As a restaurant family, we frequently eat quite late at night. And there’s nothing more comforting after a looong day than a big bowl of Kimchi Rice. Carbs, delicious carbs! It’s also super quick to pull together, especially if you have leftover rice in the fridge. Just a few ingredients create unbelievable layers of flavor, and topped with a perfectly fried egg, it is heaven. My husband and I usually make this together-one of us making the rice while the other fries the eggs. That way we have our yummy comforting meal even faster.
Kimchi
Korean staple. Condiment. Spicy, funky side dish. Probiotic superstar, kimchi is all that and more. And it is easy to make, even for beginning fermenters. If you’ve made my Real Deal Kimchi, it will be amazing in this dish. But there are plenty of commercially produced kimchis that are good. Even my neighborhood grocery store now carries several brands. Of course, a Korean grocer would have even more, and likely make their own. While kimchi can be made from everything from radishes to carrots, I use a more traditional Napa cabbage for Kimchi Rice. The tender leaves soak up so much flavor and also add a nice contrasting texture.
If you are familiar with kimchi, you may know that it has several different “stages”. You can eat kimchi fresh, right after you mix in the seasonings, and it’s like a spicy salad where the vegetables are crunchy and the flavors bright. After a couple of days, it begins to ferment and the vegetables start to soften a little. Over time, the kimchi continues to ferment, getting more pungent and sour.
Kimchi almost never goes bad if stored properly, and there are so many uses for ripe kimchee: soups, stews, pancakes, etc. But this is one of the easiest! All of that flavor goes right into the dish giving it zing and oomph. So when you feel like that kimchi sitting in your fridge may be too pungent as a condiment, save it for this rice to make a quick meal or snack.
Leftover Rice
Cold, leftover rice makes the best fried rice. That’s because chilled rice will separate when it is cooked, making those distinct chewy grains. Warm, just cooked rice, on the other hand, will tend to be a bit mushy. Whenever I make a pot of rice, I make double so that I can whip up a fried rice dish quickly. Cook once, eat twice! Kimchi Rice is eaten in households all over Korea to use up both leftover rice and kimchi.
Let’s Go!
You won’t believe how quickly this comes together. A handful of ingredients stir fried for a few minutes, another couple minutes to fry eggs, and you’re done!
Now it’s time for the eggs. I go into more detail about how to make perfectly fried eggs here. You definitely want to have your yolk game levelled up here, because it makes a luscious sauce when you mix it in to the kimchi rice.
When your eggs are done, slide them on top of a bowl of the Kimchi Rice, and dig in! This super fast and soul satisfying meal is on constant repeat in my house; I hope it becomes a favorite in yours too. If you try it, let us know. Rate the recipe, leave a comment, and tag us in your your glorious yolk porn photos @funkyasiankitchen.
Kimchi Rice
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: rice
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
Kimchi Rice is life!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 cup napa cabbage kimchi roughly chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 3 cups cooked rice, preferably cold leftovers
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
To Serve:
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the oil, garlic, and kimchi and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the rice, gochujang paste, oyster sauce, and half of the scallions. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the rice, tossing and stirring the mixture.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the rice is hot. Add the remaining scallions, sesame seeds, and the sesame oil. Then stir the rice to incorporate. Taste the rice and season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside while you fry the eggs.
- Heat a small pan over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon neutral oil into the pan and swirl to coat.
- Gently pour the eggs into the pan and cook for 1 and 30 seconds. Cover with a lid and continue to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the whites are just set but the yolks are still soft and liquid.
- Top rice with fried eggs and serve immediately.
