Bibimbap is a very popular dish in Korean cuisine… and such a fun word to pronounce!
I can’t think of, cook, or eat a bibimbap without getting this song or this song or even this one (back in the nineties, man!) in my head.
“Bap” means rice and “bibim” means “enjoyable to eat and loaded with flavors”… well at least in my book!
If you want to stick to traditions, serve it piping hot in a stone pot, so the rice at the bottom of the bowl gets slightly crunchy: it’s a pure delight… and much more fun to say than “pâté”!
Enjoy! And as Scatman John would say « Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop… Bibimbap » !
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Do you have a favorite bibimbap recipe to share ?
Vegetarian Bibimbap with marinated tofu, kale and soy-glazed Portobello mushrooms
Serves 4
INGRÉDIENTS
For the marinated tofu:
– 8 oz. (225 g) firm organic tofu
– 2 tbsp. tamari or soya sauce
– 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
– 1 tbsp. sesame oil
– ½ inch ginger, grated
– 1 garlic clove, minced
For the bibimbap:
– 1 cup (180 g) wild or red rice, rinsed and drained
– 2 cups (500 ml) water
– 2 medium-sized carrots
– 1/3 daikon (100 g/ 1/4 lb)
– 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
– 1 tbsp. olive oil
– 4 kale stalks, without the stems, sliced
For the soy-glazed portobello mushrooms:
– 3 portobello mushrooms (or shitake), sliced
– 1 tbsp. tamari or soya sauce
– 1 tbsp. raw sugar cane
To serve:
– Black and white sesame seeds
– 1 nori seaweed sheet, cut into fine sticks
– 4 tbsp. Kimchi (Korean spicy fermented cabbage)
– 4 tsp. sambal oelek (see notes)
– 4 eggs, fried sunny side up
– Tamari or soya sauce, sesame oil, to taste
DO IT YOURSELF
1) Drain the tofu, pat dry, cut into thin pieces and place on a large deep plate. Add all the ingredients of the marinade and toss with hands to coat the tofu.
Cover the plate with plastic wrap and place in the fridge, at least for 1h, turning the tofu occasionally.
2) Place the rice in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer over low-medium heat for 40 minutes or until tender but still a bit firm.
3) Cut the carrots and daikon into fine sticks. Drizzle with rice vinegar. Sauté the carrots, daikon along with the tofu in a pan for 2 minutes. Set aside.
4) Add olive oil to a large frying pan, add the kale and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
5) In the same pan, toss the mushrooms and let cook for 2 minutes. Add the tamari sauce and the sugar, drizzle the mushrooms with sauce and cook for 3 minutes more.
6) Divide the rice into 4 bowls. Top with the marinated tofu, the carrots and daikon, nori, kale, glazed mushrooms, kimchi and a small dollop of sambal oelek.
Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and finally top with a fried egg.
7) Mix it up and eat with more tamari or soya sauce and sesame oil, to taste.
Recipe adapted from David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl Andersen.
NOTES :
• Gochujang chili paste is traditionally used in Korean Bibimbap. Like here, you can replace it with another spicy paste/ sauce such as sambal oelek or even sriracha.
Variations :
• Use grilled tempeh instead of tofu.
• Meat lovers : use good-quality meat cuts such as rib-eye of sirloin. Marinate the meat in the same marinade as the tofu and grill on BBQ. Let sits a few minutes before slicing the meat finely.
Comment
Stunning dish. I can’t wait to try it!