Several years ago my dear friend Jason and I were discussing what we often discuss, food. We were both sharing our love of sauce. What I mean by sauce, is any kind of condiment meant to be eaten ON food. I commented that it is not appropriate to simply eat a bowl of sauce for a meal, nor is it probably very healthy. It was in this moment that Jason shared with me the best secret of all time. The Saucy Rice Bowl.
Jason explained that when times were tight, he would make himself a perfectly prepared bowl of rice and he would top it in three different sections with his favorite sauces. Genius! Not only was this meal delicious it cost next to nothing to prepare. I immediately had to try this idea out and I was not disappointed!
There are several key factors to executing this dish to perfection. One is using a good quality rice, another is using a quality cooking method and the third, keeping quality sauces on hand.
The Rice
I never knew good rice until I met my friend Kim. She introduced me to good rice and different kinds of rice from Asian specialty stores. There are many different kinds of rice and you should find the type you like the best. The rice I keep on hand is linked in the Amazon Shopping List at the bottom of this page.
Cooking The Rice
There are many tips and tricks to cooking rice. The main one is to rinse the rice well before preparing. I currently make my rice in my Instant Pot and it comes out perfect for my taste. I linked the Instant Pot I use in the Amazon List as well. But if you do not have an Instant Pot, a great go to method is the French Method of cooking rice. It should come out perfect every time. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 Cup of Rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 11 to 12 minutes. Drain and serve immediately. Serve with butter and salt, if desired.
The Sauces
You can mix and match any Asian style sauces you prefer. I linked all the sauces I keep on hand in my shopping list but the three that I currently am obsessed with are: Char Siu BBQ Sauce, Gochujang Sauce (red chili paste) and Really Good Quality Soy Sauce like Silver Swan. You can serve the sauces on the side and dip as you go, or you can put a little of each sauce on different sections of the rice. Top it with scallions and toasted sesame seeds and you have an easy, delicious and cheap feast! This dish also makes a great take-a-long lunch as well.
I am eternally grateful to Jason for this culinary gift. Rumor has it he may be starting his own blog soon, so stay tuned for more deliciousness! Get creative and make your own rice bowl ASAP!
I have linked all the items I use to make this bowl HERE on my Amazon Ideas Page!
