🍽️ A Japanese-style pot rice with maximized flavor by separately frying sweet potatoes, potatoes, asparagus, and bacon, then seasoned with tsuyu for a deep umami taste.
Wash the rice thoroughly, soak for at least 30 minutes, then drain completely in a sieve to remove excess water.
Dice the potato and sweet potato into bite-sized cubes. If using new potatoes, scrub them well or peel them according to your preference.
Peel the tough lower part of the asparagus spears thinly with a peeler, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Cut the bacon into thick, generous pieces to maintain its texture and flavor after cooking.
Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a pan and fry the prepared sweet potato, potato, asparagus, and bacon separately in that order.
Do not fry the ingredients together, as they have different moisture content and cooking times. Fry them just enough to coat the surface and achieve color, rather than cooking them through.
Add the soaked rice and water to the pot. Gradually mix in the tsuyu, adjusting the water to a mild, savory level, similar to the taste of udon broth.
Evenly arrange the golden-fried vegetables and bacon over the seasoned rice water.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it steam for 15 minutes to finish cooking the rice.
Prepare the sweet potato, potato, asparagus, and bacon by cutting them into appropriate bite-sized pieces.
Lightly fry each prepared ingredient separately in oil until golden brown to coat them.
Pour the rice water, seasoned with tsuyu to the level of udon broth, over the soaked rice, top with the fried ingredients, and cook the pot rice.
Cooking tips 💡
It's better to use a sweet potato that maintains a fluffy texture when cooked, rather than a pumpkin sweet potato which has high moisture and a soft texture.
The reason for frying the ingredients separately is to add the umami flavor of the oil and to coat the surface, preventing the ingredients from easily crumbling when cooking the rice.
Since each ingredient has a significantly different moisture content and cooking time, it is essential to fry them individually, even if it's a bit tedious, to achieve the best color and texture.
Even without measuring tools, you can make delicious, not-too-salty pot rice by seasoning it mildly with tsuyu, remembering the taste of udon broth you've had before.
Recommended for 🙋
⭐Those who want a hearty and warm meal with fluffy sweet potatoes and potatoes.
⭐Those who want to make a clean and deeply flavorful Japanese-style pot rice without the ingredients falling apart, by coating them in oil.
⭐Those who want to add depth to their cooking by recreating the savory taste of udon broth rather than precise measurements.