Coconut Rice With Bok Choy And Fried Eggs Recipe

Tess Le Moing

October 17, 2023 at 11:45 AM·7 min read

bowls with coconut rice and eggs - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

If you're looking for a simple meal that packs in a starchy base, vegetables, and non-meat protein, then this coconut rice with bok choy and fried eggs recipe is the perfect solution. The beauty of this meal is that you can pretty much enjoy it any time of day — for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and according to recipe developer Tess Le Moing, this dish also provides a great way to sneak veggies into your diet. "If you're not a big vegetable person, this is THE dish for you," she explains. "Bok choy has a very mild flavor and it hides in this rice like a dream. You'd never know it was in there."

While the bok choy blends in quite beautifully, more stand-out ingredients include coconut rice, cilantro, pickled onions, and fried egg. Le Moing notes, "The coconut flavor is subtle," and adds that "the final drizzle of coconut oil at the end is what brings out the coconut flavor." So you can expect subtly sweet, savory, herby, and acidic flavors with every bite — pretty impressive for a rice bowl.

Gather The Ingredients For Coconut Rice With Bok Choy And Fried Eggs

ingredients for rice bowls - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

You'll need a decent amount of coconut oil to make this recipe, and you'll use some both for frying and as a final drizzle on your bowl. "Non-virgin, unrefined coconut oil doesn't taste like coconut! Avoid if you want coconut flavor," Le Moing advises. You'll also need bok choy, with the stalks sliced ½-inch thick and the leafy green parts chopped up. As for the scallions, the white parts should be minced whereas the green parts should be sliced.

Other ingredients include garlic, fresh ginger, long-grain white rice, coconut water, kosher salt, minced cilantro, lime zest and juice, eggs, toasted shredded coconut, and pickled vegetables of your choosing. You might want some chili crisp on hand as a final punchy garnish, though this ingredient is optional.

Step 1: Heat Up Coconut Oil

oil heating in pot - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-hight heat until shimmering.

Step 2: Saute The Bok Choy Stalks And Aromatics

chopped vegetables in pot - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Add bok choy stalks, minced scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add Rice And Coconut Water

liquid and greens in pot - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Stir in rice, coconut water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir halfway through to loosen the grains.

Step 4: Fold In The Greens

herby rice in pot - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Fold in the cilantro, lime zest, and juice, and bok choy greens.

Step 5: Heat More Coconut Oil

oil heating in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat 3 tablespoons coconut.

Step 6: Crack The Eggs

eggs frying in pan - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Crack two eggs into the oil, leaving them untouched for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottom and edges are nice and crispy.

Step 7: Spoon Coconut Oil Over The Eggs

spooning oil over fried eggs - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

Tilt the skillet toward you and spoon the oil onto the uncooked whites until cooked. Repeat with remaining 2 eggs.

Step 8: Assemble And Serve

assembled fried egg rice bowl - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

To serve, divide coconut rice between four bowls and top each with a fried egg, scallion greens, shredded coconut, and chili crisps. Drizzle with remaining coconut oil.

What's So Special About Bok Choy?

rice bowls with fried eggs - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

If you don't cook with bok choy often, then you may be surprised to learn that it's actually a type of cabbage, and one that is often used in Chinese cuisine. Due to its status as cabbage, many find that bok choy does indeed taste very cabbage-like or bitter, though it's overall a mild green that isn't going to completely alter the taste of your dish.

As Le Moing explains, "Most bok choy recipes online are sauteed, in a stir-fry or as a salad." While these iterations are no doubt tasty, Le Moing wanted to find a way to get creative with cabbage. "I wanted to drum up a new way to incorporate them in a dish and that's when I thought about adding them diced into rice," she explains. The result is a rice bowl that has some bok choy-backed health benefits including antioxidants, minerals, and fiber — of course, all you'll notice is how good your bowl tastes.

How Can You Switch Up This Coconut Rice With Bok Choy And Fried Eggs?

fried egg rice bowl - Tess Le Moing/Tasting Table

There are plenty of ways to customize this bowl, and the first way is to amp up the coconut flavor. "If you want even more coconut flavor you can substitute [the coconut water] with coconut milk," Le Moing says.

If you're content with the level of coconutty flavor in your bowl, then you might feel more inclined to switch up the toppings. "Pickled vegetables are not only great for added nutrients, but also an added pop of color," Le Moing says, adding, "I always have pickled red onion and carrots, but you can top it with kimchi, pickled ginger, or any other pickled veg you like. If you're not a pickled person, feel free to leave it out."

And finally, for those who want to expand this recipe into an entirely new dish, there's flexibility to do so. "This is a meal on its [own], but you can omit the egg and serve the rice [as] a side for any protein or stew," Le Moing suggests.