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Monday, January 11, 2010

Korean Bibimbap

Picnik collage

IMG_0498

Bimbimbam

I am gripped by a scary sense of frenzy - I am finding myself blogging frenetically - trying to make full use of every little bit of time available to put up posts before I leave for my business trip to India next week. It is perturbing to realise that once the momentum to post has been set rolling, it can become quite a formidable force - aided by encouragements from fellow bloggers.  I find myself constantly thinking about what to cook next... what boundaries to push, what interesting things to experiment. Some may have noticed, I have started to blog more on savory dishes recently where in the past, I would usually do sweets... for a very simple reason - I have to eat lunch and dinner every day. Cakes and sweets, on the other hand are too dangerous to partake of on a daily basis. So, the good thing that emerge from this almost helpless frenzy is that I get to eat better - LOL.

I have never made anything Korean before. I got piqued into doing this after watching an episode of a Taiwanese Variety show, 女人我最大 (WQueen). This is primarily a girly informatic variety show targeted at women of all ages, touching on topics ranging from the latest trends in Skincare, Makeup, Staying Fit, Eating Right, Hair Styling and Fashion. It runs 5 days a week and each day focuses on a different topic. My Taiwanese colleague had told me this is  a powerful program that has many Taiwanese women (and beyond)  hanging onto every advice/recommendation dished out in the program.

Anyway, one of the feature last week saw the program pitching 2 guests against each other to cook a healthy meal with left over rice. One of the guests demonstrated cooking Bimbimbap with the left over rice and it looked so good, I decided to do a little research and give it a go.

A quick trip to the local Korean grocery supply store equipped me with the required Korean Hot Bean Paste (gochujang) and... I just couldn't leave without getting one of those stone bowls!!!

It was relatively easy to put together. Although the recipe I found called for more garnishing vegetables, I worked with what I have in the fridge and am quite pleased with the end result. I got the required burnt rice crust (锅巴). To me, this is the definitive element of the dish, the result of cooking the rice in the hot stone bowl. One should be able to get the crust using normal claypot as well. There is no need to go rushing out to buy a stone bowl, I was just being vain and spendthrift!

Here's a close up of the burnt rice crust.
bimbimbam 2


Recipe :

80g                    Minced Beef ( I used sliced beef because this is what I have in my fridge)
1                        Small sized onion.
1 tsp                  Chopped ginger
1 tsp                  Light Soya Sauce
1                        Small carrot cut into matchsticks (I used a shredder and cut it to shreds)
1                        Small Japanese cucumber cut into matchsticks (I didn't have this but I substituted with some
                          kimchi)
1                        Fresh shitake mushroom (I didn't have this as well)
30g                    Bean sprouts (blanched quickly in water to remove rawness)
1                        Egg
1                        Bowl of cooked rice
1 tsp                  Korean hot bean paste (I think I went too generous with this)

Method:

1. Pour 2 tsp of Sesame oil into hot bowl or claypot.
2. Put rice into the bowl and pack it well.
3. In a saucepan heat up 1 tbsp of oil and saute cut onions and ginger until fragrant.
4. Add in beef and soya sauce and fry until beef is just browned.
5. In the stone bowl, arrange carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, bean sprouts and mushroom and beef on top of the rice. Cover the bowl/ claypot and apply medium heat. I heated this for 10mins until the smell wafted out of the bowl and I could hear a   sizzling sound.

6. At this point, crack an egg over the rice, cover and remove from heat. Before serving ,spoon  bean paste on top. Mix well before eating.              

15 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

First thank you for a reply to my question..Kind of you~!
I practiced with lights this afternoon and had fun..

Now this bowl and contents..:) Like a gift all ready to savor!

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

You are most welcome, Monique though I have to say I am really not qualified to give photo tips...I actually get rejected quite alot by Foodgawker due to 'harsh lighting' & 'Non-pleasing composition'... but I am most happy to share with you the quirks I have been experimenting with :)

Irene's Footprints said...

Wow korean dish now...you are a real expert....

: )

Zurin said...

your on a roll aren't you. :)) that dish looks so good....i must gv a go at korean...i will.

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Irene, I am no expert. I am just experimenting and following instructions. You can also do this.

Zurin, yes I am seized by a sense of urgency before I do the Houdini act and disappear for weeks.... I am cooking again tonight- Spicy toufu soup(Sun Doubu). But I have no time to take pictures. I have 2 teleconferences lined up in an hour.

Trissa said...

Shirley - what a great dish this is! I can't wait to see what else this blogging frenzy brings and I'll be sad when you go away for work!

Irene's Footprints said...

Hi Shirley
How much you paid for the stone bowls? You bot from which korean grocies store? I know there is a big store at Bencoolen Street and one opposite OCBC Centre.

: )

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Irene, actually I bought the bowls at Sia Huat in China Town. I bought another set for Sun Doubou at the Korean groceries store at Novena Square 2 (3rd or 4th storey). I paid $31 for the smallest bowl but the bigger bowls are only $1 or $2 more expensive so you can get a bigger one and do it for 3-4 people. (Korean grocery store is more expensive)

Angie's Recipes said...

I love that stone bowl!! I know very little, almost nothing about Korean food, your dish makes me want to learn more about it!
Excellent photography!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe!!! I always wanted to know how to cook this at home because I absolutely love this korean dish!!

peasepudding said...

I love bibimbap and you have made it looks so beautiful. I know what you mean about creating momentum, a blog is like a run away train sometimes! I too have turned to savoury as well for the very same reasons!

B & D said...

wow...this looks soo preety soo colorful!! i dont thinkxo i have ever had something like this...it will be a big attempt to me it at home..

Von said...

I love your stone pot! Wish I could buy one here....*sigh* I recently went shopping for one of these pots here and all I could find was a black one which didn't even come with a holder underneath it- and they didn't sell them either =[ This looks delicious though! Especially the crispy rice! I'll have to try this some day!

Amelia PS said...

OH, I love that pot!!!
Amelia from http://www.ztastylife.com/

B' said...

love ur recipes...easy to follow

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