Kimchi Fried Rice
Ready in just 30 minutes, this fragrant kimchi fried rice comes with spicy gochujang paste, sour kimchi, smoky sausages, and scallions. This Korean classic is wok-fried to perfection and superbly seasoned!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 3-4 cremini mushrooms finely diced
- 1 small carrot finely diced
- 1 cup kimchi chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped vegan sausages optional
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Sauce
- 3 tbsp kimchi brine
- 1 tbsp Gochujang
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the kimchi brine, gochujang paste, sugar, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Start by heating a couple of tablespoons of oil in a wok or non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and green onions, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the diced veggies. At this point, turn up the heat to high and sauté the chopped carrots and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, or until carrots are almost cooked but still slightly crunchy.
- Add the kimchi and rice. Add in the chopped kimchi and vegan sausages if using, and cook for 2 more minutes. Then, add the cooked rice and stir to combine it with the vegetables.
- Pour in the sauce. Add the gochujang sauce and toss to combine the rice and vegetables with the sauce.
- Stir-fry. Sauté the rice for another 3-5 minutes or until it has absorbed the sauce. I personally like the rice slightly charred, but that is up to you.
- Serve. Finally, garnish with extra green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Notes
- Use leftover rice. For optimal texture, I highly recommend using day-old rice. Freshly cooked rice tends to have a too-moist consistency, while leftover rice refrigerated overnight will be dryer.
- Use high-heat. For a slightly charred flavor and crispiness, cook the fried rice in a wok or non-stick pan over high heat.
- Do not overcook the vegetables. You do not want mushy vegetables, so do not overcook them. Usually, cooking them for 2-3 minutes is enough.
- Use frozen vegetables. Feel free to use a mix of frozen diced vegetables if you are short on time.
- Customize the spiciness. You can reduce or omit the gochujang paste if you want a milder spiciness. In that case, keep in mind that your fried rice won't have a deep red hue, and you will need to adjust saltiness.
- Add a pinch of glutamate. This is totally optional, but if you want to make this dish better than takeout, a pinch of MSG (or mushroom seasoning) goes a long way. It improves the overall flavor of the dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 439 kcal | Carbohydrates: 62.4 g | Protein: 5.8 g | Fat: 17.1 g | Saturated Fat: 2.3 g | Sodium: 582 mg | Potassium: 275 mg | Fiber: 2.4 g | Sugar: 5.4 g | Calcium: 34 mg | Iron: 15 mg