Bacon split spiced mung bean rice

I got this inspiration from the bachang or dumpling that I love to eat at home. The triangle dumplings made of glutinous rice, mung beans, pork belly, mushrooms and chestnuts, wrapped in lotus leaf.

This is my easy one pot intepretation of it. I wanted a quick fast meal last nite, so I didnt do the pork belly version. Here it is.

For 2 p - medium portion
2 whole slices of bacon - rind taken off
1/2 cup of spiced split mung bean
1/2 cup rice
1 cup water or enough water to cover
Olive oil
2 tbsp of soy sauce

I use a medium size pot for this.
Wash the rice and set aside.
Cut bacon into matchsticks.
Lightly sautee bacon in pot with say 1 tbsp of olive oil until golden slightly brown.
Then add the spiced split mung bean. Sautee.
Add the rice. Sautee.
Add the water and soy and steam as you would cooking steam rice till cook.
I generally simmer on low, leave the lid on till all water is absorbed, then lift the lid to let steam out. Then close the lid. Turn off the heat. Rest for 15 minutes.
Serve.

You can eat as it is or in our case, we had it with some lightly sauteed some English spinach. After we scooped all the cooked rice into serving plates, I used back the same pot to cook the veg. It takes only 2 minutes. Just put sesame oil,   oyster sauce,  shio xing wine, sugar and sautee chopped up spinach till lightly wilted.

PS: If I were to cook with pork belly, I would have to separately sear the pork belly and then stew for about 1 hour in various spice and aromatics, and then replace it with the bacon, and use the stew juice to make the rice, same as above.

It so happens I got a packet of spiced mung beans. It is I believe a mix of Indian spices. But you can make your own, of say tumeric powder or 5 spice powder:-)

Bon Appetite!