Bibimbap is nothing more than Korean salad. But it’s so yummy – and so easy to prepare!
White rice
Green onion
Sesame seeds
Bean sprouts (sprouted from mung beans – for those of you who sprout beans at home!)
Watercress (you can substitute baby bok choy or even spinach)
Garlic
Julienned carrots
Ground beef, cooked with 1T soy sauce (or substitute Vietnamese pan grilled flank steak)
Marinated cucumbers (see below) – I use this instead of kimchi, which I hate
Egg
Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) Which lasts forever, as it’s fermented; you just have to be careful it’s tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out
Make rice; slice the green onion; toast the sesame seeds.
Set a salted pot of water on the stove. When it boils, throw in the bean sprouts for 1 minute to blanch them, then remove to cold water to stop the cooking process. Repeat with the watercress (or whatever greens you’re using).
Squeeze all the excess water out of the bean sprouts, stir in 1t sesame oil, a pinch of salt and a bit of the minced garlic. Squeeze the water out of the watercress, then roll it up into a cigar and slice it to make smaller pieces. Stir in 1t sesame oil, a pinch of salt and a bit of the minced garlic.
Stir fry the carrots in a bit of canola oil and a dash of salt. They should still be crunchy-ish. Fry an egg so it’s still soft and runny.
Assemble your bowl by putting rice in the bottom, then making a little pile of each of the ingredients and topping with the egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds & green onion. Squirt in some of the gochujang and stir everything to combine.
Marinated cucumbers
Slice your cucumbers and salt them. Toss to make sure they’re evenly coated, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse them in cold water and drain.
Whisk together 1/4 c rice vinegar, 2T sesame oil and 1t sugar and pour over the cucumbers. You can add a few little slices of red onion or shallot if you want. Ideally you should let them sit at least overnight before using.