Spicy Teriyaki Rice Bowl
This is a quick dinner that scales easily, uses whatever veggies and protein you have around, is cheap and filling, and tastes good. I’ve made a spicy version because, if you haven’t noticed, I think spice is the spice of life, but you can omit the chili paste and have yourself a regular teriyaki rice bowl instead if you prefer.
Spicy Teriyaki Rice Bowl
veggies to pan-fry, such as carrots, onions, bell pepper, broccoli, asparagus, daikon, squash, etc., chopped, sliced, or julienned into uniform pieces
protein, such as tofu, seitan, tempeh, fake vegan “meats”, and/or beans, cubed or sliced in uniform pieces
sushi rice, prepared
scallions, chopped and/or sesame seeds, for garnish
For the sauce (measurements for 2 – 4 servings)
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp mirin
4 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili broad bean paste (omit for a non-spicy teriyaki sauce)
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
Prepare the sushi rice. I use a rice cooker. When it’s cooked, let it cool, then cut in salt and sushi vinegar to taste.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients into an appropriately sized pot. (For the amounts above I used this adorable cast iron melting pot.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer a few minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
Meanwhile, fry the veggies and protein (adding the ingredients to the skillet in descending order of their cooking times) in a small amount of oil (I used olive with a touch of sesame). I used: slivered onions, thinly sliced seitan, a carrot, three baby bell peppers in various colors, broccoli, and a handful of corn kernels.
When the vegetables and protein are cooked, remove from heat and pour the sauce over them, tossing to combine.
Serve with the prepared sushi rice. Garnish with chopped scallions and/or sprinkled sesame seeds if you have them (I didn’t).
Lou Said,
March 24, 2010 @ 3:40 am
aw! no Mark! lol 🙂 without his facial expressions how can I know if this is tasty?! 😉
Maria Said,
March 24, 2010 @ 12:17 pm
That looks wonderful! But what, for the uninitated, is ‘chili broad bean paste’?? Am I likely to be able to get hold of it in the UK? It’s definitely not something I’ve come across in my local oriental food shoppe, but I guess I could use any old chilli paste in its place…
Josiane Said,
March 24, 2010 @ 12:57 pm
Colorful dishes always look so tasty, and this one is no exception! I have yet to buy mirin; I’ve been wanting to try it, but wasn’t too sure what I’d do with it – thank you for providing the answer here!
renae Said,
March 24, 2010 @ 2:28 pm
Maria, I probably shouldn’t have been so specific – broad bean paste is a paste made from fermented broad beans, and the chili version obviously has chili added, but “chili bean paste” can be made with different types of beans (like soybeans), and it doesn’t really matter which type you use. In fact, you can just use any chili paste as you suggest; I just wanted to add heat. You can probably find chili bean paste in Asian grocery stores in the UK (although the only one I’ve ever been to was in London so I really have no idea what’s available elsewhere), but I wouldn’t buy it specifically for this dish when you use so little and won’t be able to distinguish between a chili-flavored bean paste and a regular chili paste anyway.
Maria Said,
March 24, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
Renae – thanks for such a quick and full response! Yes, I too go for the hit of chilli quite often, and we usually just stick in our own ‘chilli blob’ (a name which I’m thinking of copyrighting, as it’s so very elegant) – made from chillies, sugar, vinegar, sultanas etc etc… Or just use lots of fresh chillies.
Mmm. This is *not* the time to get the munchies, as I’ll be heading to bed very soon…
Jes Said,
March 24, 2010 @ 9:40 pm
I love quick and easy–this might be Friday’s dinner!
Ksenia Said,
March 28, 2010 @ 11:57 am
Oh, your quick dinners are always the best ones 😉
Just last week I went with my friends to a Asian restaurant (I won’t say that it was Japanese although it was labeled as one. Here people have the tendency to call “Japanese” anything oriental). I ordered some sauté veggies and mushroom which were cooked in a wok 😀 Confirmed: the home-made version of the wok has nothing to do with the original (I don’t know how the cook didn’t burn himself with the giant flame O.o)
I also had some mango sushi 😀
PS: I also miss Mark’s funny facial expressions 😛
Ksenia Said,
March 28, 2010 @ 11:57 am
Oh, your quick dinners are always the best ones 😉
Just last week I went with my friends to a Asian restaurant (I won’t say that it was Japanese although it was labeled as one. Here people have the tendency to call “Japanese” anything oriental). I ordered some sauté veggies and mushroom which were cooked in a wok 😀 Confirmed: the home-made version of the wok has nothing to do with the original (I don’t know how the cook didn’t burn himself with the giant flame O.o)
I also had some mango sushi 😀
PS: I also miss Mark’s funny facial expressions 😛
lulu Said,
April 2, 2010 @ 3:22 am
Beautiful pics…I was wondering where you purchased your cast iron individual pots from (I have been looking online and it is said ones made in China maybe unhealthy) do you have any advice to quench my quest for purty pots? Thanks…
renae Said,
April 3, 2010 @ 3:19 pm
Hi Lulu, my mother-in-law gave me the little cast iron pot that’s in this post, but it’s Lodge, which you can get just about anywhere and it’s made in the USA.
Annie Said,
April 17, 2010 @ 9:39 pm
Hello! Just stumbled upon your blog and find it fascinating! I’ll have to come and read all of your posts.. Stir fry is my favorite and I’m considering an attempt at home made soymilk and possibly homemade tofu and tempeh as well. Haven’t had tempeh before and the store-bought tofu didn’t taste very well so thinking of giving it another try…
Great posts! I love all of the pictures!