Guest Series: Jisoon's Korean Bibimbap

Our friend Jisoon offered to make us bibimbap - a popular Korean mixed rice dish. I've had bibimbap in K-town before, but never attempted to make it myself. Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéd and seasoned vegetables and gochujang (Korean red chili paste). An egg and meat on top is traditional. We swapped the meat for tofu. And for the vegetables used zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, carrots, shitake mushrooms, kale (instead of spinach) and gosari (Korean fern stems) 

Jisoon was kind enough to bring a jar of kimchi as well. Although it technically doesn't belong in the bibimbap, we devoured it as an appetizer. Crunchy cabbage and radish pickled and fermented in red chilies and fishy stuff - yum! 

Here is a play-by-play of Jisoon's culinary creation.

First he sauteed all the vegetables individually with garlic, scallions, red chili powder and pepper. Drizzle in a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil in the end. The zucchini/squash, mushrooms, blanched kale, the fern and the tofu were all done in this manner.

Julienne carrots remain raw. The cucumbers got sliced, salted, drained and then marinated in sugar and cider vinegar.

The rice (sushi grade) made in Jisoon's rice cooker, came out perfectly sticky. This does not happen when I cook it on the stove top. I guess need to get me a rice-cooker.

The veggies got arranged around a heaping pile of rice. Then topped off with an sunny-side-up egg.

 

 A spoonful of gochujang and an extra drizzle of sesame oil goes in.

This red chili paste is quite potent. It has a sweet yet spicy kick to it.

And then we mix. Apparently, this is quite a skill. Mine started to look like a mess. Jisoon demonstrated the right way to do it - spoon down the middle, scoop and flip. Fold it in. Kinda like egg whites. Here he is in action.

 

This is what the end product looked like. All the veggies, tofu and especially the chili paste made this rice extra delicious. Transported us all directly to K-town.
Thanks Jisoon! What will you make for us next?