Dolsot Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl)

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Dolsot Bibimbap is serious comfort food. This bowl is nutritious, abundant with flavorful veggies, and irresistible crispy rice. Top it with spicy condiments and tangy kimchi. It's a complete vegetarian meal to cure what ails ya!

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Dolsot Bibimbap is probably my favorite rice dish.

Yes, even over risotto.  But only because risotto doesn't give me a crispy, brown, crust on the bottom of the pan--well, not in a good way anyway...

Bibimbap is also my husband's favorite meal that I make.  So whenever I'm feeling particularly lovey-dovey, I'll make it for me him. 

Most recently I made it for our 6 year wedding anniversary--along with this pie.  It was a hit!

And for good reason too-- this dish checks all the boxes:

• Extremely flavorful
• Simple ingredients
• Nutritious
• Comforting
• Very versatile

I will say it takes a few steps to make this dish, but none are complicated. I find by doing some prep work earlier in the day or even the night before, I can have a steaming bowl of this crispy goodness on the table in 30 minutes.  So no need to make this a special occasion meal. Serve it up any day of the week! 

Why do we love us a Dolsot Bibimbap?

First reason:

THE CRUST.

Ok, so what sets dolsot bibimbap apart from regular bibimbap is the crust of crispy fried rice that gets created in the bottom of the pan. This happens by heating the skillet over high heat and getting the pan and oil super hot. Therefore, when the rice hits the pan, it starts to fry and form a crust. 

It is sublime.

It's crunchy.

It is scrumptious.

It's toasty-wonderful-delicious-crunchtastic!

But seriously though--I compare it to those drips of cheese that ooze out of a grilled cheese sandwich and then hit the griddle and crisp up. Yea. That good.

The second reason we love this dish:

Korean food at home!

Where I live, good Korean food is super hard to find. There have been a couple of restaurants in Portland that have been really delicious, but unfortunately, they weren't around very long.

While it may not be totally authentic Korean fare, it definitely hits the spot when the craving strikes!

The third reason why we love this dish: 

It's made in a cast iron skillet! 

In a restaurant, dolsot bibimbap is served in a scalding hot stone bowl. The heat from the bowl is what gets the bottom of the rice super crispy, crunchy, delicious.  

The version I'm making still gives you that wonderful crispy rice crust but just delivers it in a more practical and family-style way.  You won't have the drama, but you don't lose the flavor at all.

The last reason we love this dish: 

It is so versatile!

You can put any veggies you want in it! Switch up the produce to match seasonal veggies, use up leftovers, or clean out the garden! Whatever your heart desires.

It will always taste good and it will come out perfect every time!

Tips For Getting The Crust To Form

So this is the trickiest part of the recipe, but it is definitely achievable and worth the effort! Trust me, there's no greater gift to give yourself than crispy fried rice. And the fried rice really takes this recipe to the next level.

Use sushi rice- you need a short grained white rice for this and it needs to be starchy.  Sushi rice sticks together very well and that's because of the starch. This will keep the crust together and give you great browning.

Be generous with your oil- You're not deep frying the rice, but you need the skillet well coated. Also, you're cooking this rice at very high heat, in a very hot pan.  The rice is going to absorb most of the oil instantly. We need extra oil to prevent both the rice and oil from burning.

DO NOT TOUCH THE RICE- This is an important tip. You will be tempted to stir. You will think the rice is burning to the bottom of the pan, but trust me, DON'T TOUCH IT.  If you stir, the crust will not form.

Also, your house is going to fill up with smoke. Open the windows for this one.

Stovetops vary- Getting the rice crust on an electric stovetop is quite different than a gas stove. Just keep in mind, electric stoves hold a lot more heat for a longer period of time compared to gas. I've included instructions for frying the rice on gas and electric stoves.

How To Make Dolsot Bibimbap

Makes 6 servings.

I use a 10" Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen "Korean Rice Bowl (Dolsot Bibimbap)"

• ¼ cup water
• ¼  cup soy sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups of peeled, shredded carrots (about 3 large carrots)
• 10 oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 5 oz of spinach or baby kale
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 2  ½ cups Sushi Rice
• 2  ½ cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• Gochujang Chile Sauce (see below) or Sriracha
• Kimchi (optional)
• Pickled Vegetables (optional)

Prepare The Veggies

Combine water, soy sauce, garlic, sugar and scallions in a small bowl and set aside.

In a cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil on medium high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until they start to soften--about 2 minutes. Next, add the carrots and continue cooking until the mushrooms are brown and tender and the carrots are softened.

Add in the soy and scallion mixture, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.

Do not remove the veggies from the pan, but push all the veggies against the inner edge of the skillet to create a well for the excess liquid to pool.

Simmer the liquid until it has almost evaporated completely.

Add the spinach or kale to the well. Turn off the heat and let it wilt.

Give the veggie mixture a final stir to combine the spinach/kale and seasoned veggies.

Remove veggies from skillet and put into a separate bowl*

*Veggies can be cooked a couple hours ahead of time or even the day before.  Just microwave or reheat them in a skillet for a minute or two to get the chill out before spooning over the rice.

Cook The Rice

Combine sushi rice, water and salt in a pot, bring to a boil on high.  Turn heat down to low, cover pot and simmer for 7 minutes.  After simmering, remove pot from the heat and let sit covered for 15 minutes.

Fry The Rice

Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a seasoned, 10" cast iron skillet, over high heat until shimmering. NOT SMOKING. 

Quickly and carefully scoop cooked rice into the skillet and press gently to the bottom of the pan. 

For Gas Stove: Cook on high about 2 minutes-without stirring. Add the veggies and juices. Don't stir. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 5 more minutes.

For Electric Stove: Cook for 1 minute on high without stirring. Turn off burner, and let the rice continue to fry on the bottom of the pan for 1 minute. Add the cooked veggies and juices on top of the rice.  Don’t stir. Turn burner back on low and cook for 5 more minutes.

While the rice finishes cooking, spray a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and crack in the eggs.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, and scramble the eggs until fully cooked. 

To serve, using a strong metal spatula, scoop up the rice and veggies (make sure to scrape up some of that crust!) and serve into a bowl. Top with scrambled eggs, chile sauce, kimchi and pickled veggies.

Weep with joy.

Gochujang Chile Sauce

Makes a little over a pint of sauce.

• 1 Cup Gochujang 
• ¾ Cup  Water
• ½ Cup of Sesame Oil
• 4  teaspoons sugar

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and whisk until well blended. Store in the fridge and put on absolutely everything. Eggs will be revolutionized.

Fun Variations

• Add grilled chicken or steak or your favorite ground meat
• Add grean beans, peppers and/or broccoli instead of kale
• Top the bowl with an over-easy egg instead of scrambled

A Word About Gochujang

One of the condiments I have listed in the ingredients is a Gochujang Chile Sauce.

If you've never heard of Gochujang, it's just hot Korean chili paste.  It's made from fermented soybeans, chili powder, and glutinous rice.  It is very spicy, very thick, a little salty, but it can be incorporated into a ton of sauces and condiments. It is very versatile.

Depending on where you live, it can be a little tricky to find. I cannot find Gochujang in my grocery store, so I typically order it from Amazon or get it from my local Asian market.

The sauce recipe I've included makes more than you'll need for a bowl of bibimbap, but it's so delicious it's a great condiment to keep around. 

The sauce is totally optional! You can use sriracha instead or any other favorite hot sauce!

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Easy Black Bean Burgers

One Pot Chili Mac

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