Easy Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe

Kimchi. It’s a staple in a Korean diet and it can be daunting for those who aren’t used to its spiciness and smell. It is one of the most popular and fastest side dishes. Kimchi rice can be paired with Spam, bacon, ham and a good old sunny side up egg or leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.

So if you feel like having some kimchi tonight, this easy kimchi fried rice recipe is just for you. This recipe also works on store-bought kimchi!

INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups kimchi
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli bean paste)
4 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain rice
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
4 small sheets Korean nori, crumbled (or 1 sheet Japanese nori, toasted and crumbled)

Cook’s notes:
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1
Squeeze as much juice as you can from the kimchi, then finely slice it and set aside, reserving the juice.

Step 2
Heat a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil and sesame oil. Add the kimchi to the wok and toss frequently until very fragrant. Add the gochujang and toss for about a minute, or until fragrant. If you’re using the Kleenmaid 90cm GCTEK9020 electronic gas cooktop, you’ll find that the cooktop also features auto reignition. This means if the flame is extinguished the cooktop will reignite itself after determining that it is safe to do so. Such a neat feature!

Step 3
Add the rice, pressing it onto the sides of the wok to separate the grains. Add the reserved kimchi juice, spring onions and salt, and mix everything well, allowing the rice to lightly toast against the sides of the wok.

Step 4
Scatter the rice with sesame seeds and crumbled nori and serve.

Note:
Korean nori is available from Asian supermarkets often roasted with sesame oil and salted, and is easily crumbled. You can also keep a pack or two in the pantry. It makes a great snack.

Tip:
If you want to get rid of that kimchi smell in your fridge, Ashlea recommends on Bon Apetit to mask kimchi and other weird smells with cotton balls soaked in vanilla extract and placed in a shot glass.

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