Kimchi fried rice is the Gopher’s go-to dish when the Gopher is short on time and ingredients. Before I started making kimchi at home, I was all about stretching the precious jar of store-bought kimchi as much as I could. This meant no cooking with kimchi, only eating it as a side dish (Yeah… we all go through dark days like this in our lives…)
Since making kimchi has become one of my rituals in the kitchen, the floodgates of cooking with kimchi have been opened. Be sure the Gopher will be posting even more cooking with kimchi videos in the future. This dish simply transforms ‘would be leftovers’ into a delightful meal. This makes the perfect dinner when the Gopher comes home from a long day of work, so hungry that she’s about to chew on her own ear^^

Try this healthy, flavorful fried rice! This will rock your fried rice world^^
SERVES 2
Total: 20 minutes Active: 20 minutes
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups kimchi, chopped (a little kimchi juice will come out, use this)
*Kimchi and briny kimchi juice will determine the salt level of the dish
2 cups rice, preferably day old rice from the refrigerator
5 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar
2 eggs, sunny side up with salt and pepper (optional)
thinly sliced green onion, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and roasted seaweed for garnish

Directions

1. Add 1 Tbsp. of sesame oil and the diced onion to a large skillet. Saute the onion over high heat for about 2 minutes, until it begins to soften and starts to brown.

2. Add the kimchi, continuing to cook over high heat for about 5 minutes until there is almost no liquid left in the pan and kimchi turns translucent. Be sure to stir it often as you cook.

3. Lower the heat to medium and add 2 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tsp of sugar. Give it a good stir.
*Adding the extra oil at this stage is important. This prevents the rice from sticking and burning.

4. Add the rice. Mix it well together. Cook it about 7 minutes until the rice is warm through and starts to brown a little at the bottom. Stir it often, taking care to brown but not burn.
*If the rice is in a hard lump from being refrigerated, break it up and press it down with a spatula.

5. Make a clean corner in the skillet to make the sunny side up eggs. Add your eggs and cook them to your liking.

6. Garnish with the green onion, sesame seeds, roasted seaweed, and sesame oil. Serve and enjoy ^^

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gopher’s Tips:

Drizzling a little sesame oil over the top before serving will add such nice, nutty flavors.

Try some tasty, roasted seaweed at home. Crumble it with your hands and top off the fried rice with it. You will be pleasantly surprised how much its flavor will permeate the dish.