Vegetarian Bibimbap

[mific]

This isn't a specifically fall or spring dish but it's yummy and warming and I've made it recently and it's autumn here. It's Korean.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Veggies:
2 medium zucchinis (or 4 small ones), sliced into small sticks or half-rounds
2 medium carrots, sliced into small sticks or half-rounds
1 medium red bell pepper/capsicum, seeded, halved, then in narrow slices
1 bag fresh bean sprouts (about 1 cup when cooked)
1.5 cups (when cooked) of spinach, bok choy, broccoli florets, or any greens
1 cup (when cooked) of mushrooms - traditionally these are chopped rehydrated shiitake but I forgot to soak them the day before, so I used button mushrooms which were great.

Condiment ideas for flavouring the different veggies: (use different combos in each, and make one a bit sweet and sour for contrast) salt to taste, black pepper, grated or minced garlic, sesame oil, GF oyster sauce, GF soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey or sweetener, etc.

1 cup of long-grain white rice like jasmine, so ½ cup per person. Cook in two cups of salted water - bring it to the boil, cook 5 min. then turn off the heat, cover and leave to steam, absorb all the water and finish cooking.

4 eggs, poached, or fried sunny side up so the yolks are still a little runny. So 2 eggs per bowl.

Final garnish (for each individual bowl):
0.5 cup of finely chopped scallions/green onions/spring onions
1 rounded teaspoon of gochujang sauce (a red, fermented Korean chili paste - you really do need it for the authentic taste, but don't overdo the amount unless you're gung-ho for chilli. Ask for it at Asian supermarkets, although it's usually not GF in most. Here's a link to a GF version. Or google it for more online options.) 

Directions:
Stir fry each of the different veggies separately so each has slightly different flavours. Personally, I like combining the red capsicum/bell peppers and carrots in a sweet and sour, and making the others savoury. Mushrooms are great with sesame, soy and garlic. Bean sprouts can just be blanched briefly in boiling water if preferred. Set each veggie dish aside in a microwavable container.
Cook the rice and set it aside to finish cooking in a covered pot.
Then poach or fry the eggs.

To assemble:
Simpler version: Put the cooked rice in 2 large serving bowls, then place each veggie item in a heap on top of the rice, alternating the colours of the vegetables. If needed, microwave the veggies briefly beforehand. Top each bowl with two eggs, the chopped green onions, and 1 tsp of the chilli paste. Mix it all up with a spoon before eating, chopping the egg up into the rest. Eat with the spoon, or with chopsticks.
Traditional version: this is served in an ovenproof bowl (for each person) and the rice and veggies are baked for about 10 min so the rice goes a little crispy underneath and stuck to the bowl. This also reheats the veggies, but cover with foil not to dry them out. Then top with the eggs etc. Be careful as the bowl will be very hot when served.

Notes:
If you're not vegetarian, one of your heaps on the rice can be stir-fried meat of any kind, or fish. Traditionally they use beef stir-fry. In this case there's just 1 egg on top. Good way to use up some leftovers. Really, almost any veg you like which can be stir-fried can be used, so this is also great for using up left-over veggies. I like green beans, cauli florets, caramelised onions, shelled edamame, etc. Not tomatoes or beetroot, though - wrong flavours. A non-traditional but yummy option is avocado chunks, although if too ripe they'd just mash in and vanish when the bowl is mixed at the end.

Comments

AH!

[jesse_the_k]

Thank you for explaining a dish I've seen on menus and never attempted. Preparing each element with different flavors and textures makes for a sensational festival!