Finished dish photo of Fragrant Bacon Rice

Fragrant Bacon Rice

Snowflakes are drifting outside, and it's freezing cold! Don't feel like going out to buy groceries or spending too much time washing, chopping, and cooking? Just use the bacon cured in early winter to cook a pot of fragrant bacon rice. Simple and straightforward, yet so satisfying~~

Ingredients

Rice1.5 cups
Bacon1 piece
Large Potato1
Carrot1

Steps

1

Wash the rice and soak it in an appropriate amount of water for about 30 minutes. Soaked rice tastes better when cooked.

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2

Wash the bacon and cut it into small pieces for later use.

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3

Wash, peel, and dice the carrot and potato for later use.

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4

Heat oil in a pot and first add the diced bacon. Stir-fry slowly to release its oil.

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5

Then add the diced carrot and potato, stir-fry briefly, and turn off the heat.

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6

Drain the soaked rice and transfer it to a rice cooker. Add water equivalent to about the amount of rice, then mix in the fried bacon, carrot, and potato. Cover and start the cooking program.

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7

Once the rice cooker indicates that the rice is cooked, let it sit for another 10-20 minutes before serving.

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Cooking Tips

Notes: 1. The bacon I used was freshly cured after this year's Beginning of Winter (Li Dong), so it is relatively soft and easy to dice. If you are using aged bacon that is too dry and hard, you can steam it whole before dicing. 2. Soaked rice tastes better when cooked. The water-to-rice ratio should be approximately 1:1, or adjust the water amount based on the rice's water absorption and the water content of the ingredients. 3. Be sparing with the oil when stir-frying the bacon, as the bacon itself will release a lot of grease. Bacon is typically very salty, so there's no need to add salt to the rice. For a heavier flavor, you can mix in a little soy sauce after the bacon rice is cooked to add richness.