I did it! 

As it happens, the Korean cookbook I bought right before leaving Seoul doesn’t have a recipe for one of my favourite dishes: Kimchi fried rice (otherwise known as kimchi bokkeumbap, or even more so as 김치 볶음밥). I suspect, now that I’ve made it, that the absence of this recipe can be attributed to the fact that it’s so easy to make. Alas, the cookbook will have to wait for another night, and another cooking adventure.

Kimchi Bokkeumbap

Some of the staples needed for Kimchi fried rice: Soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, eggs, KIMCHI, garlic, and onion.

Bless you, Kimchi Canada!

Kimchi Fried Rice
adapted from Bee Yinn Low’s recipe at Rasa Malaysia

Serves 2 

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons oil, for frying
2 large eggs
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 small onion, finely diced
500 ml (1 bottle) kimchi, cut into small pieces
3-4 tablespoons kimchi juice
4 cups steamed white rice
2 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil, or to taste
black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 stalks scallion, cut into small rounds

Method:

1. Pre-heat two pans: a wok (or a large, deep frying pan) for the fried rice and a frying pan for the eggs.
2. Add oil to the wok and sauté the garlic and onion until aromatic. Add the kimchi and stir briefly before adding the rice. Combine well. Add the kimchi juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and scallions to the wok. Fold together until well blended with the rice.
3. Meanwhile, in the frying pan, add oil and fry the eggs sunny side up. Slide out of the pan and set aside.
4. Dish rice out and serve immediately with the egg on top of the rice.
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Happiness on a plate.

Even F. wanted to take a shot at photographing our dinner! Kimchi bokkeumbap from his perspective.

I can’t even begin to tell you how happy and nostalgic I was eating this last night (hence all the glamour shots!). Now that I know how easy it is – and as I later announced to F. – we’ll likely be eating this at least once a week, from now until the end of time.