Mama Smelly's Kohlrabi Rice Recipe (with Video)

Prepare the ingredients and cook the rice
1. 1. Rinse the dried shrimp and dried shiitake mushrooms. In a bowl, rehydrate them together in hot water. Cover with a lid.
2. 2. Wash the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear, then add the drained rice into the rice cooker with 2.5 cups of water or chicken broth. Season with chicken bouillon powder (skip if using chicken broth) and mix. Cook on the white rice setting.
3. 3. Meanwhile, prepare all the aromatics, cured meats, and veggies. Peel the kohlrabi, making sure to peel deep enough to remove any fibrous or tough parts. Dice the Chinese sausage and Chinese cured pork belly. Mince the shallot and garlic.
4. 4. Once the dried shrimp and shiitake mushrooms are rehydrated, dice them into small pieces.
Stir fry all the ingredients
1. 1. Heat up a pan on medium heat, then add neutral oil. Once hot, add the dried shrimp and stir-fry for 1 minute or until lightly fragrant. Add the aromatics and Chinese cured meats. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until the fat from the cured pork belly renders a bit.
2. 2. Lastly, add the kohlrabi, shiitake mushrooms, and all the seasonings. The seasonings will lean on the slightly saltier side, as they need to be to flavor the rice. Stir fry for another 1-2 minutes.
3. 3. The kohlrabi will start as opaque, and as it cooks, it’ll turn more translucent. We only want to cook it up to 50%, since it will continue steaming in the rice cooker. You can also test the doneness by tasting them as it cooks. It should still be firm, but not crunchy. Once it gets to this point, remove the pan from the heat.
Add all the ingredients to the rice
1. 1. Once the rice is done, add all the cooked ingredients to the rice. Add sesame oil, cilantro, and scallions. Mix well, then cover the lid and let steam for another 5-10 minutes. If you want it more savory or salty, add some more soy sauce (my preference, but not necessary) and give it another mix. It’s ready to eat on its own or paired with side dishes!