Crunchy Rice with Spicy Fillings.

Hunan Guoba sandwich! One of the best street food dishes I've ever tried, and we're excited to finally get you a recipe for it.
0:00 - The Socarrat Sandwich
1:15 - Pan selection
2:11 - Oil selection
2:56 - Soaking the rice
3:54 - A note about stoves
4:32 - Topping 1, Chili Furu
5:20 - Topping 2, Chili Fried Tofu
7:27 - Topping 3, Chili Fried Chili
8:07 - Topping 4, Stir fried Kelp
9:00 - Topping 5, Sesame Fried Chili Flakes
9:36 - Topping 6, Fish Wort or Cilantro
10:08 - Topping 7, Spicy Potato Slivers
11:33 - Making the Sandwich
13:38 - Inventing a "Family Sized" version?
14:48 - Ways to make this dish less intense?
CHILI FRIED TOFU
* Aromatics: Garlic, 2 cloves, minced; Ginger, ~1/2 inch, minced
* Hunan "Chopped Chilis" (剁椒), 1 tbsp
* Dougan or super firm tofu (豆干), 150g, diced
* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp
* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp
* Seasoning: salt, 1/4 tsp; MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp; white pepper (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp
Longyau with ~2 tablespoons oil, and fry the aromatics over a low flame until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add the "chopped chilis", fry for another minute. Up the flame to high, add in the dougan/tofu. Quick 30 second fry, then swirl the wine over the spatula and around the sides of the wok. Another ~30 second fry, then do the same thing with the soy sauce. Add in the seasoning, mix.
CHILI FRIED CHILI
* Aromatics: Garlic, 1 cloves, minced; Ginger, ~1 cm, minced
* Chili pepper - not too spicy, 150g, diced
* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1/2 tbsp
* Soy sauce (生抽), 1/2 tbsp
* Seasoning: salt, 1/4 tsp; MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp; white pepper (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp
Longyau with ~1 tablespoons oil, and fry the aromatics over a low flame until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add in the chilis. Quick 30 second fry, then up the flame to high. Swirl the wine over the spatula and around the sides of the wok. Another ~30 second fry, then do the same thing with the soy sauce. Add in the seasoning, mix.
STIR FRIED KELP
* Dried kelp (海带), 15g
* Aromatics: Garlic, 2 cloves, minced; Ginger, ~1 cm, minced; Hot, fresh chili (朝天椒), one, sliced
* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp
* Seasoning: salt, 1/8 tsp; MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp; white pepper (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp
* Toasted sesame oil (麻油), 1/2 tsp
Soak the kelp in cool water for 30 minutes, then thoroughly wash off any sand. To cut, roll it up and slice into ~1/2 cm slivers. Then chop a
Longyau with ~1/2 tablespoon oil, and fry the aromatics over a low flame until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Up the flame to high, add in the dougan/tofu. One minute fry, swirl in the soy sauce. Add in the seasoning, mix, shut off the heat. Drizzle in the sesame oil, mix.
SESAME FRIED CHILI FLAKES
* Oil, 2 tbsp
* Sesame seeds (芝麻), 1 tbsp
* Spicy chili flakes (辣椒碎), 3 tbsp
* Seasoning: salt, 1/4 tsp; sugar, ¼ tsp; MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp; white pepper (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp
* Soy sauce (生抽), 1/2 tsp
Longyau with the 2 tbsp oil. Over a medium low flame, heat the oil until bubbles are just starting to form around a pair of chopsticks, then add in the sesame and chili. Fry for 5-6 minutes, or until the chili flakes have obviously deepened in color. Add in the seasoning, mix, swirl in the soy sauce, mix, heat off.
SPICY POTATO SLIVERS
* Potato, ~450g, peeled
* Aromatics: Garlic, 2 cloves, minced; ~3 dried chilis, sliced
* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1/2 tbsp
* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp
* Seasoning: salt, 1/2 tsp; MSG (味精), 1/8 tsp; white pepper (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp
Slice the potato into slivers, then thoroughly wash to get off the surface starch. Transfer to a strainer. Blanch the potato for 60 seconds, then strain and shock with cool running water to stop the cooking process.
Longyau with ~2 tablespoons oil, and fry the aromatics over a low flame until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Up the flame to high, add in the potato. Quick 30 second fry, then swirl the wine over the spatula and around the sides of the wok. Another ~30 second fry, then do the same thing with the soy sauce. Add in the seasoning, mix.
MAKING THE SANDWICH
* Long grain sticky rice (长糯米), 65g
* Oil to coat the pan, ~1/2 tbsp (preferably Caiziyou)
* Water, 6 tbsp
* Salt, 1/8 tsp
Wash, then soak the sticky rice with cool water for 7-8 hours (or overnight).
Strain the rice. Oil the pan, then add the strained rice in. Add the water and salt, and cover. Cook over a medium low flame for 15 minutes, changing the pan position around every few minutes or so.
Uncover. The rice should be cooked. Over a medium flame, crisp up the bottom of the rice for ~10 minutes, moving the pan around to help everything crisp evenly.
Toppings:
Furu, fermented beancurd (腐乳) - preferably a chili furu (香辣腐乳) - 1 cube
Sesame fried chili flakes, 1 tsp
Chili fried tofu, 2 tbsp
Chili fried chili, 1 tbsp
Stir fried kelp, 1 tbsp
Fish wort (鱼腥草) or cilantro
Spicy Potato slivers
“FAMILY SIZED” VERSION
This amount will fit into a 14 inch cast iron skillet.
* Long grain sticky rice (长糯米), 210g
* Oil to coat the pan (preferably Caiziyou)
* Water, 1.25 cups
* Salt, 1/2 tsp

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Hey guys, a few notes: 1. So there’s definitely a ton of scorched rice dishes the world over, and doing a little research for this video I… want to try them all. I’m thinking first on my list might be Vietnamese cơm cháy… 2. Then of course, when it comes to things in sandwich form… if you stretched the definition, Mos Burger’s rice burgers sort of fit the bill as well? I’ve only had Mos Burger once - I could be wrong, but I believe the ‘rice bun’ isn’t quite as crispy as a properly scorched rice? 3. Oh, when Steph said that we could sort all the toppings - front to back - in one hour, it’s because it’s the two of us cooking at the same time. We always forget that for probably the majority of people out there, it’s usually only one person cooking at a time in the kitchen. That said, especially when making full Chinese meals, we’re big believers in having double the hands. 4. Those toppings *are* a pretty decent tour of Hunan flavors, however. Whip all those stir fries up, blanch a vegetable, make some white rice… that’s a good meal, right there. 5. This video was a little experimental on the editing front. I *think* it came out pretty decent, but the style of the video (together with that smorgasbord of toppings) did end up making it longer than I wanted (we usually aim for 6-10 minutes). 6. One thing that this video *was* definitely missing, I think, was a high level overview of the full process before we got into the weeds. Hope it wasn’t overly confusing, but definitely check out the full uncut companion video of the vendor making the dish if we long you along the way: kzbin.info/www/bejne/moHbZIxulterjKM 7. Oh! If using Indian Mustard Seed oil (or a more traditional village-made Chinese caiziyou for that matter), it's very important to COOK YOUR OIL first. That is, put it in a pan (note: definitely not a non-stick for this purpose), and heat it up until smoke point. Let it continue to smoke for ~30 seconds, then shut off the heat and let it cool down. Once cooked, the mustardy nose hit of the mustard seed oil will be curtailed significantly, and will be much closer in flavor to caiziyou. I think I've heard that they also do this step in Bengal as well? I've also heard some people say that it's a necessary step for health reasons? In any event, once the oil is cooked, you can keep it in a bottle and use it at your convenience. That’s all I can think of for now :) Next video’ll be out a few days later than normal - it’ll be a twofer recipe video + cultural informational video sort of deal

[@ropro9817]

Daaaaaaamn... that looks delicious... 🤤

[@AirConditioningOGUnit]

0,u auu

[@violetviolet888]

Chinese Cooking Demystified: Thanks for this recipe! One day I *will* try it. However I will use two "jelly roll" pans (commonly used in commercial kitchens in the US and sold at restaurant supply stores) and use an oven. I was working a farm to table dinner and one of the chefs used one sheet pan to make the same crunchy rice for the chefs to eat as a snack. Easy and delicious!

[@Tinil0]

I have to say, I ADORE this format. Seeing how you guys think and research a recipe. More of these would be good, or maybe even the entire process if you ever have the time and will (Showing not just the finished product you came up with, but your actual planning and test cooking and tasting, etc). I don't know if there would be enough interest to justify it, since at that point it's not really a cooking video so much as a behind the scenes making of video, but I know I would love it.

[@deathpyre42]

So, how about filling this with khao khoua and sticky black rice? Just because going like.. full riceception seems like a hilarious concept for a dish

[@altang884884]

"Enough for four people to share". I just folded the circle in half and ate the whole thing myself. IT WAS AMAZING, GENIUS!!!

[@ActuallyJozu]

Like a chinese quesadilla lol

[@savesoil3133]

Hi there, since you are interested in food, you might like the #SaveSoil #ConsciousPlanet movement 🌎🌍🌏

[@BollywoodBonanzaB]

Toppings not even required!! *cries in Type 2 diabetes*

[@novanoir8309]

Just couldn't resist 😅

[@painkillerasprin]

THIS IS A GAME CHANGER! As an Iranian tahdig is the best part of the rice but there is never enough. Will definitely use this method with some tweaks like adding seasoning to the water and butter with the oil for a better crunch (my trick to making crispy tahdig) and 25 min isn't too bad considering tahdig usually takes about 45 minutes on low heat to get ready. Heavy bottom pans heat more evenly.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

In a home kitchen though the advantage of Tahdig would be that that 45 minutes would probably be enough for a family, yeah? That was sort of my worry with this one, which was why we ended up giving the four-person-portion thing a whirl

[@painkillerasprin]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified it's the base of the pot worth, so usually not more than a 10 in diameter circle Which is larger than the tamagoyaki pan in the video but tahdig usually requires a pot of rice above it when making. I never had success making JUST tahdig which is the advantage of how you did it. Using a heavy bottom pan you could get away with a higher heat once the water evaporates and the rice begins to crispen. Your version was visually less golden than the stalls (at least on video) but I think butter can help with that the way it does with tahdig. I'll be experimenting with this since tahdig is sooooooo good and there is never enough😊 Edit: the 45 min is after you boil the rice par cooked adding 10 min for boiling water and 6-8min for par cooking rice so more like an hour total but you can get away with 40 min in a pinch just not as consistent. I usually put a cast iron tawa under thinner pots for a more even heat distribution so it's more hands free.

[@farissaadat4437]

@@painkillerasprin Keep us updated on how the tahdig is when it is cooked by itself and also if it is worth the time! I might try this as tahdig by itself is perfect with a stew :)

[@Acidlib]

@@painkillerasprin totally agree with ^Faris Saadat, would love to hear any updates. I’ve always wanted to make or even just try tahdig, but I looks so time consuming and possibly difficult to pull off, plus there’s no Iranian communities or restaurants where I live, which would help to have an example of what it should taste like. We have large communities from Mexico, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Vietnam, Scandinavia, Germany, etc and I love all the food I’ve tried around here so far, but I think being able to see, for example Iranian food, on youtube when I was younger helped foster my curiosity with cooking different foods from outside my cultural “comfort zone”, and seeing all the really unique food from China that Steph and Chris cook on their channel does the same thing for me today.

[@spacemono5419]

@@Acidlib Tahdig can seem a bit time consuming but overall it is not too bad because it is something you can just leave for a bit without have to worry about watching too constantly :). It can take a while , but it is also possible to make with leftover rice , persians use basmati rice. One benefit of making the rice from scratch is that it is a bit better to stop the rice cooking in the normal way when it is close to be doing and draining it and putting cold water over , but you can make very delicious tahdig with leftover rice. For persian tahdig, i suggest adding butter /oil to the bottom of the pan, as well as the rice. So you can put a good amount of butter to the pan and let it melt , then add a layer of rice and let it sit a little bit, then after add the rest of the rice and sprinkle a bit of water over then cover it. And towards the end of the cooking add butter on the top. I think it might take about 5-10 minutes for the tahdig to cook, make sure the heat is not too high so it doesnt burn . One thing we do is add saffron to the rice , but it is an expensive ingreident and is not necessary for taste, but if you want a bit of that yellow color, you can use tumeric instead. Just add a bit of tumeric to your melted butter in the beginning and make sure its wells combined to get the classic yellow tahdig color. Extra: There is also a tahdig made with potatoes, and one made with lavash bread that are super dellicious, just under the rice , first put down a thin layer of potatoes or a thin layer of lavash bread ,and then layer the rice on. These ones will should probably cook faster than the regular tahdig.

[@deathpyre42]

Btw, fishwort is also considered an invasive species in North America. So while it does grow well anywhere with moist soil and relatively mild winters, you probably should be careful with growing it. But if you are confident with your ability to stop it from spreading it grows really well as long as it gets enough water, even indoors as a houseplant.

[@KyrieFortune]

Maybe you can use fish wort that has already invaded and help the ecosystem

[@whoslovingmj]

I love how ok the vendor was with answering your questions :) this looks amazing

[@tdeo2141]

You’re right. Most of the ones I asked never gave me much info!

[@vandalg282]

If he wants money, he answers the questions.

[@Jerald_Fitzjerald]

@@vandalg282 one purchase isn't gonna break the bank.. do you think restaurants actually care when you tell them you're never going there again??

[@vandalg282]

This ain't a restaurant....its a guy who NEEDS the money, good job missing the point though, handle your own straw men, deal with the actual point at hand. Move one, don't @ me.

[@Jerald_Fitzjerald]

@@vandalg282 You're the one who missed the point man, he sells hundreds of those in a day. He's not gonna go under because 2 people decided not to buy one.

[@HaraceHavoc]

I'm loving this format where you go step-by-step through a reference video and creating each component.

[@Fuchsia_tude]

It is 100% necessary to pronounce it _com_ ponent, though.

[@TheTheRay]

That dish for 6 RMB is crazy good value. Also, Steph posing with that cast iron pan was a beautiful shot. 10/10 cinematography.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

> Also, Steph posing with that cast iron pan was a beautiful shot. 10/10 cinematography. Only the most professional filmmakers here on this channel, you know

[@jocelynleung7480]

I adore this format! It’s like being right in the trenches with you guys as you navigate this food mystery

[@schleepycat]

We've found Chinese street food in particular is extremely time-consuming to make at home, it's almost never worth it for a small family size. Street vendors can make huge batches overnight which will *almost* always taste better. Either way, loveddd this video. It was so great to see the process! It's inspired me to make my own "rice sandwich"--Hope to visit Hunan in person and try this legit some time!

[@shizukagozen777]

What takes them 5 minutes in front of the customers actually takes much more than that beforehand, that's logical.

[@dak2009]

It is the classic slow food served fast.

[@SwetPotato]

Same for every other street food I think. It's just too much hassle to make a small serving at home. I'd rather go out and support the local venders :P

[@guro4679]

Just the concept of crispy rice sandwiching is worth trying with whatever available around! Thanks for the awesome idea!

[@naruto10119]

Cambodians and Thais have a crispy rice dish topped with spiced ground pork called Natang which is so so good

[@naruto10119]

Though the crispy/crunchy sticky rice in Natang is cooked separately from the topping, unlike this sandwich. I've seen one youtuber (cooking with the kems) used prepared dried cooked rice squares that are meant to be deep friend and used in this preparation, though I've never seen this product on any grocery store shelves before.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

@@naruto10119 In Chinese cooking there's something that's just like that rice crisps, also called guoba as the dish we're showing here in the video. The other kind of guoba is prepped in similar way as the Thai snack, which is everywhere on the street here in Bangkok and so hard to not just get it everyday...

[@georgemokarakorn9779]

ข้าวตัง หน้าตั้ง ข้าวตัง is more of a rice crispy sheet. หน้าตั้ง is pork shrimp shallot fermented soy bean coconut milk as topping. There are other ข้าวตัง also some with sugar icing, fermented mustardgreen leaf ball with some sweet filler.(เมี่ยงลาว), another option is chillie paste and pork sung ข้าวตังหมูหยอง

[@techo___o]

I loveee that

[@milotheviewer]

Fun fact! In the Spanish-speaking Caribbean world, we call this “pegao” (coming from the word “pegado” meaning glued or stuck). Often time during big events where we’re cooking for a lot of people (such as thanksgiving) my family would take the fluffy rice out of the pot and fry the pegao to make it extra crispy to put on top of our dishes.

[@bierbrauer11]

The opening spoke to my soul - and then you said sandwich. I have no words for how excited I am! ❤

[@omggiiirl2077]

I think this could be so good with a variety of Asian dishes! Like Bibimbap sandwich or a Thai version with basil pork, or a Japanese one with nikujaga and shoga, or even a Polynesian style with Nioi, dry aku, pickled sweet Maui onion, fried fish, or just poke with sweet onions and shoga! I think even a Ghanaian style would taste good where the rice is paired with shito, and fried squid, smoked fish, and crispy fried okra! Omg I'm so hungry! The possibilities are endless!

[@skweemish]

Finally found caiziyou at 99 Ranch here in Houston, but the smallest size they had was the 5L, so I guess we'll be using that for like everything we cook for a long while lol. Good thing my wife and I like the taste!

[@myfatsushi]

This video style was awesome! I loved seeing you break down what the street vendor was using, why, and how, and actually showing images of what the product would look like if shopping for it online! Even if the video was longer than you planned, the content is excellent. I just want to travel to China and eat everything... especially after videos like this.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Ha, *eventually* they'll reopen the borders... eventually... Luckily quarantines have been being reduced over the last few months, and HK is down to 0+3 (basically, you can't go into bars or restaurants/only do takeaway for three days after you land)... so there's some movement. If I had to put money on it I'd guess tourists'll be able to visit again in 2024.

[@sharnbaylis5813]

I’ve followed you guys for a while and I just wanted to show my appreciation for what you do. I may never cook this full dish, but the components in themselves were so valuable, that this was still a great video to watch. Thank you for sharing this wonderful culture with us. As an Australian who loves regional Chinese cuisine, you have been my go to resource on so many occasions.

[@Shurtugl]

I highly recommend you guys to check out Masala Dosa, which is an Indian dish with a lot of similar notes. Dosa is made out of fermented rice flour, so there's one difference I can highlight. Overall, both dishes seek the same end result which is toppings wrapped in crispy rice.

[@sadashig]

Hands down my favorite Indian dish! South Indian food is just so good!!!

[@DZrache]

I've had that before, but wasn't sure of the name! Luckily I live near a couple of restaurants that do good South Indian food, rather than the usual British-ised stuff. (I kinda find it exciting how many different types of rice there are and how versatile it is lol. Great for us who are gluten intolerant.)

[@mouldypieceofbread991]

this is my favourite channel on youtube, i have no connection to china and have only made a few of your recipes, but i’ve watched every single video, these are so fascinating and informative!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Cheers, appreciate the kind words :)

[@Ficalos]

Same!

[@violetviolet888]

MouldyPieceOfBread: Check out "Blondie in China" and "Max McFarlane"

[@diehexenmaus185]

i did not, at all, expect this to be so vegan friendly and i desperately need to make this, soon!

[@Luckingsworth]

"I didnt expect a dish centered solely around rice to not HAVE to include meat" Whoah shocker

[@rainy5517]

@@Luckingsworth vegan, not vegetarian

[@chrishayes5755]

hi guys im a vegan. I really didn't expect to click a youtube video that was vegan! and there's synthetic tofu and soy and tons of weird oil that you could probably run in your car, omg look soo delish 🥴

[@wojciechostrowicz]

@@chrishayes5755 Dearie, vegan ≠ healthy. I just ditched the meat and dairy, not snacks 😂 Also, saying that about the oils used by the guy is a bit out of place. Just because it's not normal for your culture doesn't mean it's bad and you can run it in a car. Shame.

[@frankchen4229]

@@chrishayes5755 ? Wtf is synthetic tofu?

[@CalvinPuah]

Mate, I love the passion that you and your partner have for Chinese cooking. Never fail to learn something each time I catch a video! Love your work!

[@Xroxking]

This step by step analysis format is great to see along with the comparisons of your adaptation. Another great video keep up the good work! 😁

[@Bunny-ch2ul]

25 minutes to cook the outside of a sandwich 100% sounds like something I would do. *adds pan to cart*

[@nightryder21]

In Dominican Republic it's called ConCon

[@jacquesc0usteau]

I know my Colombian step mom calls it cucayo 😂

[@johnrigley8748]

My Persian friends always cook rice to have crispy base and I love it. I have to show them this!

[@zipporahhill4401]

I love watching different street food cuisines. This is the first one that explains what the dish is made of and how to make it. subscribed!

[@TrickshotVariationz]

Really enjoyed the format of this video. Thank the two of you (and the Hunan street vendor!) for sharing!

[@charlesgedeon]

This format might be one of the most innovative I've seen on Cooking KZbin in a long time. I'd love to see more like this!

[@MeowMeowKapow]

We make something similar at my house on a regular basis. Do yourselves a favor, and just use fresh, already cooked rice straight from your rice cooker/pot you cooked it in. It gets deliciously crispy for sure. We use our tamagoyaki pan that has a glass lid, and one of the best additions is putting a raw egg on top of the nearly-finished rice, putting the lid on, and letting it finish until the white is set. Other toppings, as well, are encouraged… but runny eggs are life.

[@JennyPlunkett]

This is one of my favorite videos of y’all’s! I loved the side by side overview of the street vendors process!

[@danpreston564]

I have never seen a video from this channel before. This dish looks outrageous. Chilli, salt and msg with everything. Crispy rice. Fantastic. I’ve been grinning ear to ear watching this.

[@DamnZodiak]

Iranian her: That intro made me feel so seen. Tahdig is one of the greatest things to happen to mankind in a long while and it's exactly what I thought of when I saw the companion video. I'll definitely try making this!

[@ccaa7674]

Tahdig got a shout out! 🇮🇷🇮🇷 This is one of my favorite foods in the world.

[@angelad.8944]

Houttinya cordata is actually sold as an ornamental perennial here in the west. A common name is chameleon plant. Heart shaped leaved with a few colors on them. I have a nice patch and part of it has reverted back to the solid green leaf. I put it in a slightly sandier soil so I can harvest the roots easily. 😊

[@dak2009]

Careful growing it as it is considered an invasive plant. But, knowing that the roots are edible, its game on! Plants vs Humans!

[@angelad.8944]

@@dak2009 Very true. I'm in a cold winter climate so that hasn't been a problem so far but for others its definitely a container plant

[@shakiMiki]

Straight in as one of my favourite videos of yours of all time. As always a delicious education.

[@AlejandroArch22]

I’m so excited to watch after I get back from work.

[@bemusedindian8571]

This reminds me of an old forgotten Indian (?) dish which is basically well cooked, day-old rice mixed with a shallot / red chilly paste. It is then spread out in a layer and toasted in a cast iron skillet (in coconut oil). End result was mostly socarrat with some fluffy rice on top. It was a dish associated with poverty (protein sources were limited).

[@ahuv]

I love how thorough you investigated this dish! I tried so many unknown yummy things in China and in the West, people are only ever after the boring sweet and sour, black bean sauce etc etc. There is so much more flavour and your video broke this down with accurate names!

[@TotalTimoTime]

I loved this video. So well researched, easy to follow, no fuss. I‘m so bad with asian cuisine but your video instilled confidence in me! And the dish is vegan too ❤

[@mykyl0]

This is incredible. Love the process breakdown!

[@erinhowett3630]

That fermented bean curd is addictive. I definitely have and will continue to just eat it with a spoon. I also make a kind of sauce for corn with a bit of butter, some cream, vegetable stock, and fermented tofu.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Genius. Now I kind of want to try to make a 'Southwest China' elote with chili furu, mayo, cojita cheese, smoked chili powder, sesame, and cilantro...

[@erinhowett3630]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified THAT SOUNDS SO GOOD. Do it. Then post the recipe. I first tried the combo because hungover me was hungry and tired and needed salt. Heated up some canned corn with the juice and threw all the salty things I had in the pot. Turns out it was delicious, so I started refining it. Now it's actually quite an elegant side dish, from very humble and kind of painful beginnings!

[@connorjensen9699]

Now this is some top tier content, holy cow. Amazing

[@karleedu]

I just started watching this and my mouth is watering so much. I need to try this! Thank you

[@kiltedcripple]

Y'all make videos that feel like a relief to me.

[@ticklezcat5191]

In Japan high-end rice cookers have a setting just to make scorched rice ("okoge")

[@gooblepls3985]

This is such a good video, making an amazing street food available for everyone to make themselves!!

[@aazz7997]

You guys are awesome! Loved this video and that you show a vendor making it.

[@JadonRayy]

Amazing video yet again, love what you guys do!!

[@DB-ei6wr]

Another great video. Thanks for the insight into your testing process!

[@manfaitang5577]

When you lead the story with 'Almost all rice obsessed cultures have this one obsession...' , I was so convinced you were talking about the dream of inventing The One rice dish/snack that would be as ubiquitous and beloved as western bread has become with the younger generations, hence the 'rice sandwich' in the thumbnail. :D I do believe that nowadays we're almost there with the triangle onigiri (convenient) and kimbap (easy to keep fresh for lunch) and this rice sandwich looks amazing as well. Regarding speeding up the cooking time: You might be able to significantly speed it up by using pre-cooked / day old rice and using a toaster oven / panini press that heats both sides and seals it. What works for bread should work for this too with the right amount of oil/water :P

[@Fatmanstan606]

Persian tahdig gang showing love! ✊ Obsessed with this channel, keep up the great work!

[@chancekahle2214]

I think the Puerto Ricans call that rice crust "pegao".

[@briansegarra9312]

Yes "pegaoooo" nice to see a fellow boricua in here

[@Shrifbun]

Especially when we talk pegao in PR, we mean particularly the scorched rice that you get making arroz con gandules, rice and pigeon peas. The flavors of the dish (and definitely the use of lard or bacon fat) results in an incredible crispy rice that's very cracker like.

[@namingisdifficult408]

True

[@IvanRSaldias]

Dominicans call it Concón because of the sound it does when you try to break it from the pan XD

[@Aquadolphin314]

... which is also the title of my favorite José Feliciano song! I wonder if there is a connection?

[@kirkendauhl6990]

I thought this channel was a whole crew like America's Test Kitchen so I didn't bother watching. The name implied multiple people to my ears. Seeing just a couple having fun and sharing their dishes makes this way more appealing to me. I've always been the guy at a restaurant to eat the less popular items so these recipes don't sound too bad lol

[@f0t0b0y]

I lived in Shanghai for 2 years and miss it so much; for mostly the food. Love this channel! I now live in Cincinnati and it took me 2 years to find a proper Chinese restaurant. The place is called Sichuan bistro, and it is out of this world. They get a big kick out of me breaking out my broken Mandarin. ☺️ Either way they allow me too order off menu items. My review on yelp got national attention because I mention living as a foreigner in China and how much does tasted like authentic Chinese. I’m the Laowai that boosted business allowing hipsters to brag about the authentic spot. 🤓 Lastly, a year after finding that restaurant, another spot opened up offering Xinjiang la mian!!! I freaked out when I walked in and they were hand pulling the noodles in their open kitchen. In Cincinnati!!! These two restaurants have filled my soul with happiness. Now that your channel is showing us how to cook Chinese dishes, it cracks me up that almost every dish is the same. Oil, ginger, garlic, some form of chili, MSG, white pepper, salt, soy sauce. It’s all the same just different proteins and veggies. 😜

[@luikzwafeltje212]

Appreciate your enthusiasm hhh

[@dfwturtles105]

I want this in quesadilla form, looks so good!

[@user-mu3qf8cx5j]

Thank you for the recipe!!! I have been looking for one.

[@Mike-rf5tz]

You guys are amazing. Another great video.

[@ogorangeduck]

9:12 My mother grew up in Shanghai but her parents were both from Hunan and she said everyone in the apartment would start coughing whenever her father cooked.

[@htklun]

I’ve had a crispy variant of Cantonese glutinous rice wrap (糯米雞) in Hong Kong and it was done in a similar way: a crispy outer layer of rice, with a sweet and savory inner layers of minced pork/chicken, mushroom, Chinese sausage and a thick gooey sauce holding the sandwich filling in between. I would venture to say that you can take the basic rice crispy base and top it with pretty much anything you want. Maps tofu left over? Pulled pork belly stewed in sweet soy sauce? The possibilities are endless… Thanks for sharing the Hunan version with us!

[@jsfaulkner]

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing

[@saulemaroussault6343]

It sounds amazing. I will definitely try this !

[@kevinwon2683]

I really appreciate you guys’ 诚意 to create the best recreation possible, but Chris mentioning to make another dish 香辣土豆丝 to top on this dish really sent me 😂

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

lol the fact that we needed to make five dishes to even before we started the sandwich was a big reason why this video ended up pushing 16 minutes... BUT like Steph said in the outro, it was fantastic with the mala beef 肉酱 that we made a few weeks back - and *that's* something that keeps/freezes real well. Crispy rice + 肉酱 + some cilantro or sth is a fantastic topping too imo

[@kinorinadiy]

thank you for sharing this! never seen this type of sandwich before. Hope i can try it one day

[@SmartyPoohBear]

I tried the family-sized portion with a mix of japanese short grain rice and black sweet rice, and it crisped up perfectly!

[@cocacola7845]

Wow! That looks incredible 🤤

[@camishomecooking9467]

Thanks for sharing so many authentic Chinese local foods! 😍👍

[@erinhowett3630]

I like this style of video!

[@dwippity]

that's so cool!! I used to work at a conveyor belt sushi chain, and we ha crispy rice as well! but being fast food, we just took the leftover sushi rice from the day before, put it into a mold & then deep fried it lol. not nearly as interesting, and certainly not the same, but the seasoning from the sushi rice made it a bit sweet, and paired really nicely with the spicy salmon/tuna topping!

[@jaeff4]

Really enjoyed this "pause and explain" format and I'm looking forward to more in depth street food recipe investigations.

[@xSk3lx]

This channel is a goldmine

[@painkillerasprin]

Made it for the first time today and it took about 20 minutes to make a 6.5in circle. I added butter and slightly more oil than in the recipe. Not sure if it was not enough rice but some parts fell apart while others stayed whole (still delicious though). I used leftover Arabic style rice with vermicelli instead of uncooked rice and it worked out fine. Topped with chicken kebab and it was a delicious lunch! Will need to tweek it more before serving it to guests but..... More for me!! Hahahah! Edit: I used a regular nonstick frying pan with a lid.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Nice! I think the falling apart bit might be due to the rice used - sticky rice is, well, quite sticky :) Some vendors use a mix of rices, but sticky rice is usually in the mix somewhere. Leftover sticky rice can also make for pretty solid candidate here

[@painkillerasprin]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified I feel like it's the most fool proof since it naturally sticks together but I didn't have any on hand. You really cant go wrong with using leftover rice since the flavor changes quite dramatically compared to regular cooked rice and can easily level up a meal prep dish with minimal active work. I only had to rotate the pan maybe 10 times since the clear lid let me see when the water evaporated and I would have to start worrying about even color. I also think that when washing other types of rice you shouldn't wash till clear since the starches are important (which is what we do when making long grain rice since rice sticking together for our dishes is a no-no)

[@cookingwithmimmo]

非常感谢您的分享，我非常喜欢🌸

[@Pammellam]

In Japan, it is お焦げ/Okoge - a very well loved dish of toasty rice at the bottom of cooked rice when cooked in a gas top stove. Those electric rice cookers don’t make it. But cooked properly on a gas range or better yet over real fire, it’s wonderful!

[@blackhellebore89]

My rice cooker has a setting for clay bottom rice - I haven't tried it yet but now I'm considering it!

[@sakuda213]

OMG, this looks insanely good

[@PR4Life1977]

Wow I would love that dish, as a kid I used to make rice balls when the rice pot had all that sticky and crunchy rice right there at the bottom was the best. I can only imagine how this tastes.

[@wr6293]

I can see the crispy rice as a great side dish on itself!

[@TheRizGuy]

I love crispy bottom of the pan rice, I have tried to make it seperately before, but the results were less than ideal, thank you so much for the video, will be trying this soon.

[@digital-underworld]

tip for the pizza slices if you plan to eat it like that then just it it into a quarter and fold rather than eighths, the fold will give you one side the filling wont slip out of

[@WillSiddall]

A tip to get an even heat on the pan: set it in another pan. Sure it's less efficient, but at low heat, warming up a cast iron pan will provide an event heat in your smaller pan.

[@cassiaprior453]

I like to make pega'o XD You use left-over rice, butter or olive oil or tocino grease (I prefer olive oil or tocino). You place the oil in the pan first, leave it for a minute and then place the rice evenly through the pan. You just leave the rice there for about ten minutes and then it's done. You can't cover it cause it won't be as crunchy. It's delicious XD

[@jamesblhollands]

Fantastic video guys, thank you

[@TheViolaBuddy]

Oh cool, I liked the actual on-the-street segment. Not least of which because we actually get to hear you speak Chinese in real life, which is always fun.

[@charitysheppard4549]

It is so nice to see a plant-based recipe!!

[@ArtelisStudio]

In the Philippines, we have toasted rice ice cream. We have an ice cream shop called Manila Creamery. My favorite is their “Tinutong Na Kanin” flavor, which means toasted rice. Yes, it’s toasty, creamy, ricey yummy!

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

With all of these fillings having their own cooking time, this almost feels like a leftovers dish to make do with what wasn't eaten of yesterday's dinner. I don't think I'll make this exact recipe, but I'll definitely use this approach when I get around to trying this out.

[@keithengle592]

fish wort is super common in the US... at garden and pond supply stores. it smells wonderful and I can't wait to try it

[@hatman4818]

This is amazing. I have a friend with all manner of allergies (nuts, gluten, lactose, etc), and I'd really like to cook for him sometime. I lived in Okinawa for 5 years from being in the military, and I think the rice heavy, lactose free diet of asian countries means there are a lot of dishes I can try to replicate that he might like, and not feel like he's missing out. A rice based sandwich sounds amazing to me, I might even try just making like, regular western sandwiches using rice instead of bread (though I'd prefer to make more appropriate toppings if I have the time). I think my biggest concern is, I have to be careful with oils for him. He cant do peanut oil, or I think even sesame oil. So I might give this a shot using Canolla instead (as much as I like peanut oil). I also have an idea. I plan on getting a charcoal grill for this summer, and I'm getting into welding lately. I might try making a custom pan that's super long, that way I can fry up like 5 sandwiches worth of rice, top, and fold in one go, then cut in the pan to appropriate size sandwiches.

[@lynn858]

Your dedication, and combination of your interests is awesome, and reminds me of some excellent humans I'm glad to know. I hope your ideas come together as wonderfully as it sounds! :)

[@angelad.8944]

I don't drool often when watching a video but yah, I am drooling, haha!

[@moonlightillari]

I thought I was alone in enjoying the crispy bits at the bottom of cooked rice 😅 Very nice recipe, Thank you! (Both of you are very cute btw!)

[@sgwasabi]

I like the way you show us how to make crunchy rice. I'd love to try it next time and add some Wasabi Pepper and Salt as well!!😍😍😍

[@IAmTheUltimateRuler]

what an incredible concept, and I really enjoyed this style of video! "chilli fried chilli" does feel slightly on the nose as the name for a hunan dish though 😅

[@MynameisSehoonPark]

많은 것을 배워갑니다 좋은 영상 고마워요❤

[@worldpeacevibes7999]

I did this a few years ago and used day old rice I left uncovered in the fridge over night it was so good.

[@NachozMan]

Oh my god this looks so damn tasty, crunchy rice is indeed like gold.

[@Glorytogod18]

great content!!!! thank you!!! will try cooking myself soon!!

[@dsyy90210]

This looks soooooo good

[@it-s-a-mystery]

Unrelated, but i found myself petting your dog when he was on screen just hanging out at the end. What a lovely boy

[@CaseNumber00]

I have a 22 inch blackstone outdoor griddle, this gives me ideas. As a base I could lay down a rice layer and work from there. Then again, why the street vendor is not doing it that way makes me hesitant.

[@geode8556]

Your Chinese pizza and burritos rule! I'm so hungry!

[@bigolpancake9136]

Such an excellent video.