Kimchi Fried Rice – Korean Kimchi Bokkeumbap

Serves 2

This is one of my favourite fried rice recipes because it’s so flavourful and filling and with only just a few ingredients.  Most of you probably know kimchi as a condiment often served at Korean restaurants, but it’s actually so much more than that and is used in a variety of Korean dishes to add falvour and a distinctive taste as well.  This fried rice can be made very simple to be served as a side or can be enhanced with meat, seafood and vegetables to be served as a one-pot-meal on its own.  You can customize it further by adjusting the amount of gochujang paste (Korean red pepper paste) according to how spicy you like it.  It’s also a great way to use up leftover rice and other ingredients you have in your fridge.  It’s so versatile and easy to make it’ll become part of your weekly dinner menu!  Let’s get started.

Kimchi Fried Rice – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked, day old white rice, clumps removed
• 1 Tbsp. sesame or sesame chili oil
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 green onions, sliced thin and whites separated from greens
• 1 cup kimchi, finely chopped and juice reserved
• 2 -3 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 1 cup of meat, seafood, vegetables of your choice (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce (optional)
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
• 2 eggs, fried (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add sesame or sesame chili oil to rice, combine until rice is well coated and set aside.
2. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high in a large, heavy bottom non-stick pan or wok and add 1 Tbsp. of gochujang paste and stir-fry until aromatic, 1 minute.  Add meat or seafood at this point, if using, and stir fry until meat starts to turn opaque, 2 minutes.
3. Add the white parts of the green onions and vegetables, if using,  and stir-fry one minute and then quickly add the kimchi (reserve juice for later) and continue to stir-fry until kimchi starts to wilt, meat is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 3 -5 minutes depending on your ingredients.
4. Turn heat to high, add rice and reserved kimchi juice and stir-fry until everything is well combined.
5. Add rest of the gochujang paste and stir-fry until rice starts to toast.  Taste test and add soy sauce if dish is not salted properly.  There is salt in the kimchi and the gochujang paste and depending on the brands used you may or may not need the soy sauce.  Turn off heat.

To serve, divide between two plates and top with the green parts of the green onions, fried eggs and sesame seeds.   Enjoy with more gochujang paste and sesame or sesame chili oil if desired.  If you like fried rice you can also check out the Thai Fried Rice recipe.