Bibimbab (Korean Rice and Vegetables)
Recipe by: Susan Voisin, adapted from Madhur Jafffey's World of the East
Vegetarian Cooking
Bibimbab (or bi bim bap) is a collection of several tasty foods arranged on top of a bowl of
rice. Traditionally, beef would be one of the toppings and a fried egg
would be placed over the rice. In this vegan version, I've
replaced the beef with baked tofu and eliminated the egg. Also, I've
reduced the oil and sodium in the toppings and tried to simplify what can be a
complex dish to put together.
- 6 cups freshly cooked rice
- 4 tablespoons kochu chang (See note)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lightly crushed, toasted sesame seeds
You will need to prepare at least 3 of the following recipes to go on top (4-5
is preferable):
I begin by toasting at least 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. You can do
this easily by spreading them out on a cookie sheet in an oven or toaster
oven. Watch them carefully because they burn easily. Take them out
as soon as they start to brown and crush them in a mortar and pestle. Use
1 tsp. for the sauce, below, and the rest in your topping dishes.
Prepare your topping dishes while the rice is cooking--or before. All
of the toppings can be made in advance. The Cucumber Salad and Bean
Sprouts Salad, in particular, taste better when left to marinate for a while.
For the sauce, mix the kochu chang, sugar, sesame oil, and 1 tsp. crushed
sesame seeds.
Divide up the rice among six large bowls, mounding it slightly in the
middle. On top of the rice, put a dollop of sauce in the middle and
arrange your toppings radiating down from the sauce, in triangular-shaped
segments. Enjoy!
Note: Kochu chang (also spelled Gochujang) is a delicious--and very hot--Korean paste made with
fermented soy beans, hot red pepper, and, frequently, garlic. It's
available in Korean grocery stores and will keep in the refrigerator almost
indefinitely. It adds a wonderful flavor, very different from other
sauces. It's worth the effort to look for it, but if you can't find it,
check out this
recipe for a substitute. For more information about buying kochu
chang, check out this
blog entry.
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