Bibimbap
Make Bibimbap once and it will go straight into your regular rotation. Prep takes about under an hour, cooking around under an hour, and it serves 3. It sits firmly in the Korean tradition, so expect the flavours you would get from a good home kitchen there. Scroll down for the ingredients, the step-by-step method, and answers to the questions we get asked most about it.
- Serves 3
- Level Hard
Ingredients
- 2 small Carrots
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp Garlic
- 1 –2 pinches salt
- 10 oz Spinach
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 2 tsp Sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp Garlic
- 8 oz Bean Sprouts, with beans attached
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tsp Sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp Garlic
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tbsp Olive or other oil
- 1 lb Steak
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp Garlic
- ¾ –1 0.5 cup white rice, steamed
- 3 Eggs, cooked over easy
- ¾ cup Kimchi
- 1 Sliced Cucumber, cut into strips
- Gochujang
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Method
- Cut the carrots into matchsticks.
- Boil matchsticks in a covered pot of salted water for a few minutes. Drain.
- Rinse carrots with cold water until cool. Drain again, then put in a bowl.
- Add the sesame oil, ground sesame seeds, grated garlic, and salt. Toss together with your fingers.
- Put the spinach in a large covered pot with 1 inch of water.
- Bring to a boil and cook as usual. Stir occasionally to keep the spinach from sticking to the pot. The spinach is done when it's dark green and reduced to a small fraction of its original volume.
- Drain the cooked spinach. Cool by adding cold water to the pot and drain again. Squeeze the spinach in your hands to remove the water.
- Slice the cooked spinach into 1-inch pieces.
- Put the cooked spinach in a bowl with the sesame oil, ground sesame seeds, and grated garlic. Mix with your fingers.
- Blanch the bean sprouts in a pot of salted water until they become clear.
- Drain the cooked sprouts, and transfer to a bowl.
- Toss with sesame oil, ground sesame seeds, grated garlic, and salt.
- Slice the steak thinly, but not paper-thin.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan on high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the beef. Stir-fry.
- While the beef is cooking, add the sesame oil, ground sesame seeds, and grated garlic. Cook until the meat is well browned.
- Add the soy sauce. Continue cooking until the liquid has boiled off.
- Place rice in each bowl.
- Arrange the prepared namuls, beef soboro, cucumbers, and egg on top of the rice. They should be arranged separately and attractively. The egg sits in the middle. Gochujang, kimchi, and any other root or leafy vegetable is served on the side in small individual bowls for the table to help themselves.
- Rub the inside of the dolsots with sesame oil.
- Spread the cooked rice evenly over the bottom of the dolsots and part way up the sides. Place the namurus and the beef soboro on top of the rice, each in its own area.
- Cover the dolsots and cook over medium-high heat. Watch carefully near the end to avoid burning the rice on the bottom. To test, use a spoon to scrape the rice from the side. Remember that the bottom cooks more than the sides and that the rice keeps cooking after you remove it from the heat. Do not preheat the dolsots.
- Add an uncooked egg to the middle of each dolsot.
- Serve dolsots on small pieces of wood to keep the heat from damaging the table.
- To eat, start by scraping the rice from the bottom and stirring the ingredients together with a metal spoon. The egg will cook as it breaks up. The rice on the bottom will be crunchy and sometimes hard to remove unless you continue stirring as you eat.
Tips for the best Bibimbap
- This is a 24-step recipe, so set up your workspace in the order the steps use it.
- Let the egg come up to room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Taste as you go. Seasoning at the end is fine, but adjusting halfway through gives a more balanced result.
Variations
- Spicier version: add a pinch of chilli flakes or a sliced fresh chilli with the aromatics.
- Vegetable boost: stir in a handful of spinach, peas or diced peppers in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Fusion twist: keep the method but swap the spices for your own favourites — the Korean base takes well to it.
Serving ideas
Serve over steamed jasmine rice with a scatter of spring onion and sesame.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 2 days; reheat in a hot pan or oven rather than the microwave to bring the crispness back.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bibimbap vegetarian?
Yes — this version is vegetarian as written. Always check packaged ingredients if you have strict requirements.
Can I make Bibimbap ahead of time?
You can prep all the ingredients a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then cook just before serving for the best texture.
How many people does this Bibimbap recipe serve?
As written it serves 3. The quantities scale up or down in a straight line, so double everything for 3×2.
What can I substitute for carrots?
Any ingredient with a similar texture and cooking time works; see the variations below for ideas. Keep quantities the same and adjust seasoning at the end.
Is this Bibimbap recipe hard to make?
It is rated hard: 26 ingredients and 24 steps. Follow the order and the tips above and it is very forgiving.
Adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook, CC BY-SA 4.0 — source
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