Best ever meal-in-a-bowl!
When you talk to people about Korean food, there are some dishes that you would expect them to know about, such as kimchi, bulgogi and galbi. However, with the increasing interest in Korean cuisine and number of Korean eateries and grocery stores popping up all over the place, other dishes are beginning to increase in popularity…from nakji bokkeum (spicy stir-fried octopus) to the dish being featured in today’s post, bibim bap.
This is a dish with no hard-and-fast recipe, almost like pizza in this regard - so long as you have your chan gi rhem (sesame seed oil), gochujjang (Korean chilli paste), white medium-grain rice and some veggies (preferably an array of banchan), you can’t really go wrong. It can be made to suit any variety of tastes, and is a dish that vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike can all enjoy!
Versatility, thy name is bibim bap!
This dish has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. You can make a beautifully presented dish like this at home, or go out to a restaurant and enjoy dolsot bibim bap - almost the same idea as this dish, except that it is presented in a stone bowl that has been heated up quite hot, then had a little sesame oil poured into the bottom before the rice and banchan are added. This ‘fries’ the bottom layer of rice in contact with the bowl to a crunchy, toasted rice layer called ‘nooroong-ji‘, which many Koreans enjoy almost as others would a regular rice cracker!
I received an email request a few days ago from a lass who told me that she had had this dish at a Korean restaurant but was having difficulty finding a recipe. Of course, I was more than happy to acquiesce, except for one problem. I didn’t really have a recipe. Y’see, this dish actually originated as a way for people to enjoy the leftover rice and banchan in the kitchen before making up some fresh batches, and that was the way that I usually had it! When there was just a few ladles of rice left in the rice cooker, I’d pull out the metal bowl, dump whatever banchan were in the fridge on top, add a spoon or so of Korean chilli paste and a dollop of sesame seed oil and mix it all together and eat it as is!
It may sound horrendous, but anyone who has grown up in a Korean household will be veeery familiar with this practice!
Anyway, since that wasn’t much of a recipe, I had to turn to my mother for a hand in creating this post, arguing with her over translations and trying (in vain!) to get her to use measuring spoons and scales so I could work out measurements!
Now, one final note before I continue through to the recipe - this is a very involved, time-consuming dish to make if you’re not from a Korean family (which in turn means you’ll have half these ingredients in the fridge as banchan). However, there is a flip side to this - the recipe will give you roughly enough banchan for about 4 people, and the leftovers can be stored in little airtight containers and used to make more bibim bap later, a process which will then take you no more than about 5-15 minutes tops! How’s that for a payoff? 
This photo shows you all the sections that are commonly presented with this dish - all the sections with Korean names are also eaten as banchan and therefore in learning to make this dish, you’ll actually be learning 5 Korean recipes in the 1!
Bi Bim Bap
(Makes approx 4-5 serves)
Ingredients
2x medium zucchini
2x medium onions
2x small-medium carrots
300g minced beef
500g fresh mung bean sprouts
3-4 spring onions
9-10 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 bunch spinach
2x cloves garlic
Sesame seed oil
Olive oil
Salt
Sugar
Toasted sesame seeds
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Gochujjang (Korean chilli paste)
4x eggs, fried
2-3 cups cooked white medium-grain rice
Preparation of banchan ingredients
| Ho-bak Bokkeum (Sauteed Zucchini) |
Sukju Namul Muchim (Seasoned Mung Bean Sprouts) |
Shigemchi Muchim (Sauteed Spinach) |
Pyogo Bohsot (Shiitake Mushrooms) |
| 2x medium zucchini 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 garlic clove, minced Salt Olive oil1. Wash the zucchini, then top and tail them and cut them into pieces about 5-6cm long.2. Take one piece (it should be a short cylinder), and place one of the cut round ends face-down on the chopping board. Proceed to slice into ’sheets’ about 5mm thick.3. Cut out any seeds, then julienne the zucchini ’sheets’ into short strips about 5-6cm long and 3-4mm thick. 4. Put the zucchini strips into a non-reactive bowl, pour over the fish sauce and lightly toss through with your fingers till they are evenly coated. Set them aside till they have wilted - about 10-20 minutes. 5. Strain the zucchini, then squeeze out all excess moisture and set aside. 6. Preheat a frying pan or wok with a little olive oil till hot, then add the zucchini, garlic and salt and sautée till they’ve softened a bit more and absorbed the flavour of the salt and garlic. 7. Remove from heat, and once cooled, store in an airtight container. |
500g fresh mung bean sprouts 2x cloves garlic, minced Salt 3-4 spring onions Sesame seed oil Toasted sesame seeds1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then blanch the mung bean sprouts by adding them to the water and leaving them for a minute or two, till they begin to soften. Immediately drain them but DO NOT RINSE1! Instead, leave them to cool in the colander, occasionally giving them a toss.2. While they’re cooling, rinse the spring onion and slice them on the bias into pieces about 2-3mm thick. Add these to the blanched bean shoots, along with the garlic, salt, sesame seeds and sesame oil, then lightly toss through with your hand till they are evenly coated. 3. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container. 1 - The reason that you do not refresh the bean shoots in cold water after blanching is that this causes them to retain more moisture, weighing down the shoots and making them soggy. |
1x bunch spinach Salt Sesame seed oil Toasted sesame seeds1. Remove the roots from the spinach, then give them a thorough rinse to get rid of as much dirt as possible.2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then add the spinach and make sure it is submerged for a few minutes (or till wilted but not completely cooked). 3. Drain spinach and rinse thoroughly in a few changes of cold water, till the colour is a vibrant green and there is no more green in the rinsing water. 4. Drain well, then take small handfuls and squeeze out as much water as you can, whilst being careful not to mush the spinach entirely. 5. Roughly chop into easy-to-eat lengths, then put into a bowl, along with enough salt to season and the sesame seeds and sesame oil. 6. Toss through evenly, then store in an airtight container once cooled. |
9-10 dried shiitake mushrooms 2 tbsp soy sauce 1-2 tsp sesame seed oil1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add the dried shiitake mushrooms and boil till well softened.2. Rinse in cold water then drain well, squeezing out any excess liquid, and remove the fibrous stems and cut into strips about 3-4mm thick. 3. Preheat a frying pan, then add the mushrooms, soy sauce and sesame oil and stir fry over high heat till the mushrooms have heated through and absorbed all the soy sauce and oil. 4. Set aside till needed. |
Preparation of non-banchan ingredients
| Marinated Beef Mince | Carrots | Onions |
| 300g beef mince 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame seed oil 1/2 - 1 tsp sugar Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste Oil1. Mix together the beef mince, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper, then leave to sit for about 10 minutes.2. Heat up a frying pan with a little oil, then add the mince and fry, making sure to break up any clumps into little pieces. Once browned and cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside till needed. |
2x medium carrots Salt Oil1. Peel carrots, then cut them into pieces about 5-6cm long. Slice these into sheets, then julienne to the same size as the zucchini.2. Heat a frying pan with a little oil, then sautée the carrots till they are softened (but not completely soft - they must retain some bite). Season with a little salt and set aside. |
2x medium carrots Salt Oil1. Peel onions, cut them in half then slice them lengthwise (so you get strips and not half-circles).2. Heat a frying pan with a little oil, then sautée onion till softened and they become pearly and translucent. Season with a little salt, then set aside. |
When making this dish at home, it is usually presented in a MYO manner - each person takes a dish then adds as much rice and banchan as they desire. This means they can have a dish they will enjoy, as well as controlling the heat in the dish from the gochujjang. The banchan are added first, then the gochujjang and sesame oil and egg before the entire thing is mixed into a delicious mess!
To Make Bibim Bap:
1. Add some cooked rice to a bowl (about half as much rice as you would usually have), then add small amounts of each of the banchan that you would like on top.
2. Add as much gochujjang as you wish (start with about 1 tsp as you can add more later), then about 1 tsp sesame seed oil and a fried egg on top. Use your spoon and proceed to thoroughly mix up all the ingredients of the dish till it is evenly and well combined. Taste, and add any more gochujjang or banchan that you need, then settle down and enjoy your bowl o’ goodness!
Now, I know that you’ve just read through this page and baulked at the amount of work involved, but just bear this in mind - any leftover prepared ingredients can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week, which means you can keep them to make a bowl of bibim bap later when you don’t really feel like cooking!
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN OPTIONS
This is one of the few Korean recipes which is extremely easy to make vegetarian/vegan friendly. The following substitutions can be made according to what you’re after:
- Mince: Equivalent weight of firm tofu, crumbled into small pieces and marinated and fried in the same way, beware not to overcook as it can disintegrate.
- Fish Sauce: A little konbu or mushroom dashi powder (Japanese soup stock powder) dissolved in hot water
- Egg: Pffth. Just omit if you wish!
Technorati Tags: Korean cuisine, bibim bap, rice, banchan, recipes
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Comments
Ellie Hi Donna - Spot on! The mung bean sprouts are ‘crisper’ and somewhat translucent in comparison to soy bean sprouts, they’re also fresh and sweet when eaten raw and they have a smaller, softer bean at the end as opposed to the large, hard yellow bean on soy bean sprouts
Shannon Yoo My mother is Korean so I understand perfectly when you say that this is a dish you throw together of all leftover banchan from the week and whatever scrapings of rice are left. It’s like the "leftover soup" that people like to make with all the leftover veggies and meats from that week.
My comment actually has to do with the banchan - you mentioned all the great Korean groceries popping up everywhere. Well, a LOT of them will have a to-go banchan "salad bar" where you can pick up pre-made banchan in whatever quantities you desire. In fact, my Korean grocery packages up "bibim bap banchan" that I go and pick up at least once a week because my American husband is crazy for bibim bap.
Ellie Shannon, you’re a lucky lass, but I’m guessing that it has something to do with your locale If our ‘hangook shipoom’ sold banchan like that, then all the international students would love them unconditionally! The size of the Korean populace here in Australia can’t be compared to in the US, and I’m afraid that the only banchan I’ve seen any of them offer here is kimchi in some of its different forms (-_-)
Mrs. W Oh, I did used to enjoy bibimbap when I lived in South Korea many years ago… too bad there are no good asian groceries in my town. 
Hilda Oh yeay! although that is some extraordinary lengthy food preparation going on there. But the second I started reading your post in bloglines, I thought oh is she going to tell us how to make bibim bap? I love bibim bap and order it all the time at the Korean restaurant down the street (which is actually quite good).
Ellie Kat - Definitely Its a fair bit of work, but so worth it!
Mrs. W - Do not fear! You’re lucky in that there are a few online Korean grocers which stock all the ingredients you’d need, http://www.kgrocer.com being one of them that comes recommended!
Hilda - LOL! Bibim bap appears to be quite a growing favourite, and I hope the lengthy preparation doesn’t hold you back from giving it a go!
Adrianne Hi, love your blog! I’m pretty sure I’ve had this once at a Korean restaurant. The other time I went I had a big bowl of soup with little octopi in it. The only difference I remember is that the egg was actually put on top of everything raw, but because it was all so hot you just mixed it in and it cooked in the middle of it all. Very yummy. I wondered if you had any comment on that. Whether one way or the other is more traditional or if it’s made both ways. thanks! great post.
Tartelette I just love saying the name, bibim bap…bibim bap…bibim bap…ok Tartelette, shut up now!
Joking aside, it is gorgeous!
amy Whoa - so it’s 8.45AM Brooklyn, NY time and my stomach feels like it’s going to explode from last nights Korean-fest in Little Korea, but I’m still craving to eat some more right now! This is sick! Do they put crack or some other addictive additive into Korean food to make you continue to licking the plate clean? Not even the spiciest sauce will keep me away from spooning the remainder into my mouth. Bi Bim Bap is a fave of mine and also one that kind of scares me to make - an I consider myself an adventurous cook. But, I’m going to try it. Thanks for this easy-to-read recipe and thanks for making me DROOL at 8.45AM on a Tuesday morning. I’m adding you to my blogroll! Amy @ neverfull.wordpress.com
Ellie Hi Adrianne - I’m not sure what the bowl of soup w/ octopi was, purely because it could have been any number of dishes As for your bibim bap, its essentially the same dish as what I featured in the post, but what you had would most likely be called dolsot bibim bap (dolsot - stone bowl, bibim - mixed, bap - rice). Neither one is seen as more traditional, just as different ways of serving this dish…like mandu (Korean dumplings), which can be served as fried (goon mandu) or steamed (jjin mandu) However, since dolsot bibim bap is quite difficult to make at home (the solid stone bowl must be heated to quite a high heat so that it can cook the egg and make the crunchy layer of rice at the bottom), when people go out to eat bibim bap as opposed to eating at home, this is the version they usually seek out
I hope this answers your questions, but please feel free to let me know if you’ve anything else you’d like to ask
Helen - LOL! I know what you mean Its definitely one of those words which is fun to roll around the mouth 
Amy - Hehehe, no crack, just lots of love, which I’d say is just as addictive 
I hope you do give this a try, its a great intro to Korean cooking, and will prepare you for some of the more challenging recipes I’ve got in store 
Liz I have recently had bibimbap in New Zealand and would like to make this at home. However, I can’t find any Dol Sot (stone bowls) and wooden coasters in my local area (Nth QLD). I have sourced some in USA but shipping cost is high. Can you advise an Australian source who would be prepared to ship to Nth QLD. I would love to be able to learn to cook this Korean delight.
Thanks
Liz
sea I love Bibimbap, or bibbinba as it is called in Japan. It’s one of my favorite dishes! I am hooked on ishi-yaki bibbinba (in the stone pot, heated- must be dolsot bibim bap) and have tried several times to recreate it at home. I have the stone pots, but I haven’t quite mastered the preparation yet. *sniff* I used to love a food court variety prepared without meat with CHEESE (really) that was really yummy. Maybe one of these days I’ll get the recipe right. Thanks for this great post!
-sea
Ellie Sea - Cheese, hey? Can’t say I’ve come across that before, but in a strange way I can see how it might work! And I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Pepy - Thanks hon, what a lovely compliment
Lindsey This post was extremely educational and helpful. I can’t wait to make this dish. In my circle of friends, we get together and cook dishes from different countries once a month to learn about new cuisine and cultures; This is the only recipe for bibimbap that I’ve found that explains the dish so well.
Thanks a million!
Ellie Lindsey - I’m glad you found it helpful, I hope you enjoy making it with your friends
Bibimbap is one of my favorite things to order at the several Korean restaurants near me. I love how it’s a little different each time. What a excellent, thorough recipe and the pictures look delicious. I think I will have to try this out very soon.
With regard to the bean sprouts, are the soy bean sprouts the ones with a larger bean at the end of the sprout?