what's in the box: thai basil pork bento

A newer apartment, bigger kitchen and (slightly) more expensive rent has meant I've become a bit more inspired than last year to take my own lunch to work here in Japan. As much as I enjoy the convenience of just ordering a bento like most other people at work, there's only so much grilled salted fish, miso soup, and cold vegetables I can tolerate every Wednesday.

So, with that in mind, I decided to suck it up and invest in my own bento box for lunches. And while I do enjoy cooking probably a bit more than the adequate amount, I don't think I'm quite ready to plunge of waking up early to prepare an array of side dishes every morning, let alone doing something like this.    As a compromise though, I figured I'd start with one-dish lunches, or just about anything that'll find in my fancy new double-tired bento box.

Not wanting to stray too far from the rice-lunch staple I've gotten used too here in Japan, I figured I'd start with tonight's leftovers to make a Thai-inspired Basil pork bento. 

Thai Basil Pork 
(adapted from SBS food's recipe)Ingredients:

• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 2 dried chillis, chopped

• 200 g pork mince

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 3 tablespoons kecap manis

• 1 tablespoons fish sauce

• pepper

• 1 onion, peeled and sliced

• 1 bunch of basil, leaves only

• 1 small red capsicum, sliced

• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 eggplant, finely chopped

1. Heat a wok on high and add oil when wok is heated. Add the dried chillis and garlic,  cook for 20 seconds until fragrant, and add the onions.
2. Once the onions have softened, add the mince and brown for a few minutes before adding the eggplant, continuing to cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the oyster, dark soy, fish sauce, pepper, capsicum and extra chilli (optional) to taste. Add broccoli, and continue to cook on high heat until broccoli has become more vibrant in colour. 
4. Add basil leaves, then turn off the heat, and continue to stir the leaves through. The residual heat will wilt the basil without making the leaves go brown.