Recipe Time - Korean Dolsot Bibimbap for Lazy People

A couple of weeks ago I posted this photo of Dolsot Bibimbap (mixed rice in stone bowl) on my Facebook and shared it with a group of Taiwanese students who study overseas. After that, a couple of people wrote me and asked me for the recipe. First, I have to declare that I am not Korean, and the way I make it is not 100% correct. I add whatever vegetables that I like and I don't put meat in it. (If you want to make it the correct way, there are lots of clips on YouTube that you can watch.) Also, to make it look like it is in the photo above, you have to cook each ingredient separately. I don't do that anymore, because in reality, I just don't have the time; so I cook everything all together. : )

Enough said, here is how I make my version of Dolsot Bibimbap. First of all, here are the vegetables I use:



And here are the stuff you'll need:

(The key is that red pepper paste; you have to have it! Look for it in your local Asian market.)

Before you start anything, cook the rice first, and by the time you finish chopping the veggies and cooking, the rice will be done. (I typically cook 2.5 cups of rice; that's enough for one dinner and two lunch meals. Yeah I eat a lot! Oink...)

First, put the stone bowl on the stove, medium heat, and heat it up. You can buy the stone bowl in the Korean grocery. (PS: It's said that before you use it for the very first time, you should soak it for awhile.)

While the bowl is heating up, add some sesame oil into the frying pan, and add the veggies (daikon, carrot, mushroom and cucumber). Flavor with sea salt and soy sauce to your taste.

Cook for about 3 minutes till it's done, then set it aside. (I cook this batch separated from the spinage and sprout simply because my pan is too small.)

Now cook the spinage and bean sprout the same way.

After they are done, mixed in the veggies... One happy family now! :D

Now the stone bowl is piping hot, add some sesame oil and spread it evenly across the whole bottom. (Wear a glove, please!!!)

Add the fresh rice into the bowl. You should hear the heavenly sizzling! (It will cause some of the rice at the bottom to burn a little bit... yum!!!)

Then add the mixed veggies along the side, save the center for the best part.

Finally, add a fresh raw egg in the center of the bowl. Yes, a raw egg! The stone bowl and the rice are so hot that they will literally cook the egg after you mix everything, so don't worry. If you still are not sure about it, you can fry the egg first. After adding the egg, add a spoonful, or two, of the red pepper paste to the bowl. Red pepper paste is essential for this dish, so make sure you have it! To finish it up, I sprinkle some ground white sesame seeds and a little bit of sesame oil on top.

You have to mix it before eating it. Really take your time and mix it well. There you go! It's so easy to make and so yummy! My kind of comfort food. : )