Making "Desperation Kimchi Fried Rice" in the Microwave, with No Stove and No Stirring

The basic ingredients are warm rice, an egg, and kimchi. The other version adds Japanese leek and natto. Ryuji explains that the natto is there "because it adds protein."

Ryuji cooks in the skillet they normally use, but says a ceramic plate works fine too. Regular warmed rice is fine, and so is rice that was cooked earlier and reheated.

The core of the method is to crack the egg directly into the container, beat it lightly, add sesame oil, top it with the rice, and then leave it without stirring.

About 1 tablespoon of sesame oil is used. According to Ryuji, the sesame oil gives the fried rice a light, separate-grain texture and also adds an aroma like it has been stir-fried. Since the dish isn't actually fried, the sesame oil takes on that role.

After adding the rice, Ryuji repeats: "Don't stir. This is really important." The method is the same as the original Desperation Fried Rice, and one staff member is apparently a "heavy user" who has made that Desperation Fried Rice more than 100 times.

The reason for not stirring is explained after the cooking is done. When restaurants make fried rice, they don't start from egg-over-rice and stir-fry it; they pour the beaten egg into the oil while stir-frying. In the same way, if you mix the rice and egg at the start, you end up with egg-over-rice, and the egg doesn't become an "ingredient" in its own right. If you do mix it, the egg coats the rice, giving a slightly milder flavor. Ryuji acknowledges some people may like that, but personally believes that unevenness in the egg matters in fried rice. That's why the steps call for stirring only once the egg has set, to finish the dish.

The kimchi is cut finely with scissors right in the container. Ryuji explains that finely cut kimchi clings to the rice better, keeps the cutting board clean, and improves the texture. But if it's a hassle, you can skip it, and the flavor won't change much. When a staff member says, "This seems like a good way to use up kimchi that's getting sour," Ryuji replies that it's completely fine because it gets cooked through thoroughly.

The seasoning is as follows.

• Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
• Soy sauce: a small drizzle, for the soy sauce aroma
• Ajinomoto: 7 shakes
• Sugar: 1 pinch, because a little sweetness is nice
• Garlic powder: 6 shakes, because kimchi and garlic go well together

That completes the basic version; the natto version adds green onion and natto on top of this.

The green onion is also cut without a knife: make slits in it, then cut it with scissors. Ryuji says, "You don't need a knife. Even kids can do it." Ryuji also mentions that a theory has recently emerged that void recipes might be well suited as the first dish a child cooks, and says they agree.

Ryuji then jokes that the key to making void recipes is "to become a baby." Apparently about 8% of the channel's viewers are 65 or older, and Ryuji calls on them too to "please become babies," asking them to watch with the feeling of "Good job using scissors" and "Good job eating your rice."

According to Ryuji, if you're adding natto, it tastes better with green onion too. The natto this time was past its best-before date, but Ryuji says it's fine since they'll be the one eating it. Since it all gets cooked in the end anyway, there's no need to stir the natto beforehand either.

Cover and microwave the basic version at 600W for 2 and a half minutes. Ryuji says the natto version might be better at around 2 minutes 50 seconds, since it includes natto and green onion. The reasoning is that with more to heat, it might not cook through fully.

While waiting for it to heat, Ryuji shares their personal take on void recipes. Ryuji says they're basically something you make alone and eat alone, but that someone you can share a void recipe with is precious. If two people can eat together and say, "This void recipe is good," that's maximum affection, and a relationship where you can laugh while eating a meal with no real fillings is a good one, Ryuji suggests.

A staff member pointed out that unless you saw it being made, you wouldn't know it was a void recipe. Ryuji agreed, revealing that they had in fact served it to other people as normal food.

This recipe appears in the new book Ryuji-Style Bento for Living, and it can be packed into a container as a bento. The natto version, on the other hand, is an arrangement and is not in the book.

When it's stirred after cooking, a staff member reacts, "It really has become an ingredient." Ryuji explains that the benefit of not stirring is that chunks of egg remain instead of everything turning completely yellow, and that restaurant fried rice is probably like this too.

The kimchi and sesame oil smell great, and Ryuji says you shouldn't skimp on the oil. If you really must cut back, keep it to about 2 teaspoons instead of the 1 tablespoon used here.

Ryuji calls this "kimchi fried rice to eat when you've given up on life," and jokes that you should eat it when you feel like quitting your job, because it makes you feel that it's okay to be alive even with something like this.

For the basic version, Ryuji first praises the aroma, saying it's so toasty you'd never believe it wasn't fried. Ryuji says the saltiness is just right, but cautions that the flavor will vary depending on the kimchi used. Some kimchi is saltier than the one used here, so in that case it might be better to cut back on the salt.

Overall it's on the light side, but Ryuji's verdict is that the egg makes it satisfying and it feels like a proper meal. The crunchy texture of the kimchi also helps, and it doesn't feel sloppy.

After tasting the natto version, Ryuji says, "You should definitely add natto." The reason is that the natto aroma, plus the umami probably coming from the natto sauce, deepens the flavor. Ryuji also says it isn't mushy at all. Ryuji further explains that kimchi and natto are a good match to begin with, and the Japanese-style flavor of the sauce makes the taste more complex.

Grated parmesan was also tried as a flavor variation. It suited the basic version and was rated "delicious." Thinking it might also go with natto since both are fermented foods, Ryuji sprinkled it on the natto version too, but the result was "not that great a match." The impression was that natto's mellowness was better without it.

The conversation turned to whether nori might suit the natto version instead, and after sprinkling crumbled nori on it, Ryuji was satisfied, saying, "This is it" and "I win." In other words, the conclusion this time is grated parmesan for the basic version and nori for the natto version.

Finally, Ryuji emphasizes that the basic version is the one suited to bento. The natto version might leave its smell on your bag and so on, so Ryuji honestly doesn't really recommend it, but if you want to bring it, go ahead. Ryuji wraps up by encouraging viewers to try both as nutritious dishes that also work well for bento.

Toward the end of the video, Ryuji returns to the "no motivation" talk from the opening, grumbling that doing YouTube for nearly 10 years wears you down. As a company employee, 10 years would bring changes in title and job duties, but whenever Ryuji tries to do something fun, people say, "You're a cooking researcher, so cook."

Ryuji also mentions that viewers tell them, like a mother would, to "choose the people you hang out with carefully" regarding collaboration partners. Ryuji responds with a laugh, "I'll be careful choosing my collab partners," and the video ends.