A quick and comforting Fujian-style savory rice made in a rice cooker with pork belly, dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots, dried shrimp, and crispy shallot oil. The rice is fragrant, savory, and rich without being too heavy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice, rinsed and drained
• Pork belly, sliced (separate the fattier pieces from the leaner pieces)
• 4–6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 carrot, diced
• A small handful of dried shrimp, optional
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 10ml soy sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• Salt, to taste
• Water, for cooking the rice
• A little neutral oil, if needed

Instructions

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until softened, then dice them. Reserve the soaking liquid. Dice the carrot. Rinse the rice and drain well. Slice the pork belly, keeping the fattier and leaner pieces separate.
2. Add the fattier pork belly pieces to a pan over medium-low heat and cook until the fat renders out. Turn the heat up, add the lean pieces, and stir-fry until lightly browned.
3. Add the diced shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and dried shrimp. Stir-fry until fragrant. Drizzle soy sauce and Shaoxing wine around the edge of the pan. Add salt and stir to combine.
4. Add the drained rice and stir-fry until the moisture has mostly evaporated — you should hear the grains lightly crackling.
5. Transfer everything to a rice cooker. Pour in the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, then add enough water so the level sits about 2mm above the surface of the rice. Do not add too much or the rice will turn mushy. Cook on the regular rice setting.
6. While the rice cooks, add the remaining fatty pork pieces to a small pan over medium-low heat. Once the fat renders and lightly coats the pan, add the sliced shallot and fry over low heat until golden. Remove immediately — they will continue to darken after leaving the oil. This is the shallot oil, the key flavor of the dish.
7. When the rice is done, fluff and mix in the shallot oil. Serve warm.

Notes

Do not skip the shallot oil — it makes the whole dish significantly more fragrant. If you don’t have shallots, half a small sweet onion works too.

Some versions add cabbage, but it releases water and makes the rice texture harder to control. You can also add taro to make taro savory rice, or dried oysters for a more traditional version.