If you ever find yourself at a Korean restaurant and unsure about what to order, know that you can't go wrong in ordering bi bim bap.
Bi bim means "mixed," while bap means "rice." But bi bim bap is far more than mixed rice. It calls for perfectly cooked rice with a number of well seasoned vegetables, mixed with sesame oil and just a touch of red chili paste. If you enjoy mushrooms, eggs, chicken, or beef, you can add any one or all of these items to create your own version of bibimbap.
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium-grain Korean (or Japanese) rice
- 1 large cucumber, sliced into thin strips
- 1.5 cups bean sprouts, parboiled and squeezed of excess water
- 1.5 cups spinach, parboiled and squeezed of excess water (3/4 lb before cooking)
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated if dried and then sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced into thin strips
- 1/2 lb meat (optional, both and cooked ground meat work well)
- Fried egg as a topping (optional)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
Direction
1. Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove.
2. Give cucumber strips a saltwater bath for 20 minutes and then drain.
3. Season spinach with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, and a dash of sesame seeds.
4. Season bean sprouts with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, and a dash of sesame seeds.
5. Sauté carrots with a dash of salt.
6. Sauté mushrooms with a dash of salt.
7. Sauté zucchini with a dash of salt.
8. Place cooked rice in large bowl and arrange vegetables on top.
9. If desired, beef or egg can be placed in the center.
10. Serve each with small bowls of red pepper paste (kochujang) and sesame oil.
11. To eat, add a small amount of oil and desired amount of red pepper paste to your bowl and mix everything together with a spoon.