bibimbap

ever since i read this article in the nytimes a while back, i have been dying to try making bibimbap in my rice cooker. if you're having deja vu, that's because i already posted about that damn article. sorry... i'm a little obsessed.

i love korean food but i have always failed miserably when i've tried to make it at home. well actually i've only ever tried to make beef bulgogi but that came out nasty. i think it was the sauce i used (from a jar) combined with my totally failed attempt to use my iron skillet as a hot stone. so i always figured bibimbap was far beyond my abilites as a home cook.

not so, readers! i made rice cooker bibimbap with much success tonight, which is particularly miraculous since i did not even have like half of the required ingredients. i started from this recipe from the nytimes, but i way improvised and i also had to make some adjustments based on my rice cooker's heating capabilities. here is my recipe:

liz's hell yeah you can make this at home rice cooker bibimbap

1/2 lb. dark green leafy vegetable (i used frozen "rape leaf" aka broccoli rabe but you could also do spinach, collard greens, chinese broccoli, kale, mustard greens, etc., fresh or frozen. the possibilities are endless!)
1/2 lb. trader joe's frozen grilled chicken strips (or any other protein that seems exciting and/or easy)
2 cups of rice
4 T. kimchee, chopped
2 eggs
peanut oil (or whatever cooking oil you like)
roasted sesame oil
seasoned rice vinegar (note: if you only have unseasoned, just add a little sugar and salt to yours and there you go)
hoisin sauce
sriracha sauce
chili garlic sauce
rice seasoning (nori strips/sesame seeds/seasonings/etc.)
salt

my kitchen staples... proof that i have a secret inner asian

put the rice and 2 1/2 cups water in the rice cooker and shut the lid. push the cook button.

while the rice is cooking, stir fry the greens in a little peanut oil. cook them until they are wilty and pretty dry. let them cool a little and then add in 1 T. each of sesame oil and rice vinegar and a little salt. add more of any ingredient until it tastes good to you.

microwave the frozen chicken strips for 2 minutes. let them cool and then chop them into small chunks.

time to make the sauce! i didn't have any kochujang (the chili and fermented soybean paste that is mixed into bibimbap when it is served to you in restaurants) so i made up my own sauce with some things i had on hand. my thought process: "hmm... fermented soybeans + spiciness+ sweetness." i thought some type of spicy hoisin mix seemed like a good approximation.

the sauce i made up is all of the following ingredients mixed together (all measurements are very approximate): 3 T. hoisin sauce, 1 T. chili garlic sauce, 1 T. sriracha, and a splash of rice vinegar. this actually came out remarkably tasty and surprisingly similar to kochujang. yay sauce experiments!

once the rice is done cooking, mix in the kimchee. after mixing, smooth the rice so it is flat and drizzle 2 T. of sesame oil over it. crack the eggs on top. close the lid again. turn the rice cooker on cook again and leave it for about 20 min.*

open the lid again and put in the leafy greens and the protein next to the eggs. put the lid back on and cook for another 10 min. open the lid again. by this point the egg white should be white and the yolk should still be runny. hopefully you have some crispy toasted rice on the bottom. if not, you can keep cooking for a while. depending on your rice cooker, you might want to use warm instead of cook.

this is what it looks like after you mix everything... sorry i forgot to take a picture earlier

whenever you feel you are ready, mix up everything with the sauce. you can cook a little longer if you want or not, depending on how dry you want it and whether you want to try for a little more crunchy rice. when you are ready to serve, top with the rice seasoning. i also had some homemade pickles (cucumber slices + seasoned rice vinegar) on the side, which made a nice contrast because they were tangy and cold and crunchy. amazingly, this really came out tasting like actual bibimbap!

*you probably want to check on your eggs before 20 minutes are up. the nytimes article said you only need 5 minutes of cooking and a little more warming once you add the eggs to get them cooked properly. my rice cooker took 25+ minutes of cooking (with me opening the lid a bunch of times). you are going to have to experiment with times based on the capabilities of your rice cooker.

the finished product. happy mouth time!

what is really awesome about this recipe is that is so forgiving. you can substitute like crazy and the bibimbap will accomodate you. you can use more or less (MUCH more or less) of any ingredient and the bibimbap will smile and make it work. you can cook it quickly or leave it in the rice cooker forever and the bibimbap will be your friend either way. rice cooker bibimbap, i love you!