Bibimbap | 비빔밥
Rice Mixed with Vegetables and Beef
Bibimbap is a dish made up of various seasoned vegetables and meat and eaten after mixing all of the ingredients with gochu-jang (red chili pepper paste). For better taste, use various in-season vegetables and add sesame oil. Because it contains various types of vegetables, one bowl of bibimbap can be a nutritionally balanced meal. It is said that in traditional Korean palaces, bibimbap was called ‘bibim’ or ‘goldongban’ and was eaten on the last day of the year (December 31).
- 4 bowls cooked white rice (2 lb, 920g)
gochu-jang (red chili pepper paste) and sesame oil as needed
Seasoned mushrooms
- 5 fresh pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms (5 oz, 150g) (or oyster mushrooms), pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Seasoned spinach
- 5 oz (150g) fresh spinach, pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed
Seasoned bean sprouts
- 5 oz (150g) fresh bean sprouts, pinch of salt, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
Marinade for beef
- 5 oz (150g) ground beef, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons minced green onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, crushed, pinch of ground black pepper
- Remove the stems of pyogo mushrooms. Cut the mushrooms into 1/8X1/8X2-inch (0.3×0.3×5-cm) julienne strips.
- Rinse the spinach and bean sprouts thoroughly.
- Combine all the ingredients of the marinade for the beef in a small bowl. Add the ground beef to the bowl and marinate for 5 minutes.
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and stir-fry the pyogo mushrooms with a pinch of salt.
- In a medium saucepan, boil 3 cups of water and blanch the spinach for 1 minute with a pinch of salt. Rinse immediately with cold water and squeeze out the excess water from the spinach. Cut in half if necessary, then season the spinach with salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and crushed sesame seeds.
- In a medium saucepan, put the bean sprouts and add water and a pinch of salt. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until the beans are cooked. Remove and season the bean sprouts with salt and sesame oil.
- Place a skillet over high heat and stir-fry the marinated beef.
- Place a scoop of cooked rice in the individual bowl and arrange the pyogo mushroom, spinach, bean sprouts and beef side by side on top of the rice.
- Serve the gochu-jang and sesame oil on the side.
Any vegetables can be used for bibimbap. Generally, three or more types of in-season vegetables are used. Green vegetables include cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, water parsley and crown daisies. White vegetables include bellflower roots, mung bean sprouts, bean sprouts and radishes. Brown vegetables include bracken and pyogo (shittake) mushrooms. Dolsot-bibimbap is bibimbap cooked in a hot stone pot. It is cooked by placing rice and vegetables into a greased stone pot that retains its heat until the meal is finished. If a Korean stone pot is not available, a thickly lined cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe casserole may be used.
