Kimchi Fried Rice

           Recipe 1: Kimchi Fried Rice (볶음밥)

Are you like like me? Broke, can't cook well, and living on borrowed time? Yeah I know, it sucks. But we are always craving for a delicious home-cooked meal! But is it possible to make something so easy, quick, with simple ingredients, and on a budget suited for a college student like myself? YES! Today we will be making:

Kimchi Fried Rice!!!

Kimchi fried rice, or Kimchi Bokkeumbap (볶음밥) is a very popular dish in South Korea. It is typically popular among college students and young adults due to how simple it is to make and how cheap it can be! It is a delicious dish that is full of aroma and spice from the kimchi, best served smoking hot, and of course you cannot forget the signature egg on top! Now kimchi fried rice is one of the most popular and delicious variations of fried rice, but that is a story for another day. So, enough chatter and lets start cooking!

                                      Kimchi Fried Rice:

Cuisine: Korean                 Difficulty: Easy                              Cooking time: 25 minutes                                                 Servings: 2                 Taste: Spicily Delicious!!


                                            Ingredients:

                                                                  Main Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked rice
• 1 cup of Korean kimchi
• 1/2 onion 
• 4 mushrooms (Optional)
• 1/3 of bell pepper (Optional)
• 1/2 cup of any protein (canned meats work best. In this case I am using Spam)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Sugar (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Kimchi juice (Optional)
• Oil for frying

And yes, the small dish contains salt and sugar. It is not empty like my stomach!

                                                                 Garnishing Ingredients

• 2 eggs (MANDATORY for authenticity!)
• 1 stock of scallion (Optional)
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil (Optional)
• 1/4 sheet of nori seaweed (Optional)
• Japanese Mayonnaise (Optional, to taste and garnish)
• Sriracha  (Optional, to taste and garnish)

Using scissors to cut nori is much better

                           Step by Step: (Oooh Baby)

1. Chop up mushroom, onion, pepper, and protein (Spam) into bite size pieces. And chop up scallions and nori seaweed into small pieces if used.
2. Heat up large pan on medium heat and add oil when the pan is hot
3. When the oil is heated, add in onions and saute on medium heat for about 3  minutes or until color changes.
4. Add in the mushroom and pepper and saute for another 5 minutes or until tender (Skip this step if you are not using mushroom or pepper)
5. Add in the protein and continue to saute until the protein is heated and cooked through.
6. Add in kimchi and continue to cook on medium heat and constantly mix with other ingredients for approximately 3-5 minutes or until kimchi is heated.
7. Add in the cooked rice and continue to cook on medium heat and continue to mix with other ingredients for about 5 minutes
8.  Add in the soy sauce, kimchi juice (optional), and salt, sugar, and black pepper to taste. And mix well.
9. After the rice and seasoning is mixed thoroughly, turn the heat to a low and cover the rice.
10. On a separate pan, (or same pan if the fried rice is removed) heat it to medium-high heat and add oil.
11. Fry the eggs sunny side up. (See below for my tip)
12. Turn off all heat and serve the kimchi fried rice with a sunny side egg on top. Finish with garnishing if wanted, including scallions, sesame seeds, a dab of sesame oil, nori seaweed, and drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and Sriracha. Also feel free to add your own unique flare!
13. Voila! And that's it! Really, it is that simple. The final step is to eat it when it is piping hot. Bon Appetit!

                                   Detailed Step by Step:

Heat up the pan and add some oil. I am using olive oil. Cover the surface with the oil.

Add in the onions and saute until the color changes, about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Technically we can leave out the onion, but it gives the dish such a nice taste and aroma. 

This is optional, but adding in peppers and mushrooms give the dish a fresh taste. Kimchi fried rice is sometimes only cooked with kimchi.

When the veggies are tender, add in the protein! I really think canned meats like salmon, tuna, and spam works best. I am using spam! It might sound gross, but trust me it is such a great combination.

Of course the MVP, add in the Kimchi! The hardest part of this recipe is getting kimchi, found almost at every asian market. When we get the kimchi from the jar, make sure to get some of the juice to use later.

Now add the rice and mix well! Jasmine rice works best but any rice is ok. I am using garlic rice. (Maybe a recipe for another day)

Remember the juice from earlier? Add that in for more kimchi flavor. Also add in soy sauce and salt, sugar, and black pepper to taste. And of course, mix thoroughly!

Oh my Buddha!! That looks amazing! How do we get it looking so nice? Here's a tip!

Fill the rice with a very round bowl and flip it onto a plate for an appealing presentation.

Fry that egg sunny side up! A faster way to cook it is to cover it with a lid. It also reduces the yolk if you do not like runny yolks.

Now be creative! Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and scallions, add some nori, drizzle some sesame oil, Japanese Mayo, or Sriracha. Remember, this is up to you!

And voila! Serve it with salad and you got yourself a nice, easy, and delicious meal! Enjoy!

Here are more pictures just to show off!

Let that yolk into the rice! It gives it a rich creamy texture!

So there you have it! Easy right? This is my take on the classic Kimchi fried rice, and different versions exists everywhere. Let me know your variation and style! If I failed to mention something or there is something I did not do right or failed to clarify, let me know! And of course please comment your thoughts and leave suggestions for a next recipe. Welcome to Mei Wei Recipes, and I hope you had a great stay. See you guys next time.

Contact me at: meiweicafe@gmail.com