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Scorched mushroom and ginger rice
Serves: 4 as a side
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Recipe by Maja Smend
Scorched mushroom and ginger rice
‘Guo ba’ is the Chinese word for the scorched rice usually found at the bottom of the wok. In rural China these crispy leftovers are considered a treat and given to children as a snack. This is a modern version of Guo Ba, using Japanese sushi rice for an extra-sticky texture, and goji berries for a burst of sweetness. Serve alongside your favourite Chinese dishes.
Serves: 4 as a side
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
398Kcal
Fat
2gr
Saturates
1gr
Carbs
85gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
8gr
Salt
1.7gr
Ching-He Huang
Ching-He Huang was born in Taiwan and grew up in South Africa and London. A self-taught cook, she's a regular face on television and author of seven best-selling books on Chinese cuisine for home cooks.
See more of Ching-He Huang’s recipes
Ching-He Huang
Ching-He Huang was born in Taiwan and grew up in South Africa and London. A self-taught cook, she's a regular face on television and author of seven best-selling books on Chinese cuisine for home cooks.
See more of Ching-He Huang’s recipes
Ingredients
- 400g sushi rice
- 1 small handful of sliced dried Chinese mushrooms (or dried porcini mushrooms)
- 600ml fresh chicken stock
- 30g freshly grated ginger, pulp squeezed to extract the juice
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- a pinch of ground white pepper
- ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 small handful of dried goji berries, rinsed and drained
Step by step
-
Rinse the sushi rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for at least 10 minutes.
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Add the washed rice to a large heavy-based nonstick shallow frying pan (about 25cm base diameter). The rice should be about 1cm deep in the pan. Add the chicken stock, ginger juice, salt, ground white pepper, Chinese 5 spice, Shaoxing rice wine and bring to the boil.
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Once boiling, add the drained mushroom slices (you can keep the liquid for stock, soups or risotto) and the goji berries, put on a tight-fitting lid and then turn the heat to a very low simmer. Cook the rice for 45 minutes then remove the lid and cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until all the water has evaporated and the base has toasted to a light golden brown (you’ll hear a crackling as the water dries up).
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Take off the heat, keep half-covered to keep warm, but also let the steam escape to keep the crispy bottom. When ready to serve, flip out onto a warmed serving plate, then the crispy bottom layer will come off as one whole layer of rice. Serve spooned into bowls, with the crispy bits on top.
Ching-He Huang’s latest book is Stir Crazy (Kyle Books, £19.99). chinghehuang.com