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Delicious Korean bibimbap
This Korean bibimbap recipe is easy to prepare and is full of flavors and textures. Start with a base of fried rice combined with a rainbow of fresh and fried vegetables, and continue with the best: fried tofu in a gochujang sauce and fresh kimchi, authentic taste of Korea!
In case you don't know it, bibimbap is a Korean dish that can be translated as “eating the rainbow”. No, just kidding, it really means "mixed rice" but considering that with the bibimbap the appearance of the dish is as important as the taste, "eating the rainbow" could be considered as a valid translation!
The components of the bibimbap as well as the way to prepare them is your decision; but keep in mind that you always want to be sure of having a variety of colors.
Since my goal with this recipe was to make a vegan and simple bibimbap, I decided not to complicate the thing too much and chose carrot and fresh cucumber in julienne, stir-fried spinach with garlic, and cut radish and scallions. You can, however, use what you have in the fridge.
To introduce a “meaty” element into my vegetarian bibimbap, I added fried tofu in a gochujang sauce. Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that can be found in Asian supermarkets or ordered online. It is also used to make the sauce that is served with the bibimbap.
If you don't have a gochujang canister in your kitchen, it's understandable to hesitate to add another seasoning that probably stays in the bottom of your fridge without touching until it rots.
Believe me, when I say that once you try gochujang sauce in this recipe, you will want to put it in everything! I love burgers instead of ketchup and it's also great with fried rice or roasted vegetables.
The Kimchi For a few months I have been strangely obsessed with fermentation, alternating between weekly preparations of kimchi and sauerkraut. Not only are the benefits of the well-proven fermented, but they are also so rich that you are going to want to slap your mother.
Although you can buy kimchi in an Asian supermarket, it may not be vegan. Making homemade kimchi is very easy and allows you to adjust the spicy level and replace the fish sauce with miso paste or soy sauce.
While Korean bibimbap is made in a specific stone bowl so that the bottom is crispy, a similar effect can be achieved by frying it in a pan before serving in bowls.
If you are going to do this step, it is better to use rice from the previous day so that it is dry enough and crispy. As much as with fried rice, the Korean bibimbap is a great dish to end the rice and vegetables left over from last night!
Korean bibimbap Ingredients:
200 grams of extra-hard tofu drained and pressed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons gochujang
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of neutral oil divided
4 garlic cloves finely cut
½ tablespoon grated ginger
150 grams of fresh spinach
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
725 grams of rice the day before
1 carrot in julienne
Half cucumber in julienne
2 radishes cut finely
50 grams of kimchi
1 finely chopped scallions
A pinch of sesame seeds
For the gochujang sauce:
4 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon of water
KOREAN SUPERBOWL BIBIMBAP Instructions:
Cut the tofu into cubes and put it in a plastic bag along with the cornstarch. Close the bag and shake to cover the tofu in cornstarch.
In a small bowl combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and gochujang.
Heat a pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and tofu. Fry until golden brown on all sides and then pour the sauce. Continue cooking a few more seconds until the tofu is covered in a thick sauce. Remove to a plate.
Wash the pan carefully and return it to the fire. Add 2 teaspoons of the neutral oil, garlic and ginger. Poach and then add the spinach. Sauté until soft. Remove to a plate.
Add the last tablespoon of the neutral oil and sesame oil to the pan. Add the rice, crushing it well. Fry, without stirring, 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom is crispy. Remove from the fire.
Combine all ingredients for gochujang sauce.
Divide the rice between your bowls and decorate with tofu, spinach, carrot, cucumber, radish, kimchi, chives and sesame seeds. Serve with gochujang sauce.
Note: Bibimbap is usually a large plate of food. I said that this recipe is for 2 people, but if you don't eat much, you can
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