From Pantry Staples to a Fusion Rice Cooker Feast!
Hey everyone! Today, I had one of those truly satisfying cooking adventures that started with a simple question and ended with a delightful, aromatic one-pot meal. What began as a quest to recreate a comforting family recipe for Chinese Five-Spice Pork and Rice in my rice cooker, quickly evolved into an exciting, multi-cultural fusion dish!
I was initially trying to recall my mother's savory pork belly and rice. I pivoted from using fuzzy gourd to Eryngii Mushrooms (King Oyster Mushrooms), which held their meaty texture perfectly. Then, my Japanese care package arrived, bringing Dashi Stock and Mirin for that unmistakable umami depth and glossy finish.
But the real magic came from my Southeast Asian pantry:
I cut the Pork Belly into short, thick matchsticks, giving every piece a perfect savory chew.
The cooking process was elevated by using Fragrant Frying Oil infused with garlic, shallots, and Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis). This simple step brought in a deep, pungent, craveable umami that took the flavor profile to "even crazier" levels! I even added some of those crispy fried anchovies right into the mix.
For the finish, I used a wonderful mix of my own toasted white sesame seeds and the rich, dark Japanese roasted black sesame seeds, adding contrast and a complex nutty crunch. The brilliant green Snow Peas were added right into the rice cooker during the "Keep Warm" cycle, flash-steaming them to achieve that ideal "cromchy" texture!
The result? A truly unique and intensely flavored Five-Spice Pork & Eryngii Takikomi Gohan—a blend of Chinese robust spices, Japanese savory depth, and Southeast Asian fragrant oil techniques. It was rich, savory, deeply aromatic, and incredibly comforting. My little one gave it a beaming smile of approval, which is the best review any cook can ask for!
🍚 Recipe: Five-Spice Pork & Eryngii Takikomi Gohan
This recipe maximizes flavor using infused oil and a multi-cultural pantry.
📝 Ingredients
| Component | Amount | Notes |
| Rice | 2 cups | Long-grain or Jasmine rice (use the cup that came with your cooker) |
| Pork | 200g - 250g | Pork Belly, cut into short, thick matchsticks |
| Mushrooms | 2 large | Eryngii Mushrooms (King Oyster), cut into thick matchsticks |
| Aromatics & Oil | 2-3 Tbsp | Fragrant Frying Oil (infused with shallot/garlic/anchovies) |
| 1-2 Tbsp | Minced Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis), reserved from frying | |
| 2 Tbsp | Dried Shrimp, minced | |
| Seasoning | 1 tsp | Chinese Five-Spice Powder |
| 1 Tbsp | Light Soy Sauce | |
| 1 Tbsp | Mirin (Sweet Japanese Rice Wine) | |
| 1 Tbsp | Oyster Sauce | |
| 1/2 tsp | Sugar | |
| Liquid | ~1.5 - 2 cups | Dashi Bonito Stock (or chicken stock/water) |
| Garnish | Handful | Fresh Snow Peas (or similar thin green vegetable) |
| As desired | Toasted White and Roasted Black Sesame Seeds | |
| As desired | Bonito Flakes |
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prep and Sauté Flavor Base (Stovetop)
Rice: Wash and drain the 2 cups of rice, placing it in the rice cooker pot.
Aromatics: Heat the Fragrant Frying Oil in a wok/skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pork belly matchsticks and stir-fry until nicely browned.
Add the minced dried shrimp and the reserved Fried Anchovies. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Toss in the eryngii mushroom matchsticks. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
Stir in the Five-Spice powder, Light Soy Sauce, Mirin, Oyster Sauce, and Sugar. Mix until the pork and mushrooms are fully coated in the glossy sauce. Turn off the heat.
2. Combine & Cook (Rice Cooker)
Pour the entire contents of the wok (pork, mushrooms, and sauce) over the raw rice in the cooker pot.
Add the Dashi Bonito Stock. Crucially, add only enough stock so that the total liquid level (sauce + stock) reaches the normal "2 cups" water line on the side of your pot.
Stir gently, and press the "Cook" button.
3. Finish & Serve
Steam the Peas: Once the cooker switches to "Keep Warm," quickly open the lid, scatter the snow peas over the top of the rice, and close the lid immediately. Let it steam for 3 minutes. This ensures they are "cromchy" and vibrant green.
Fluff: Open the lid, remove the snow peas, and thoroughly fluff and mix the rice, pork, and mushrooms.
Garnish: Plate the rice, top with the crisp snow peas, and finish with a generous sprinkle of Toasted White and Roasted Black Sesame Seeds and Bonito Flakes.
Enjoy your incredible fusion creation!
