Pilaf in Japanese
4 servings
180 minutes
Japanese pilaf is an exquisite symbiosis of Eastern culinary traditions with Japanese flavor notes. It harmoniously combines tender rice, juicy beef, aromatic sweet pepper, and spicy ham, finished with slices of omelet and soy sauce. This dish has a soft, rich taste where the light saltiness of the soy sauce highlights the natural sweetness of the vegetables and meat ingredients. Such a dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner or an unexpected gastronomic discovery with friends. It is served with thinly sliced fresh cucumbers that add crunch and freshness to every bite. While pilaf is traditionally associated with Uzbek cuisine, the Japanese version surprises with its lightness and balance of flavors, making it unique in the world culinary heritage.
1
Rinse the rice several times with warm water until the water is completely clear. Pour it into a pot, cover with cold water so it's fully submerged, and let it sit for 1.5–2 hours. Drain the water. Add 2 cups of fresh water to the rice, bring to a boil over high heat. Add a little salt, reduce the heat to low, and cook until done for 15 minutes. Remove the rice from heat, cover with a lid, and let it sit in a warm place.
- Round rice: 1 glass
2
Pour the eggs into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Whisk until a uniform fluffy mass is achieved.
- Chicken egg: 3 pieces
- Soy sauce: 100 ml
3
Heat the pan. First, pour in 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, heat it, then add 0.5 ladle of egg mixture. After 1 minute, flip the pancake to the other side and fry for another minute. Transfer the pancake to a plate.
- Chicken egg: 3 pieces
4
Bake thin pancakes from the prepared egg mixture. Let them cool, then cut into long strips.
5
Peel the onion and slice it into thin half-rings. Wash the pepper, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and slice the flesh into thin strips. Wash the beef, pat it dry with paper towels, and cut it into thin long pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in two pans. Sauté the onion with the sweet pepper in one pan (6 minutes), and the beef in the other (9 minutes).
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Sweet pepper: 1 piece
- Beef: 400 g
6
Wash the cucumber and cut it into strips. Cut the ham in the same way. Add fried onion, pepper, and beef to the rice. Add the ham and strips of omelet, mix well. Pour in the remaining soy sauce and season with hot pepper. Add salt if necessary. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped cucumber.
- Cucumbers: 2 pieces
- Boiled ham: 300 g
- Soy sauce: 100 ml
- Ground red pepper: 0.3 teaspoon