Learn How To Make A Delicious Bibimbap, A Korean Rice Dish

Have you ever tried a delicious bibimbap?

In this article, we will share a recipe for a popular Korean rice dish called bibimbap. This dish includes rice, meat, eggs and vegetables, and is yummy!

The nutritional benefits of rice

Rice contains healthy carbohydrates and is a natural source of energy. In addition, it contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid, vitamins B3 and B6, antioxidants and proteins.

Another reason to include rice in your diet is because it does not contain fat and is low in sodium. As it is high in fiber, it also helps prevent cancer, especially in the colon.

The main component of rice is starch, which is composed of amylose and amylopectin. The characteristics of each different type of rice depend on which of these substances are prominent. When the proportion of amylopectin is greater, for example, the grains are more tough.

Choosing the right type of rice is essential for a delicious bibimbap. 

Recipe for delicious bibimbap

Before you start with this recipe, we should first talk about whether it is necessary to wash rice before cooking it . Washing rice is very common in many Asian countries. 

This is because before washing rice to clean away parasites, soil or other substances. Today there are divided opinions. Some chefs recommend washing rice to remove excess starch and “loosen” the rice, while other chefs say it is unnecessary.

According to studies published by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), washing rice before cooking it can remove some of the beneficial nutrients such as folate, iron and thiamine. Therefore, we do not recommend washing the rice before using it in this recipe for delicious bibimbap.

The ingredients you need to make delicious bibimbap

• 1 cup Japanese rice (also called sushi rice) (if you can not find this rice, you can use short-grain rice)
• 300 grams of minced meat
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 large carrot
• 10 large mushrooms
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 80 gram kimchi
• Salt to taste
• Oil as needed

Ingredients for marinating the meat

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon mirin (optional)

Ingredients for gochujang sauce

• 2 tablespoons of gochujang (this is a red chili paste made from fermented soy and chili)
• 1 tablespoon of water and rice vinegar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sugar and sesame seeds
• Salt to taste

Preparation of delicious bibimbap

1. First, start by preparing the marinade by mixing the soy sauce with the sesame oil, garlic powder and mirin .
2. Marinate the minced meat in this sauce. You do not need to have the meat in this mixture for long. Holds about 10 minutes.
3. Saute the meat in a frying pan or wok. Set it aside.
4. Put some oil in a pan, heat it and add the rice. Do not stop stirring to prevent the rice from burning or sticking.
5. After about one minute, add two cups of boiling water and salt to taste. Let it cook over medium heat until the rice is done (around 10 minutes or according to the instructions on the package).
6. Wash, clean and grate or cut the carrots into strips. Then cut the mushrooms.
7. Wash the bean sprouts and spinach well.
8. Heat some oil in a frying pan and sauté the carrot for a few minutes. Repeat with the mushrooms. The best part is that they get a little crazy.
9. Then sauté the spinach and bean sprouts separately. Watch carefully, as they are fried quickly.
10. To prepare the gochujang sauce, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well until you have an even mixture. If you do not want a strong sauce, you can add only a teaspoon of gochujang .
11. Fry the eggs.

How to serve the dish

1. Bibimbap can be served in a deep bowl or directly from the saucepan.
2. Start with the rice as a base on the plate.
3. Then group the rest of the ingredients by color and place them over the rice. Look at one of the pictures above for reference.
4. Put the egg in the middle. 
5. The gochujang sauce should be served separately and added to the dish according to your preference.

Other ideas for a delicious bibimbap

• You can easily make this dish vegetarian by replacing the meat with tofu or simply omitting the meat. 
• You can also add other vegetables to the dish. For example, green beans, squash, onions, peppers, or whatever you like.
• If you can’t find gochujang , you can use another chili paste to make the sauce.

• In the original recipe, it is served with a raw egg yolk in the middle. 

So what are you waiting for? We hope you enjoy this simple Korean rice dish. It is also a great way to include more vegetables in your daily diet!