This recipe brings the comfort food goodness of fried rice and the spicy tang of kimchi together in this Korean twist on an old classic. It’s a quick and easy way to turn your leftover rice into a stunning new meal!
Rice fans will love this Paneer Tikka Masala!
I was a bit late to the game in discovering kimchi, but I’m doing my best to make up for lost time. Not only does kimchi manage to pack all sorts of nutritious ingredients into one package, it brings an absolute wallop of flavour to everything!
I’ve travelled enough to know that fried rice can be made in an almost infinite number of ways. The rice acts as the basis for all sorts of creative and satisfying dishes. It is possibly the perfect leftover recipe, rescuing old rice and turning it into something truly special!
Adding kimchi to fried rice does something really special. It makes the dish come alive in surprising ways and tastes remarkably fresh and satisfying.
Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe
It’s always best to use day-old rice for fried rice. Sitting overnight in the fridge gives the grains of rice time to firm up, which allows them to separate when cooking and prevents the fried rice from becoming mush.
Basmati rice is used most often in my house but I use long grain when I am cooking fried rice. The individual grains hold up really well when fried, rather than breaking into lots of small pieces.
Before getting things going on the stovetop, prepare the vegetables and get your ingredients ready. This recipe comes together quickly so there isn’t a lot of time to find what you need once you have started.
Once everything is ready to go, heat oil in a large wok and then adding minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir fry it together for about 30 seconds to build a good foundation of flavour.
Once that is done, add the sliced mushrooms and bok choy and cook it for 5 minutes. You know it is done when the bok choy has softened. Add the kimchi and cook a bit longer until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
Add the rice, soy sauce and sesame oil and mix it together well. Let it cook until the rice is heated all the way through, then lower the temperature and leave it for a couple of minutes.
While that is cooking away, it’s time to get the egg ready. We all have our fried egg preference but I believe this recipe needs the yolk to be left runny. Fry the egg in another pan with a little vegetable oil.
Everything is ready to go! Top the rice with the fried egg, sliced green onions and sesame seeds and serve hot.
Recipe tips
- This recipe comes together fast so prepare the vegetables while the pan is heating up. There won’t be enough time once you have begun adding ingredients to the wok.
- Day old rice is best because the individual grains firm up and lose some of their surface moisture. This prevents the rice from sticking together and turning to mush. While it is possible to use fresh rice, the result will not be the same.
- Long grain rice triples in size when cooked. This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked rice, so start with 1 cup of uncooked rice.
- Using too much oil can also result in mushy rice. Be careful not to add too much to the wok.
- The kimchi and soy sauce will bring lots of salt to this dish. If you are not sure if it is enough for you, taste the dish when it is nearly done and add salt to taste.
Kimchi Fried Rice
This recipe brings the comfort food goodness of fried rice and the spicy tang of kimchi together in this Korean twist on an old classic. It's a quick and easy way to turn your leftover rice into a stunning new meal!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon veg oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 1-2 bok choy, sliced
- 2-3 sliced mushrooms
- 180g/1 cup vegetarian kimchi
- 500g/ 3 cups day old cooked long grain rice
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- Sesame seeds
- 2-3 green onions
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large wok, then add the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the sliced mushrooms and bok choy and cook for 5 minutes until the bok choy is softened. Add the kimchi and continue cooking until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
- Add the rice, soy sauce and sesame oil, mix until the rice is heated through, then lower the heat and leave it for a couple of minutes while you cook the eggs.
- Cook the eggs in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until the egg while is set and the yolks are still runny.
- Top rice with fried eggs, sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
Day old rice is ideal for fried rice. Cook the rice the day before for best results.
Kimchi and soy sauce are both quite salty so additional salt should not be needed. If you are unsure, taste once the dish is near completion and add a small amount of salt if needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 368Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 528mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 10g
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