This is a Book About Rice, written by Brendan Pang, features a vibrant and flavor-packed collection of 60 rice-based recipes from across Asia, Africa, and beyond. A few highlights include Spiced Mauritian Fried Rice, Taiwanese Lu Rou Fan (Braised Pork Rice Bowl), Crunchy Indian Rice Pakoras (Fritters), Tangy Burmese Tomato Rice Salad, and Filipino Baked Ube Rice Cake (Bibingka). I will also be sharing his recipe for Mauritian Bol Renversé (Upside-Down Bowl) following the review.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book from Page Street Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.
Brendan Pang
Brendan Pang is a culinary entrepreneur and storyteller. He grew up in Perth and is currently based between Australia and Asia. His love of cooking started in his Grandmère’s kitchen and has been inspired by his family’s Mauritian-Chinese background.
He was a contestant on Masterchef Australia in 2018 & 2020 and has been featured by ABC Perth, Chinatown London, PopSugar, and more. Brendan is also the author of This is a Book About Dumplings, This is a Book About Noodles, and This is a Book About Street Food.
This is a Book About Rice
Brendan begins This is a Book About Rice with a short introduction and a few helpful notes for working with rice. He even has specific guides for short-grain, medium-grain, and long-grain rice with stove-top and rice cooker methods.
Chapters are divided based on style of rice: Fried Rice; Rice Bowls; Rice Snacks; Rice Salads; Rice Soups; Rice Feasts; Rice Cakes, Rolls, and Other Forms; and Rice Desserts. The contents page has a list of the included recipes and page number for easy reference.
The photography is provided by Kidensha Film & Photography Studio. Every recipe is paired with a beautifully styled, full-page photo of the finished dish.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English and/or the original language. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, and serving ideas.
Mauritian Bol Renversé
To pair with this review, I was so excited to make Mauritian Bol Renversé (Upside-Down Bowl)! I have seen Bol Renversé online a few times, but this was my first time finally trying/making it in person (and definitely won’t be the last). The recipe was inspired by Brendan’s mother.
This comforting meal has layers of freshly steamed rice, a meat and vegetable mixture with a thick sauce, and a fried egg to finish. It is all carefully arranged in a bowl, then flipped over onto a plate.
The result is a magical presentation of the fried egg on top over the sauce and the rice underneath soaking in all those flavors. This Bol Renversé is best served immediately after assembling and flipping.
A Few Mauritian Bol Renversé Tips
Press down lightly to pack the layers into the bowl so they hold together after flipping, but don’t press so hard that the yolk breaks.
Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong, 腊肠) is a Chinese sweet and savory dried sausage generally made with pork/pork fat, but may have other ingredients such as chicken, beef, or offal if avoiding pork.
For those in Northern Virginia, I have been able to find it in the refrigerated section of 99 Ranch Market in Fairfax (or in Gardena when I was living in Torrance, California).
More Rice
I also made the Spicy Mongolian Beef Fried Rice, Japanese Shiitake Mushroom Zosui Soup, Korean Chewy Rice Cakes (Tteokbokki), and Indonesian Coconut Pandan Rice Balls (Klepon).
The Spicy Mongolian Beef Fried Rice was such a wonderful use for leftovers. Day-old cooked jasmine rice is tossed with marinated sirloin, bell pepper, onion, and a chili garlic sauce for an easy meal that comes together in minutes.
Another great use of leftover rice is the Japanese Shiitake Mushroom Zosui Soup. I made this meal a couple of days after my son got braces while he was still having difficulty eating. The short-grain rice is simmered in a seasoned dashi stock with sliced shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, nori, and egg ribbons. It is also a perfect way to warm up on a cold morning.
It was so fun to make the Korean Chewy Rice Cakes (Tteokbokki) with homemade rice cakes (my first time!). After forming the rice flour dough into cylinders and slicing, they are briefly steamed before simmering in a spicy gochujang sauce (optionally with fish cakes and eggs).
The Indonesian Coconut Pandan Rice Balls (Klepon) were another fun treat to make at home. Glutinous rice flour is mixed with pandan-infused water to create a beautiful and fragrant base, then formed into rounds filled with grated sugar and boiled just until chewy and tender. To finish, they are coated in coconut before serving warm or at room temperature.
This is a Book About Rice is a fantastic pick for those interested in cooking rice using a variety of styles and methods. I especially love the focus on global flavors and regional favorites. Many of the recipes come together in as little as 30 minutes for quick meals, while others take a little longer to prepare and are perfect for larger celebrations. There is also a nice balance of meat, seafood, and vegetarian-based options.
The ingredients are starting to become more available in larger American grocery stores. A few items may require further searching such as shrimp paste, kecap manis, gochujang, galangal, sashimi-grade seafood, pork belly, palm sugar, lemongrass, Thai basil, dried bamboo leaves, besan, black rice, red rice, makrut lime leaves, and more. Substitutions are provided when possible.
Mauritian Bol Renversé Recipe
Excerpt from This is a Book About Rice
Mauritian Bol Renversé (Upside-Down Bowl)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (40 milliliters) vegetable oil
- 14 ounces (396 grams) sliced boneless chicken thighs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Chinese sausages sliced
- 6 shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 carrot sliced
- 6 baby corn sliced
Stir-Fry Sauce:
- 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (80 milliliters) oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (40 milliliters) light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (40 milliliters) Chinese cooking wine
- 10.5 ounces (300 grams) bok choy chopped
- 2 cups plus 4 teaspoons (500 milliliters) chicken stock or water
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (40 milliliters) water
To Serve:
- 4 large eggs fried sunny-side up
- 4 cups plus 3 tablespoons (660 grams) cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
Start the stir-fry:
- In a wok, heat the oil over high heat, then add the sliced chicken.
- Season with salt and black pepper, then stir-fry until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
- Add the sliced sausages to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and baby corn, and stir-fry to crisp up the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Add back the cooked chicken.
Make the stir-fry sauce:
- Add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and cooking wine to the wok. Mix well to combine, then add the bok choy and chicken stock.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid and lower the heat.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce, making sure to cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Assemble the rice bowl:
- Carefully place a fried egg, yolk side down, in each medium-sized rice or soup bowl.
- Fill each bowl about halfway with the stir-fry and sauce, followed by the cooked rice.
- Gently flatten the rice, then invert onto a plate.
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