This is a main staple in traditional Shanghai-style restaurants. Typically the rice is cooked with added pork grease (豬油) and brined pork (鹹肉), which makes it tasty with a distinctive old fashioned flavor. We are making a purely vegetarian version here. For meat lovers, it is pretty easy to mix in some steamed brined pork (蒸鹹肉) in diced form, or to add a piece of fried pork chop (炸豬排) on top.
- Cook rice with a rice cooker or with any method you usually use, using slightly less water if you want your vegetable rice as moist as usual, because the added vegetable will produce liquid later (liable to make the rice slightly soggy, which is often how it's served in a traditional Shanghai-style restaurant). Leave the rice in the original cooking device (still hot with steam).
- Pick apart 4-6 stalks of Bok Choy, 青江菜 (into individual stem and leaf, see picture to the right), rinse thoroughly, and chop into 1" segments. At high heat, stir-fry the Bok Choy segments in a flat bottom cooking pan with 3-4 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 1/4 tsp of salt, till the veggie is half cooked (still green and firm, not shriveled and soft, for 2-3 minutes). Strain out fluid and set aside.
- Place half of the stir-fried Bok Choy into the rice cooking device, mix evenly, cover the lid, and let the veggie steam with the cooked rice for 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the Bok Choy into the rice cooking device, mix evenly, and serve. If you like meat, add a piece of freshly fried pork chop (炸豬排) on top, or mix in some freshly steamed and diced brined pork (蒸鹹肉). Here is a picture of the finished product (with no meat).
Is Basmati rice healthier than jasmine rice? Both Jasmine and Basmati rice are low in fat and will give you a small protein boost. However, basmati is a healthier choice for diabetics, as it has a lower glycemic index than high quality Pakistani rice (59 to jasmine's 89). Both of these varieties are usually sold 'white'.
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