Eggplant Katsu Rice Bowl

Cuisine

Japanese-inspired

Servings

4

Total time

50 min

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Difficulty

hard

Ingredients

• 1.5 Cup white rice - 1 1/2 cups, rinsed
• 2.75 Cup water - 2 3/4 cups (divided), divided: 2 cups for cooking rice and 3/4 cup for batter
• 2 Count eggplant - 2 medium, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 4 Cup green cabbage, shredded - 4 cups, shredded
• 0.75 Cup all-purpose flour - 3/4 cup
• 2 Cup panko breadcrumbs - 2 cups
• 0.5 Cup neutral cooking oil - 1/2 cup
• 0.33 Cup ketchup - 1/3 cup
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar - 1 tablespoon
• 1 Teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon, divided: 1/4 teaspoon for rice and 3/4 teaspoon for batter

Instructions

1. Prep rice and vegetables

   1. *Rinse the rice* until the water runs mostly clear, then trim the eggplant and cut it crosswise into *1/2-inch-thick rounds*. Shred the cabbage if needed and set it aside for *bowl assembly*.

2. Cook the rice

   2. Combine the rice, *2 cups water*, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for *15 minutes*, then remove from heat and let stand covered for *10 minutes*.

3. Make the ketchup-soy sauce

   3. In a small bowl, whisk together *ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar* until the sugar dissolves. Set the sauce aside for *serving*.

4. Prepare batter and panko

   4. In a shallow dish, whisk the flour, remaining 3/4 cup water, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt into a *smooth batter*. Place the panko in a second shallow dish for *coating*.

5. Bread the eggplant

   5. Dip each eggplant round into the *flour-water batter*, letting excess drip off, then press into the *panko breadcrumbs* until evenly coated on both sides.

6. Pan-fry the eggplant

   6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it *shimmers*. Pan-fry the eggplant in batches for *2 to 3 minutes per side*, until golden brown and crisp.

7. Drain eggplant and portion rice

   7. Transfer the fried eggplant to paper towels and let it drain briefly so it stays *crisp*. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it among *4 bowls*.

8. Assemble and serve

   8. Top each bowl with shredded cabbage and *panko-breaded eggplant katsu*. Spoon the *ketchup-soy sauce* over the eggplant and serve warm.