings, and refreshing vegetables all in one pot, every single grain of rice has fully absorbed the flavors from the umami sauce and all the flavorful toppings, and just when you think this couldn't possibly get any better, you'll reach the golden, crispy, rice "cracker" bottom for a grand finale surprise.

The Hong Kong style clay pot rice, or Bao Zai Fan 煲仔饭, is one of my absolute childhood favorites. It's a complete meal prepared, cooked, and served all in one earthware pot! The cooking process is almost poetic really, all the different ingredients uniting into one in the warm hug of the pot, bringing their individual flavors together into one euphoric experience.

Patience is key in this recipe, medium-low heat and low heat only, and you'll be rewarded with the most aromatic and beautifully cooked rice in your life plus the golden, crunchy surprise at the bottom, look at that crispy layer! It'll be a dark brown, almost charred color, mostly from the dark soy sauce used and it's just the most satisfying treat to end this delicious meal.

I cooked this recipe in my Japanese clay pot, or Donabe, which is made of a special type of clay and fired, glazed, then fired again at a very high temperature. Make sure your clay pot was treated under high heat because that's crucial for food safety. And if you don't have a clay pot you can always make this in your trusted dutch oven, or any good quality thick pot, or even your rice cooker!

And for my visual besties, I'll be posting a video of how to make this from beginning to end on my Instagram and Tiktok.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 cup water (rice to water 1 to 1)

6 oz shiitake mushroom

1/2 cup frozen edmame

2 small bok choy

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon coconut amino

Pinch of salt

Pinch of white pepper

Canola oil

Vegan meat of choice, optional

For the sauce -

2 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegan mushroom oyster sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon water

TO MAKE:

- Rinse the rice 2 - 3 times until the water comes out clear, then soak the rice in an equal part of water in the clay pot for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour;

- Cover the pot and place it onto medium-low heat, wait for it to reach a gentle simmer;

- Once you see steam coming out of the lid, uncover the pot, and you should see little holes forming on top of the surface, place your vegan meat of choice on top, don't stir, and wait till the water is mostly evaporated, cover again, lower the heat to low, and steam for 20 minutes;

- Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, you can leave a few whole and carve a cross on top of them;

- In a separate pan, heat a drizzle of oil, sauté the garlic, then add the mushrooms and cook till they let out their moisture, season with the tamari or soy sauce, coconut amino, salt, and white pepper;

- Cook and stir till the sauce thickens, turn off heat and set aside;

- Mix the sauce together;

- Uncover the clay pot again, add in the mushrooms, frozen edamame, and drizzle in half of the sauce;

- Cover with the lid, then drizzle 1 - 2 tablespoons of canola oil along the edge of the pot all the way around, this is an important step to create that crispy layer at the bottom! Let cook for another 20 minutes over low heat;

- Bring a pot of water to boil, blanch the bok choy briefly till they just turn soft;

- Add the greens to the clay pot, turn off heat, and cover for 5 minutes;

- Serve immediately, drizzle on more sauce as needed, enjoy!

Whole Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower with Whipped Tofu Feta, Crispy Chickpeas & Chimichurri

Turn cauliflower into your next holiday centerpiece dish! This whole roasted cauliflower is super easy to make yet packed with layers of different textures and flavors, high in plant protein, and gluten-free! Cauliflower is literally magic, they can be turned into just about anything and have! This is a dish that fully celebrates cauliflower and compliments it with many different elements and flavors. It's very low-fuss and easy to make and it's so festive-looking it can be a wow factor at any holiday gathering. The cauliflower is blanched first then roasted with a turmeric-based seasoning till golden and slightly charred, served with crispy chickpeas, which are cooked at the same time with the cauliflower, on a bed of creamy fluffy whipped tofu feta and finally drizzled with tahini and chimichurri sauce. You can also add roasted baby carrots, or potatoes, or green beans on the side of this dish! Let the festivities begin ^^ INGREDIENTS: 1 head cauliflower 1/4 cup olive oil 2 t...

Get the recipe »

Rice Paper Sushi Rolls with Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

When crispy rice paper rolls and sushi rolls have a baby - then we have something that has the best of both worlds. These rice paper sushi rolls are a perfect combination of earth and ocean, crispy chewy rice paper brings the aroma of the earth, seaweed brings the taste of the ocean, then filled with umami teriyaki tofu, homemade vegan mayo, and fresh veggies. If you ever feel "bored" with your food or cooking, try combining a few things you love and creating something new! These rolls are the kind of magic where 1 plus 1 is greater than 2! They are naturally gluten-free, very well balanced in nutrition with loads protein, carbs, vitamins, and fiber... packed full of flavors and layers of texture. When it comes to rice paper, a very common complaint is "why is my rice paper roll soggy/not crispy/leaking". Well rice paper is a wonderfully versatile ingredient to work with and once you get the hang of it it's super easy to get that golden crispy crust every single...

Get the recipe »

Vegan Napa Cabbage Rolls with Tofu Stuffings

These napa cabbage rolls are almost like vegan dumplings but without having to make any dough. The stuffings are hearty, savory, and "meaty", wrapped in sweet and juicy napa cabbage leaves that are pan-seared to give them a little golden color and charred flavor, and finally dressed in a shiny, umami, garlicky sauce. Cabbage rolls are widely loved in many parts of the world - Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe and much of Asia, as well as parts of North Africa. But of course, they're made differently from region to region. In China, in particular, cabbage rolls are usually made with napa cabbage, as opposed to cannonball cabbage, commonly known as green cabbage. They're then stuffed with minced pork and vegetables and finished by steaming or pan-fring. To make a vegan version, I used tofu, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and scallions but the combination is highly adaptable. This is a perfect chance to use up any scraps of veggies in your fri...

Get the recipe »

Vegan Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancake with Veggies)

My absolute favorite Japanese street food, EVER! Okonomiyaki is like a big savory pancake that is thick, a bit chewy, fluffy and soft on the inside and golden crispy on the outside, topped off with a generous amount of umami and sweet sauce and mayo. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake made of vegetables, sometimes meat and seafood, in a wheat flour batter. It's as adaptable as an omelet, if not more, as the word okonomi literally means "how you like" or "what you like".You can pretty much stuff it with whatever ingredients you prefer but for this vegan version, I used a variety of vegetables. This is also a great fridge clearing recipe to use up all the scraps of veggies you have on your hand. For the batter, the traditional okonomiyaki recipe calls for grated nagaimo to add fluffiness to the texture. Nagaimo, or mountain yam, is a type of root vegetable that's long and hairy, it's creamy and slimy when grated. However, it's not easy to find...

Get the recipe »

Chinese Cucumber Salad - Suo Yi Cucumber

The most fabulous way to cut and present cucumber, ever! This cucumber salad is made of ONE SINGLE cucumber, sliced into a spring shape and dressed in a sweet, sour, and umami sauce, and finally topped with some aromatic and spicy chili oil. Let's please call this dish by its proper name - Suo Yi cucumber, or Suo Yi Huang Gua 蓑衣黄瓜. Suo Yi, refers to the traditional Chinese raincoat made of overlapping layers of straw and sometimes leaves, think a Hawaiian grass skirt but for the whole body. And the "scales" of the cucumber created by a special slicing technique and stretching resemble the layers of straws in Suo Yi, hence the name. And this special way of slicing is not just for presentation's sake! Because of all the incredibly thin, translucent, and flexible slices that this method creates, the seemingly ordinary cucumber is transformed into a form of magic and art! The texture is crunchy yet tender, every single thin "scale" of the cucumber picks up the s...

Get the recipe »

Easy Vegan Kewpie Mayonnaise with Silken Tofu

This super easy vegan mayonnaise is silky, creamy, velvety, and tastes super similar to Kewpie mayo! It's made of 100% whole food plant ingredients, high in protein, without any oil or raw eggs and takes mere minutes to make! To be honest, I never liked the idea of raw eggs in traditional mayonnaise, I mean raw eggs whipped with an insane amount of oil... ugh... However, I did like its rich, creamy texture, especially the Japanese Kewpie mayo, which could add a nice flair in many dishes. The good news is this easy vegan version comes with all the familiar yumminess with no sanitary problems. The most important ingredient in this is extra-firm silken tofu. Yes, silken tofu can come in many different firmness too! For this specific recipe, I recommend the type of silken tofu that comes in paper cartons, not in a plastic tray with water. However, if you can't find extra-firm silken tofu you can try the regular type, different brands would have different water content in it. If it ...

Get the recipe »

Vegan Jumeokbap Korean Rice Balls 3 Ways

Make your next lunch box or picnic extra special with these Jumeokbap three ways! These Korean rice balls are the perfect grab & go meal and I made three flavors - filled with chickpea "chuna" mash, coated in teriyaki nori, and my personal fave, kimchi vegan cheese! One common confusion would be, what's the difference between Jumeokbap and Onigiri? Jumeokbap and onigiri are both rice ball dishes, but they come from different culinary traditions and have some differences in their preparation and ingredients. Jumeokbap is a Korean rice ball dish, you can usually find the various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, or seafood mixed IN the rice, and then shaped into balls, sometimes with fillings, sometimes without. Onigiri, on the other hand, is a Japanese dish that consists of cooked short-grain rice that is shaped into a triangle or oval shape and often has a filling such as salmon, pickled plum, or tuna. The rice is usually seasoned with salt and wrapped with a she...

Get the recipe »

Pan Fried Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings with Vegan Fillings

Happy year of the tiger! Dumplings are a must for me on the Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year and these rice dumplings are the ultimate lazy and easy version. They're stuffed with a savory and "meaty" tofu veggie filling and then pan-fried till golden crispy. And to make the experience even more satisfying, serve them with some sizzling scallion chili oil! Rice papers are such a perfect "cheat" to make easy dumplings. No need to mix flour, knead the dough, then roll out the wrappers, simply dip rice papers in some warm water, cut them into shapes, and start wrapping. The texture is more like the "crystal dumplings" you would get at a dim sum restaurant - the skins would be translucent and chewy and if pan-fried, super crispy! For the fillings, I used a mixture of tofu and vegetables but this is highly adaptable! You can use up any scraps of veggies in your fridge and use any protein base you like - tofu, mashed lentils, or even crumbled tempeh. And i...

Get the recipe »

Vegan Yaki Onigiri aka Japanese Grilled Rice Balls with Chickpea "Chuna" Filling

Your next lunchbox, picnic, snack, appetizer, for just for anything! These yaki onigiris, aka grilled rice balls, are simply the best thing you can do with rice - you get a golden crunchy crust that's glazed with a umami and sweet sauce, yet the rice inside remains fluffy and steamy, the savory aroma from the grilled nori, plus whatever fillings you heart desires. How do you make a seemingly ordinary ingredient exciting? Look no further. With a few simple steps and some culinary magic, voila, you can turn good old white rice into these irresistible flavor bombs. My favorite part is that golden brown crispy crust, I honestly can't stop crunching them away! Yaki onigiri is one of those things that if you know the tricks and hacks then they are a breeze to make; but if you don't know where you can potentially fail, chances are something is gonna go wrong. So here are some very important points to keep in mind: 1. Use freshly made rice while they're still hot. This is the ...

Get the recipe »

Vegan Tofu Salmon Rice Bowl with Homemade Vegan Mayo

This mind-blowing tofu "salmon bowl" is my favorite lunch bowl ever and I myself make it at least once a week. Perfectly seasoned and slightly charred tofu "salmon", broken apart and mixed into a bowl of steamy rice, topped with sweet chili sauce and creamy homemade vegan kewpie mayo, and finally all wrapped in a piece of crispy seaweed - it's land and ocean, nutrition and flavor, all in one bite. You might know this bowl as an internet "trend" but for me and I believe many other Eastern Asian kids, it's a childhood memory. I grew up in a coastal city right on the beach and crispy seaweed is a snack our household always had in abundance, they're just so delicious, available, cheap, and actually healthy. And before anyone even had to teach me, I started using crispy seaweed to pick up steamed rice, I’d even skip the chopsticks and just use my fingers to pinch up the rice and whatever I mixed in it for that meal with the seaweed. I love the feeli...

Get the recipe »

VEGAN BUNNY CHEF

Search This Blog