Dolsot Bibimbap (Hot Stone Korean Mixed Rice)
Bibimbap (비빔밥) or Korean mixed rice with assorted toppings, is one of the most well-loved and possibly most famous Korean dish. Ordering this at Korean restaurants easily set us back by $20 per person, so I was determined to learn to make it. The home-made bibimbap turns out to be quite easy and gratifying. It was also served in a dolsot (Korean stone bowl) for added crispy rice crust and for keeping warm throughout the meal – not bad for a home version!
See Also:
- Kitchen Tool: Dolsot (Korean Stone Bowl)
- Recipe: Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang)
- Purple Rice Bulgogi Bibimbap
- Easy Korean Recipes
The results tasted good and cost a fraction of the price we paid outside. Though it may be tedious to prepare and cook each topping one by one, I had a sense of satisfaction seeing how beautiful it turned out. It is also a balanced meal with various types of vegetables and meat in a bowl.
Step-by-Step Photos Dolsot Bibimbap (Hot Stone Korean Mixed Rice)
Prepare seasoned spinach salad. I usually prepare more so that I can serve the extras as a side dish (banchan).
Prepare soya bean sprouts salad. I usually prepare more so that I can serve the extras as a side dish (banchan).
Slice carrots to thin matchsticks. Cut zucchini to thin quarters and trim off the ends of hon shimeji mushrooms.
Marinade minced beef for 10 minutes.
Prepare bibimbap sauce. It is non-cooking and you just have to whisk the ingredients (gochujang, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, vinegar and water) together.
Cook two sunny side up eggs.
Stir-fry carrots in a bit of oil for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir-fry zucchini in a bit of oil for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir-fry mushrooms in a bit of oil for 3-5 minutes, or until stems are lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir-fry marinated beef in a bit of oil for about 2 minutes.
Every time you cook a topping, set it aside in a large plate as a platter.
In each serving bowl (I am using a dolsot aka Korean hot stone bowl here), add one serving of cooked rice. I am using a mixture of short-grain rice, brown rice and multi grains.
Place the egg in the center. Place the sauce on the egg white. Then arrange the rest of the cooked toppings as a neat platter around the egg. As a final garnishing, top with some pine nuts on the egg yolk (Pine nuts garnishing learnt from Running Man Ep 180).
If it’s cold, you can heat up the dolsot (stone pot) over low heat for 10 minutes, pouring some olive oil down the sides so that the rice will form a nice crust.
Here’s my home-made bibimbap. The presentation looks really neat to me.
Remember to mix everything well (sauce and toppings) before eating.
Bibimbap Recipe
There are many types of toppings used for bibimbap not used in this recipe such as cucumber, daikon, gosari (brackern ferm stems) and sliced beef; feel free to adapt the recipe according to what you can find.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- a few pine nuts for garnishing
- 2 servings (bowls) cooked short-grain rice
- cooking oil
(A) Bibimbap Sauce
- 2 level tbsp gochujang (chilli pepper paste)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 garlic clove grated (may substitute with 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
(B) Seasoned Spinach Salad (Sigeumchi Namul)
Note: Quantity here is for two, just enough to top two bowls of Bibimbap; but you can make more to serve the excess as a side dish (banchan).
- 75 grams baby spinach washed and drained
- water + 1 tsp salt
Seasonings (b)
- 1/2 tbsp chopped spring onions
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- half clove garlic grated (may substitute with 1/2 garlic powder)
- a tiny pinch of salt to taste (may also use light soy sauce)
(C) Soya Bean Sprout Salad (Kongnamul Muchim)
Note: Quantity here is for two, just enough to top two bowls of Bibimbap; but you can make more to serve the excess as a side dish (banchan).
- 75 grams soya bean sprouts washed and drained
- water + 1 tsp salt
Seasonings (c)
- 1/2 tbsp chopped spring onions
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- half clove garlic grated (may substitute with 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
- a small pinch of salt to taste (may also use light soy sauce)
(D) Zucchini, Carrot and Mushrooms
- 1oo grams zucchini cut to quarter thin slices
- half carrot peeled and cut to thin matchsticks
- 100 grams hon shimeji mushrooms ends trimmed
- 3 tsp cooking oil divided
- salt and black pepper to taste
(E) Beef
- 60 grams minced beef
Seasonings (e)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 dashes white pepper powder
- half clove garlic grated (may substitute with 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
Directions:
- Sunny side up eggs. Heat and grease a cooking pan. Crack two eggs into the pan, taking care not to break the yolk. Cook until the yolk is just set, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Bibimbap sauce. Whisk to combine (A) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Seasoned spinach. Bring a pot of water with 1 tsp salt added to a boil. Blanch spinach for 30 seconds and plunge the cooked spinach in an ice water bath until cooled. Squeeze out excess liquids from the spinach. In a bowl, add prepared spinach and seasonings (b). Mix well and season to taste. Set aside.
- Soya bean sprouts salad. bring a pot of water with 1 tsp salt added to a boil. Blanch bean sprouts for 1 minute and plunge the cooked sprouts in cold water until cooled. In a bowl, add prepared bean sprouts and seasonings (c). Mix well and season to taste. Set aside.
- Cook zucchini, carrot and mushrooms. Heat pan with 1 tsp oil. Add zucchini and stir fry until cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside the zucchini. Cook carrot using the same method (3 minutes), followed by mushrooms (3 minutes). Set aside.
- Marinade and cook beef. Marinade beef with seasonings (e) for 10 minutes. Heat pan with 1 tsp oil and stir fry the beef until just cooked, about 2 minutes.
- To serve, divide rice to two serving bowls. Divide and top each bowl with cooked egg, sauce, spinach, soya bean sprouts, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and beef, arranging them in a nice platter. Garnish with pine nuts. Mix the rice thoroughly with the sauce and toppings before eating.