Lu Rou Fan

One of my most fondest culinary experiences from my trip to Taiwan is certainly Lu Rou Fan (滷肉飯).  This dish can be described in more simpler terms as minced 'meat' rice.  It reminds me very much of chicken rice - It is, in essence, a very simple dish, with only a few ingredients, but, if everything is not done perfectly, then the entire dish can be ruined.  Preparation won't take too long, and the cooking is not very complex.  With that being said, you must avoid making the dish too greasy, the rice must be firm, and the rice shouldn't become a quagmire of sauce.

Ingredients:-
Mock Minced Meat - 500 grams (you can use TVP or other soy type granules)
Shallots, minced (6 pieces)
Garlic, minced (5 cloves)
Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (3 tbs)
Dark Soy Sauce (4 tbs)
Light Soy Sauce (3 tbs)
Sesame Oil (2 tsp)
Taiwanese Basil, finely chopped (1 bunch)
Dried Chinese Mushrooms, rehydrated with liquid reserved (5 large caps)
Ginger, smashed (1 knob)
Rice Wine Vinegar (2 tsp)
Five Spice Powder (3 tsp)

Instructions
1) Saute Shallots, Ginger and Garlic in oil until the shallots turn translucent.
2) Add in Taiwanese Basil and finely diced Mushrooms, stir fry till the mushrooms lose a little of its moisture and becomes fragrant.
3) Add Mock Minced Meat to the mixture and stir fry till it browns.
4) Put in the remaining ingredients and add enough water to cover the entire mixture (or more if you would like more sauce)
4) Bring the stew to a boil and let it simmer for 15mins.
5) Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. I like to coat the bowl with 1 tsp of sesame oil, scoop some rice and layer the stew on top together with some steamed bok choy.

Recipe and preparation by Shanel Yip