Grilled Eggplant Rice Bowl Made with Just One Eggplant! It Takes Only 5 Minutes.

Trim the stem of the eggplant and slice it into pieces about 6-7 cm long and 1 cm thick, cutting diagonally. Adjust the length based on preference, but keep the slices thick as they will shrink when cooked.

Slice half of a Cheongyang chili pepper and half of a green onion into thin pieces, about 0.3 cm thick. You can substitute with Ggwari chili or omit if not available.

In a deep bowl, combine the sliced Cheongyang chili, green onion, traditional doenjang (fermented soybean paste), sugar, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, and water. Mix well to prepare the sauce for the rice bowl. Use a cooking wine without a sour smell, such as Mirim or Mihyang. Optionally, add a pinch of minced ginger if available.

Heat a frying pan over high heat and add about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil.

Once the pan is hot, add the prepared eggplant slices and cook over medium heat, flipping to brown both sides evenly. Optionally, sprinkle a pinch of black pepper while cooking for added flavor.

Evenly drizzle the prepared sauce over the eggplant slices in the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens slightly. Avoid pouring the sauce in one spot as eggplant absorbs liquid quickly; distribute evenly.

Turn off the heat and let the eggplant finish cooking in the residual heat of the pan, flipping occasionally to ensure even coating of the sauce.

Place a serving of cooked rice in a deep bowl.

Arrange the cooked eggplant slices over the rice, spreading them out evenly. If black pepper was not added during cooking, you can sprinkle a small amount now for flavor.

Finish by sprinkling a small amount of whole sesame seeds over the top for added texture and presentation. This step is optional.