Bibimbap, the most searched recipe on Google this year, has its roots in Korea. Though the origin of the dish can be tracked back to 1,000 years, its fame evolved over a period of time. This Korean dish gained popularity in the West during the late 20th century due to its cheap cost.
With a combination of rice, fresh vegetables and meat, Bibimbap offers a unique package of nutrition and flavor. The low calorie dish can be made by using ingredients that are readily available at a household.
Along with its simplicity and the delicious taste, the Korean wave around the world—in music, drama, and lifestyle, is one of the main reason for its recent popularity.
The traditional version of the dish is cooked with raw egg yolk, raw meat and other vegetables. But there is also a cooked version of this dish.
Ingredients required to make Bibimbap
MEAT AND MEAT SAUCE
- 100g / 3.5 ounces beef mince
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
VEGETABLES AND OTHERS
- 100g of shiitake mushroom
- 120g of carrots
- Fine sea salt
- Serving portions of steamed rice
- Eggs (depending on the serving portion)
- Some toasted seasoned seaweed, shredded (long thin cut)
- Some cooking oil
Ingredients for making Bibimbap sauce:
- 2 tablespoon of gochujang
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds
. One can also use other vegetable options like Korean cucumber side dish, Bellflower root, gosari, daikon radish salad or any other salad of a person’s choice.
How to cook Bibimbap
· Mix the meat sauce with the beef mince. Soak the meat for about 30 minutes.
· Add cooking oil into the frying pan and cook the meat on medium to high heat. It takes about 5 minutes to cook it thoroughly.
· Mix the ingredients of Bibimbap sauce together.
· Peel and rinse the carrots, add some cooking oil to a pan, then add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt and cook the carrots on medium to high heat for about 3 minutes.
· Clean the shiitake mushrooms and slice them thinly. Add some cooking oil to the pan and add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt to it. Cook the mushrooms on medium high to high heat for about three minutes.
· Make some fried eggs.
· Serve some rice into a bowl and add the meat, vegetables, toasted seasoned seaweeds, Bibimbap sauce, and add the egg on top of the rice.
Bibimbap is now ready to serve!