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Banh Mi Rice Bowls

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

For the coconut rice:*

  • 1 cup short grain brown rice
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • ½ cup unsweetened full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro

For the pork patties:

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 3 green onions (1/2 bunch), thinly sliced + more for garnish
  • ¼ cup chopped basil (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • Oil, for frying

For the radish + carrot:**

  • 2 carrots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 bunch radishes, tops removed, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional)
  • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

For the spicy yogurt sauce (optional):

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp - 1 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce (depending on spice level)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • Water, to thin (or thin it out with leftover coconut milk)
  • *Just use plain cooked white or brown rice for a lighter, simpler option (find rice cooking instructions here). Or see Instant Pot instructions (this will make more rice than you’ll need, but it freezes beautifully or you can just cut the recipe in half).
  • **You can use about 3 cups worth of any raw crunchy veg here!

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Cook coconut ginger rice (or plain)
  • Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions
  • Make pork mixture/patties (or skip and do the shortcut method)
  • Cook the pork patties or crumbles
  • Thinly slice 2 carrots(about 1 cup)
  • Thinly slice 1 bunch radishes (about 2 cups)
  • Thinly slice 1 jalapeno(optional)
  • Pickle the radish, carrot, jalapeno 
  • Make spicy yogurt sauce
 

Instructions

For the rice (or see IP instructions)

  • In a medium pot, stir together the rice, water, coconut milk, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. If rice is cooked and there is still a lot of liquid, just simmer uncovered until it reduces. The end result should be slightly “saucy” rice. Add cilantro to the pot and fluff it in with a fork.

For the pickled vegetables:

  • In a medium bowl, add the carrot, radish, jalapeno (if using), vinegar, water, and salt. Mix to combine, then set aside.

For the pork patties (or see shortcut method below):

  • in a medium-large bowl, add the pork patty ingredients and mix to thoroughly combine. Form into small patties (about 1 heaping tablespoon worth).
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add about 1 teaspoon olive oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the patties to the pan, pressing them down gently. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer the patties to a plate lined with paper towel.
  • Carefully pour or spoon off excess oil and wipe out the skillet, then repeat that same process with the remaining patties.

For the spicy yogurt sauce (if using):

  • Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in water, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s nice and drizzle-able. Taste and add more sriracha or salt, if needed.

To serve:

  • Add the warm rice to a bowl and top with pork patties and pickled vegetables. Drizzle the sauce all over and top with plenty of scallions, cilantro and/or basil.

Meat shortcut instructions:

  • Instead of making and forming the patties, cook the pork into crispy crumbles: Add a drizzle of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, salt, and pepper and break it up into chunks. Cook undisturbed for 2-4 minutes or until browned, then continue to break it up into chunks and small crumbles and let it continue to cook and get nice and crispy. Turn off the heat. If there is a lot of excess oil, tilt the pan to drain off and use a spoon or tablespoon to scoop out the oil. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and stir in the scallions, basil (if using), garlic, and fish sauce for another minute, stirring often.

Instant Pot coconut rice instructions:

  • To your Instant Pot, add 2 cups short grain brown rice, 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (~1 ⅔ cup), 1 ½ cups water, 2 tablespoons grated ginger (or add ginger in slices), and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, then pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually. Add the cilantro and fluff it in.

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, substitute the pork with tofu. Crumble it up and follow the shortcut instructions.
  • To make vegan, use tofu and skip the yogurt sauce (or use a vegan yogurt). Just top with straight up sriracha.
  • Substitute ground turkey or chicken for the pork. Try to buy dark meat since it has more fat content. Cook the turkey or chicken in 2-3 tablespoons oil since they have less fat and we want it to get browned.
  • Use cucumber or any thinly sliced veg instead of radish and/or carrot.

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge
    • Pork patties: up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer
    • Rice: up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer
    • Pickled veg: up to 6 days in the fridge (radish can smell a little funky, but it’s normal!)

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Use leftover coconut milk in your oatmeal and smoothies or freeze for later use! You can also add coconut milk to the yogurt sauce to thin it out. 
  • Reheat the rice and pork patties in the microwave. Serve with pickled veg, herbs and yogurt sauce. 
  • Chop up the patties and reheat it in a skillet for a “fried rice” version. You could even add some egg or top with fried egg and pickled veg + herbs.
  • As a heads up, pickled radish can smell funky but it’s normal!