Recipe: Eggplant and Onion Fried Wild Rice

Note: This recipe was republished with permissions from Feed Zone Portables Cookbook, written by Skratch Labs founder, Dr. Allen Lim and Chef Biju Thomas.

Fried rice is a great meal to have in your repertoire. There are countless variations in every culture, and dishes like this one can be reinvented week to week to feature leftovers or whatever great finds turn up at the farmers market.

You can also serve fried rice as a side or even as the main event—it's a balanced meal for a busy night thanks to the eggs and vegetables. 

Recipe (Serves 4):

2 cups wild rice
3 cups water (more if specified on package)
3 cups diced eggplant
1 cup minced white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Start the rice and water in the rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer as directed on the package. Most wild rice varieties require 40 to 45 minutes to cook.

2. When the rice is about 20 minutes from being finished, prepare the other ingredients. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the diced eggplant, onion and garlic, and panfry until they becomes golden brown. The eggplant will soak up the olive oil, so add more if needed.

3. Add the eggs to the eggplant mixture, and scramble until firm. 

4. When the rice is finished cooking, add it to the eggplant mixture along with the salt—stirring until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat. 

5. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

To use leftover white or brown rice in this dish, get a pot ready and add a splash of water to three cups of cooked rice. Warm over medium heat with the lid on for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically. The extra water will keep the rice from drying out and will help it cook evenly.

Find more recipe inspiration on the Skratch Labs Blog and in the Feed Zone Cookbook series!