Bibimbap
Korean rice bowl: warm rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables in groups, a fried egg, optional bulgogi, and a generous spoon of gochujang sauce. The diner mixes everything at the table - bibim means "mixed", bap means "rice".
Overview
Each vegetable cooks separately and gets dressed with sesame oil, garlic and soy. They arrange in colourful piles around a mound of rice; an egg fries on top. Gochujang sauce on the side. Diners mix vigorously before eating.
Ingredients
Rice
- 300 g short-grain rice (cooked according to packet instructions)
Vegetables
- 200 g spinach
- 200 g bean sprouts
- 1 carrot (julienned)
- 200 g shiitake (or chestnut mushrooms, sliced)
- 1 courgette (small, julienned)
Seasoning (used across vegetables)
- 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- Salt
Beef (optional)
- 200 g rib-eye (or sirloin, very thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
To assemble
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Gochujang sauce
- 4 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon water
Method
Stage 1 - Sauce
- Whisk all gochujang sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Stage 2 - Vegetables (each separate)
- Blanch the spinach 30 seconds; squeeze dry, chop, dress with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon soy, sesame seeds, salt.
- Blanch the bean sprouts 2 minutes; drain, dress same as spinach.
- Sauté the carrot in 1 teaspoon sesame oil for 2 minutes; salt lightly.
- Sauté the courgette in 1 teaspoon sesame oil for 3 minutes; salt lightly.
- Sauté the mushrooms in 1 teaspoon sesame oil with ½ teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon soy for 5-6 minutes.
Stage 3 - Beef (if using)
- Marinate the beef in the soy, sugar, sesame oil and garlic for 10 minutes.
- Stir-fry in a hot dry pan for 2-3 minutes until cooked.
Stage 4 - Eggs
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan; fry the eggs sunny-side up.
Stage 5 - Assemble
- Mound rice in deep bowls.
- Arrange the vegetables in colourful piles around the edge, beef in another pile.
- Slide an egg on top.
- Put a generous spoonful of gochujang sauce on the side.
Stage 6 - Mix and eat
- At the table: drizzle the sauce over, then mix vigorously with a spoon until everything is combined and the egg yolk coats the rice.
Notes
- Each vegetable separate: This is what defines bibimbap. The discrete colours and textures matter; one undifferentiated stir-fry isn't the same dish.
- Gochujang is the heart: Korean fermented red chilli paste; available in any Korean or major Asian shop. Sriracha isn't a substitute.
- Stone bowl bibimbap: A traditional dolsot version cooks the rice into a crisp crust on the bottom of a hot stone bowl. Worth investing in one if this becomes regular.
Storage
- Components keep separately for 2 days. Don't pre-mix; reheat rice and warm vegetables fresh, add a fresh egg.
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