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Illustration: Bibimbap, mixed rice bowl
Korean recipe

Bibimbap

Mixed rice bowl

비빔밥 bibimbap

Bibimbap (비빔밥) means mixed rice. It is a bowl of rice with seasoned vegetables, beef, an egg and chili sauce, all mixed together before you eat. Great for using up the vegetables you have.

40 min2 servingsMild

Ingredients

15 ingredients

Can’t find a Korean ingredient? Use the substitute we suggest.

  • Cooked short grain rice2 cups (about 400 g)

    At your store: Sushi rice (short grain). Regular long grain rice works too, but it is less sticky.

  • Ground beef150 g
  • Spinach150 g
  • Soybean sprouts, kongnamul (콩나물)150 g

    At your store: Mung bean sprouts, the kind sold in trays and often labeled soy sprouts in Latin America. They cook in 1 to 2 minutes.

  • Carrot1 medium, in thin strips
  • Zucchini1 small, in strips
  • Shiitake mushrooms4, sliced

    At your store: Button or cremini mushrooms. Fresh shiitake is easy to find in Brazil.

  • Eggs2
  • Minced garlic2 cloves
  • Soy sauce1 tbsp
  • Toasted sesame oil, chamgireum (참기름)2 tbsp

    At your store: Toasted sesame oil, amber in color. The pale kind does not have the same aroma.

  • Gochujang (고추장), Korean chili paste2 tbsp

    At your store: For each tablespoon: 2 tsp miso, 1 tsp sriracha or ground chili and 1/2 tsp honey. Miso is saltier, so taste and adjust.

  • Sugar or honey2 tsp
  • Toasted sesame seeds1 tsp
  • Salt and vegetable oilto taste

Steps

  1. Step 1:

    Mix the beef with the soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 garlic clove and 1 tsp sesame oil. Let it rest while you prepare the rest.

  2. Step 2:

    Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds, cool it in cold water and squeeze it dry. Season with salt, a little garlic and a few drops of sesame oil.

  3. Step 3:

    Cook the sprouts in salted water until tender: 4 to 5 minutes for soybean sprouts, 1 to 2 for mung bean sprouts. Drain and season them like the spinach.

  4. Step 4:

    Sauté the carrot, zucchini and mushrooms separately with a little oil and a pinch of salt, 1 to 2 minutes each.

  5. Step 5:

    Stir-fry the beef until fully cooked.

  6. Step 6:

    Fry the eggs, keeping the yolks soft.

  7. Step 7:

    For the sauce, mix the gochujang, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp water and the sesame seeds.

  8. Step 8:

    Put the rice in bowls and arrange each vegetable in its own section, then the beef and the egg. Add sauce to taste and mix everything before eating.

Tip

There are no strict rules, so use what you have, like cucumber, lettuce or bell pepper. For a crispy crust, serve it in a very hot cast iron pan with a little sesame oil, like dolsot bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥), which comes in a stone bowl.

Sources