Buldak Chicken Rice (with Cheese!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup water (or enough to cook rice)
• 1 x 200g boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1.5 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 2 tsps gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, adjust according to spice tolerance)
• 2 tsps light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsps sesame oil
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• Roasted seaweed, spring onions and sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Add chicken to a marinating bowl and mix together the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and apple cider vinegar (if using), until well-combined. Set aside while you prepare the rice. Rinse the rice under water about 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
2. Add the rinsed rice to the bowl of your rice cooker, if it's not already in. Top with water. Place the marinated chicken pieces on top of the rice, in one even layer. If there is any leftover marinade, add it to the rice cooker bowl.
3. Close the lid and turn the rice cooker on to regular rice cooker settings.
4. Once the rice cooker is done, or switches to the "keep warm" setting, immediately open the lid. Be careful of steam! Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Close the lid and let the residual heat melt the cheese for about 5 minutes.
5. Garnish your cheesy buldak chicken rice with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds for that extra pop of flavour and freshness. Serve hot and dig in!