Bibimbap (Warm Korean Rice Salad)

The first time I had bibimbap I was absolutely sold that it might be my new favorite peasant rice bowl. It is versatile and flexible depending on what vegetables are in season and can be made for vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike. The seasonings are very very very simple, so this dish can be really nurturing and easy on the stomach as well.

This recipe looks complicated, but it is actually quite simple it just has a few steps because all of the veggies are prepared separate from one another. Fear not!

What you will need--
The Rice:
1 and 1/2 cup sushi rice
2 cups of water
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar
Sesame Oil
Black sesame seeds
One sheet of nori seaweed

Toppings***(Pick and choose your toppings, you don't need them all, if you want just pick four or five):
7 ounces of firm tofu
2 carrots, grated or shredded
Two summer squashes (for color variation I did a yellow and green), quartered
A handful of bean sprouts
1/4 of a small red cabbage, chopped and slivered
1/2 Napa (or another fancy) cabbage, chopped and slivered
4 small green onions, chopped
Two handfuls of baby spinach or three small heads of bok choy, chopped

Sesame oil** is your main flavor constituent in this dish. You can get it at most grocery stores and at Asian markets
Tamari (or soy sauce)
Salt
Kimchi
Srirachi

First: Start your rice. In a small pot add rice and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn down, cover and let simmer for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes remove the covered pot from heat and let it sit for another ten minutes undisturbed. You'll have to keep an eye on the timing of your rice as you continue through the next steps.

Second: Get the water out of your tofu by taking a paper towel and squishing it between your hand and a chopping block. Then dice your tofu and put them in a frying pan with a scant amount of olive oil. My pan was recently used to make turmeric-potatoes so it turned my tofu a yellow color (though it both tasted good and looked nice). Fry your tofu until they are golden brown and then put to the side in a bowl.

Third: Prep all of your veggies and keep them in separate containers. The beauty of this dish is how it is served, each item separate on the rice. It makes a beautiful rainbow of colors on a plate. The problem is it creates a little more hassle when prepping.

Fourth: In another small frying pan, saute each veggie (except your delicate greens-- spinach or bok choy or whatever you chose) separately in a scant (!!) amount of sesame oil. Saute them for only a minute or two on high, keeping their color and some crunch, but cooking them enough to soften them. As each veggie is cooked, return to its separate container until you are ready to dish up. The main requirement for this dish is that even though it is a salad, each veggie is lightly cooked.

Fifth: Blanch your delicate greens--- boil a small pot of water. Add the greens to the boiling water and let sit for a moment, and then drain immediately. Add a little sesame oil to coat the greens and then keep separate until you are ready to serve.

Sixth: Once your rice is complete, whisk the rice vinegar, sugar and a generous drizzle of sesame oil together and pour over steamy rice, with a dash of black sesame seeds and chopped up nori seaweed. Mix together.

Seventh: You are now ready to build your plates. This is also traditionally served with a single fried egg on top, however we were out of eggs tonight. I highly recommend the egg, in that case, fry an egg before you begin your plate-building. 

Have all of your ingredients out in front of you. Pile a heaping scoop of rice in the middle of your plate and add each ingredient neatly around covering the rice so that each ingredient stands alone and beautifully. Top with chopping kimchi, and a lovely swirl of Sriarchi, you can serve with tamari or soy sauce on the table for additional condiments.

YAY BIBIMBAP!!!!

Play with this one by changing what toppings you include-- you can make a mildly seasoned meat for it or try other veggies such as mushrooms or other greens your find in season. Enjoy!

:)