Crispy Kimchi Fried Rice Bowl
This crispy kimchi fried rice bowl is heavily inspired by Korean Bibimbap! I cooked the kimchi rice on a pan and spread the rice into a thin layer to get as much surface layer as I can and achieve those nice crispy grains. For toppings/mix-ins, I cooked mushrooms, thinly sliced carrots, smoked tofu, and served the bowl with sriracha mayo, thinly sliced cucumbers for crunch, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and roasted nori. I love the addition of sriracha mayo because mayonnaise adds an extra layer of flavor and richness to this bowl. Mix everything together and enjoy!
Ingredients
RICE
- 2 cups cooked and cooled short grain or Japanese rice
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup kimchi chopped
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce optional to taste (see notes)
- Neutral cooking oil
MUSHROOMS
CARROT
- Neutral oil
- 1 small carrot thin julienne
- Pinch salt to taste
TOFU
- Neutral cooking oil
- 5.2 oz smoked tofu thinly sliced
- 1 tsp soy sauce to taste
- 1/2 tbsp mirin
SRIRACHA MAYO
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo
- 2-3 tsp water to loosen - optional (only needed if your mayo if very thick)
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp sriracha adjust according to desired heat
- 1-2 tsp sugar to counter acidity
- Salt to taste
OTHER ADD-INS
- Cucumber
- Scallions
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
- Sriracha mayo
- Roasted Nori
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the rice, gochujang, sesame oil, chopped kimchi, and soy sauce (if using). Make sure the grains are well coated.
- Heat a non-stick pan. Add some oil. Once hot, add a few scoops of rice. Flatted with a spatula. Allow the rice to cook and come to a crisp, around 3-4 minutes. You can try to flip the rice to get the other side crispy or just mix the rice and allow the other parts to get crispy. Repeat this for the rest. Do note that this part is totally optional! You can simply just stir-fry the rice and cook it to your liking. I just prefer mine with some crispy bits for more texture!
- In the same pan over medium heat, add the mushrooms. Allow the mushroom to get a nice sear and allow for excess moisture to evaporate. Add a pinch of salt, to taste, as well as soy sauce and mirin. Turn up the heat and allow for the mirin to caramelize and coat the mushrooms. Turn off the heat.
- Cook the carrots with a pinch of salt until tender.
- Add some oil to the pan, pan-fry the smoked tofu and add soy sauce, to taste, and mirin. If using regular extra firm tofu, I recommend to pan fry the tofu until golden brown and season the tofu with more soy sauce.
- For the sriracha mayo, simply mix everything together in a small bowl until well combined. Taste and adjust depending on your preference.
- Assemble your bowl: add the rice, toppings, sriracha mayo, and other desired toppings! I love the richness and extra layer of flavor I get from the sriracha mayo. Mix everything and enjoy!
WATCH Video
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1189mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5143IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 3mg
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