Tahdig Rice Balls inspired by Jjajangbap (Persian-Korean Fusion) 

Hello, I’m Tannaz (@mulberryblvd on social media). I love nutritious food that is fresh, full of flavor, and perfect for sharing.

Link

Embed

Copy and paste this HTML code into your webpage to embed.

I was born in Iran and lived there until I was 5, then lived in Italy for a year before calling the Bay Area my home.  I am not a chef by profession, but I have been confidently cooking since my early teens. Cooking has always brought a sense of warmth and familiarity, with memories of my parents cooking, and gathering around the kitchen table.

This dish was inspired by the Korean noodle dish called jjajangmyeon, a comfort food that I dream about often. Since my kids developed a gluten allergy a few years ago, we avoid wheat noodles. Jjajangbap, which is served over rice, is the next best thing.

1 of 13

Here is how I make this recipe:

• Make the Rice

1.   Rinse 3 cups of short-grain or Japanese rice until the water runs almost clear.
2.   Add the rinsed rice to a pot with 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt (adjust to 2.5 teaspoons if you prefer).
3.   Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pot with a large paper towel under the lid, and set your timer for 18 minutes.

•Jjajang Sauce:

1.   Sauté diced onion, carrot, potato, cabbage, and zucchini in 2-3 tablespoons of oil (im using avocado- use what you like) (Optional- if you enjoy eating pork… Fry 1/2 cup cubed pork belly first, then remove pork, and add the vegetables to the leftover fat. Add the pork belly back when adding the broth in step 3.
2.   Make a space in the middle of the pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil, and fry 1/4 cup of (chunjang) Korean black bean paste for 3 minutes. Mix with the veggies.
3.   Pour in 1/2 cup of broth (water for vegetarians) and simmer until vegetables are tender, or to your preference
4.   Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry made with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1/5 cup of water, and 1.5 teaspoons of sugar. The cornstarch will need several minutes to thicken the sauce.
5. Forming the Rice Balls and Frying See video for details on how to make the balls.
6. TIP: Make sure to have a bowl of water next to you so that you can dip your hand in it as you are forming the rice balls. This will make it less sticky!

• Air fry at 400°F for 16 minutes (avoid moving as rice is sticky until the crust forms). Add an additional 4-8 minutes depending on your air fryer.
• If pan frying, I recommend freezing the rice balls so that they will keep their shape.
• Rice balls can be kept wrapped in the freezer for several months. They go straight from the freezer to the air fryer or pan.
• Rice balls can be kept wrapped in the freezer for several months. They go straight from the freezer to the air fryer or pan.

• Serve: Cut 4 persian cucumbers into matchsticks, then add 1/4 tsp of sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Serve your tahdig rice balls with the cucumber and enjoy!