Korean Bibimbap with Kochujang Sauce + Vegan Kimchi
Photography by Elisa Watson, styling by Kate Bradley (Kenko Kitchen) for Nourish Magazine July/August 2014.
My love affair with Korean food continues, and this week I am sharing the recipe for one of my all time favourites - Bibimbap! Bibimbap is packed with flavour and has so many individual elements which when put together create a taste explosion in your mouth! With the perfect balance of raw and cooked foods its hard to go wrong with this balanced dish.
The bibimbap is easily made vegan just by excluding the egg. So for those who are vegan or who may be allergic to eggs, this recipe is still for you and is still just as tasty without!
Alongside Bibimbap, I love Kimchi - the fermented Korean cabbage/vegetable dish. I love to make this and have it in my fridge, ready for me to eat at any time. Fermented foods do wonders for our gut bacteria and I always like to include a little bit everyday in my diet. It keeps my gut happy, and my taste buds happy!
Bibimbap with Kochujang Sauce
Serves 1
Ingredients
For the bibimbap bowl
1/4 cup brown rice
1/2 carrot
1/4 cup kimchi (see Kimchi recipe)
100g tofu
1/2 cup mushrooms (shiitake, enoki or button)
1 tsp rice bran oil or sesame oil
1/4 tsp kelp flakes
1/2 small cucumber
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup bean shoots
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 egg
For the kochujang sauce
2 tbsp minced chilli
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp srichacha
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sesame toasted sesame seeds
1 spring onion
2 tbsp coconut sugar
Method
To begin, cook the brown rice and then place into the centre of a bowl. Julienne the carrot and place in one corner. Put in some kimchi into another corner.
Cut the tofu into small triangles and place into another corner.
For the mushrooms, simply cook in 1 tsp of oil and the kelp flakes then place into another corner of the bowl. Cut up the cucumber into half moons and place.
For the spinach simply whilt by steaming or in a non stick pan and place into a bowl with the bean shoots in the remaining corner.
Next sprinkle the rice with the white sesame, and the tofu with the black sesame seeds.
For the sauce, simply place all ingredients into a small food processor and blitz into a sauce.
Fry the egg in a non stick saucepan and place on top. Drizzle with the sauce and enjoy.
Easy Kimchi
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
1/2 chinese cabbage
2 tbsp pink lake salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp minced chilli paste
1 red chilli (sliced) optional
1 tbsp korean chilli powder or chilli flakes
1 tsp minced garlic
1” knob ginger (grated)
3 spring onions
1/2 tsp kelp flakes
1/4 tsp tamari
Method
Remove the core of the cabbage and slice into rough 1-2” pieces. Toss the cabbage in the salt and place into a colander. Put a plate on top of the colander and leave for 24 hours.
Rinse some of the salt of the cabbage and drain - squeezing any excess liquid from the cabbage.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Add in the cabbage and place into a jar.
Leave the jar on the bench for 24-48 hours before placing into the fridge. For a better tasting kimchi leave in the fridge for a few days to ferment before eating.