When I was little, my mother would often make bibimbap—not for any special occasion, but when she had to finish the vegetables (banchan) in the house or when she didn’t have to work hard. She would take out some fried or pickled vegetables, a little kimchi, and some seaweed strips from the fridge and whip up a quick vegetarian bibimbap.
Although our homemade bibimbap never had the garnish of a restaurant, its taste always had the warmth of home and the magic of my mother’s hands. This simplicity and flavor are what make bibimbap so special.
What is Bibimbap?
Bibimbap means “mixed rice,” meaning rice mixed with various vegetables, meat, eggs, and spices. This traditional Korean dish is a unique blend of flavor, nutrition, and color. Each ingredient has its own unique flavor, and when combined, it creates a delicious and balanced meal.
Required Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4)
For the Meat and Sauce:
- Beef Mince – 100 grams (or any other cut of your choice)
- Soy Sauce – 1 tablespoon
- Sesame Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Brown Sugar – 1 teaspoon
- Finely Chopped Garlic – 1/4 teaspoon
Vegetables and Other Ingredients:
- Spinach (pickled) – 250 grams
- Bean Sprouts (pickled) – 350 grams
- Shiitake Mushrooms – 100 grams
- Carrots – 120 grams (about 1 small carrot)
- Salt – 1/2 teaspoon (1/4-1/4 teaspoon for shiitake and carrots)
- Cooked Rice – 3 to 4 servings
- Eggs – 3 or 4 (per serving) (as needed)
- Cooking oil – as needed (I used rice bran oil)
- Thinly sliced roasted seaweed – for garnish
For the bibimbap sauce:
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste) – 2 tablespoons
- Sesame oil – 1 tablespoon
- Sugar – 1 tablespoon (preferably raw sugar)
- Water – 1 tablespoon
- Toasted sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Vinegar – 1 teaspoon (apple vinegar is best)
- Finely chopped garlic – 1 teaspoon
Other optional vegetables
If you want to try something different, you can also add daikon radish salad, Korean cucumber dish, gosari (fern shoots), or bellflower root.
And if time is short, use any fresh salad vegetables of your choice—the beauty of bibimbap is that it can be customized to suit your convenience and taste.
Bibimbap Recipe
1. Preparing the Meat:
First, thoroughly marinate the beef in its sauce. Marinate it in soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and garlic for 30 minutes. This will infuse the flavor deeply into the meat.
Then, heat some oil in a wok or pan and cook the meat over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Ensure the meat is cooked through and acquires a light golden crust.
2. Preparing the Vegetables:
- Spinach: Boil it first, lightly salt it, then rinse it under cold water and squeeze it out. Add sesame oil and a little garlic and mix.
- Bean Sprouts: Boil these lightly and season with salt and sesame oil.
- Mushrooms: Slice the shiitake mushrooms and lightly fry them in oil, adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Carrots: Cut them into thin strips and lightly sauté them in oil, adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
3. Cooking the Eggs:
Take one egg per serving and fry it sunny-side up (the slightly uncooked yolk). This gives the dish a traditional Korean look and flavor.
4. Plating and Serving
Now, first put the hot rice in a large bowl. Arrange all the vegetables on top of it in portions so that their colors are clearly visible—green spinach, orange carrots, brown mushrooms, and light white sprouts. Place the cooked meat in the center, and then top with the fried egg.
Now pour the bibimbap sauce over the top, sprinkle with some sesame seeds, and garnish with seaweed strips.
Before eating, mix everything well with a spoon so that every bite is full of flavor and aroma.
5. Preparing the Bibimbap Sauce
In a small bowl, combine the gochujang, sesame oil, sugar, water, vinegar, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds. Mix well until the sauce is smooth and thick. This sauce is the soul of bibimbap—its balanced spiciness, sweetness, and sourness take your taste buds to new heights.
Little Tips and Secrets
- If you’re short on time, you can buy ready-made gochujang sauce from the market.
- For more flavor, keep the eggs half-boiled or sunny-side up.
- Traditional drinks served with bibimbap, Korean barley tea (Boricha), make this dish even lighter and more balanced.
- You can prepare it vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
Conclusion: Bibimbap – A Plate of Flavor, Balance, and Memories
Bibimbap is not just a Korean dish, but a reflection of culture and tradition. The beauty of colors, the harmony of flavors, and the balance of nutrition all come together.
This dish symbolizes how simple food can be wonderful. Like a simple bibimbap made by your mother, sometimes the flavor in life comes not from the decoration, but from the emotion.
So the next time you have leftover vegetables in your fridge, instead of throwing them away, make bibimbap—a bowl that warms not only the body but also the heart.
