Super Easy At-Home Kimchi Fried Rice
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
It’s been two and a half weeks since I started self-isolating, and one place where I’ve found solace is in the kitchen. This recipe is one I must thank my mother-in-law for, though my husband and I adapted it ever so slightly and it’s been on heavy rotation in our house since. It’s probably one of the easiest, fastest ways to cook up a big batch of food and not have to worry about what to eat for several days.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Ingredients
Makes approximately 8 servings
3 cups of white jasmine rice, preferably cooked the night before and kept refrigerated
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I used peanut oil)
4 jumbo-sized eggs or 6 medium-sized eggs, beaten
1 cup of cabbage kimchi, rough chopped
6 strips of bacon, diced (you’ll want to save the bacon fat)
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of kimchi liquid from the container
3 stalks of scallions, trimmed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
A fried egg as a topper (optional)
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Directions
1. Cook 3 cups of rice the night before or if you’re not great at planning ahead like me, several hours before is okay too as long as the rice has time to fully cool down in the fridge before cooking. The number one rule of fried rice is make sure you’re using rice that’s a little dried out, that way the kernels maintain their integrity through all the stirring.
2. Start by heating up 2 tablespoon of oil over high heat until shimmering, about 30 seconds. Next, scramble your eggs until the eggs are just set, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the eggs so you get a nice fluffy curd. Set the eggs aside on a plate.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
3. Clean your pan and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium high heat until shimmering, about 30 seconds. Add the kimchi to the pan and sauté while flipping occasionally, until kimchi is slightly translucent and has released more juice. About 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
3. Next, in a separate wok that’s big enough for all your ingredients, add your diced bacon and then turn on the heat to medium high to fry up the bacon. You want to start with a cold wok. Make sure you’re stirring regularly so the bacon cooks evenly. About 5 minutes. Prep a plate with paper towels and put the bacon on the plate when finished and set aside.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
4. In the same wok with the bacon grease, add the onions and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, add your rice into the wok and combine well.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
5. Add the sauteed kimchi, sesame oil, soy sauce, and kimchi liquid to the rice and continue stirring the rice to ensure it’s well incorporated. Next, add the bacon, eggs, salt, and pepper, and continue mixing to combine. You might want to break up the scrambled egg curds just a bit when adding it into the wok. Taste the rice and adjust flavors accordingly.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
6. Mix in the sliced scallions until evenly combined and turn off the heat. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds if you like, top with an optional fried egg, and enjoy!
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)