Earlier this year I posted a recipe for Bulgogi, a traditional Korean dish of thin slices of beef that is marinated and cooked on a grill or stovetop. There I confessed that I only recently became a kimchi fan. I am glad to discover that I enjoy it and that it’s not always hot (I stay away from jars labeled ‘spicy’).

I learned something new about this pickled Korean dish – despite it being mostly cabbage, it’s not always vegetarian or vegan. Key ingredients in traditional kimchi are shrimp paste and fish sauce which heighten the flavor. I’ve also seen it made with anchovy paste and beef stock. If you’d like to prepare this meal either vegetarian or vegan, be sure to look at the ingredients in your favorite kimchi. If you live near a Wegmans, their store brand is quite good and vegan (and gluten-free).

If you haven’t yet discovered rice packs, this is a great meal to try one as it is perfectly sized for two people. Our favorite is Seeds of Change’s Brown Basmati Rice. A pack can be heated in the microwave, but we prefer to cook it on top of the stove in a non-stick until it gets a bit crispy (like what you do in this recipe). You can also prepare brown rice in a pot or rice cooker. The key to getting crispy rice for fried rice is to let it cool before reheating it, so it’s best to prepare the rice a few hours or day in advance and chill it (if you’re not using a rice pack).

While this dish looks like a bunch of vegetables and rice, it’s a very satisfying meal and perfect for Meatless Monday. It’s also adaptable – change up the vegetables with what you have on hand or with veggies you prefer or add some meat. But don’t skip the kimchi as it’s what makes this dish so tasty.

Kimchi-Vegetable Fried Rice

 

Kimchi-Vegetable Fried Rice
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise (see Notes)
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (or to taste)
  • 5 teaspoons avocado oil, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil, divided
  • 8 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced in rounds
  • 6 ounces baby bok choy, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 5 scallions, thinly sliced, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons (about 0.5 ounces) minced fresh ginger
  • 8 to 9 ounces precooked brown rice (see Notes)
  • 4 ounces vegan cabbage kimchi, roughly chopped (see Notes)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Whisk the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 3 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat.
  3. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add red pepper, carrot, bok choy, 4 scallions, garlic, ginger, and Kosher salt and pepper. Cook until the carrot is crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer sautéed vegetables to a plate.
  5. Return the same skillet to medium-high heat and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil.
  6. Add rice, flatten on bottom of skillet, and cook, undisturbed, until rice begins to crisp and pop, 4 to 6 minutes.
  7. Add sautéed vegetables and kimchi to fried rice and stir. Cook until hot, about 1 minute.
  8. Divide kimchi vegetable fried rice between bowls and sprinkle with remaining scallion. Drizzle with Sriracha sauce.
Notes
* To make this vegan, use vegan mayonnaise and vegan kimchi.
* For the rice, you can use a rice pack or prepare brown rice in a pot or rice cooker. The key to getting crispy rice for fried rice is to let it cool before reheating it, so it’s best to prepare the rice a few hours or day in advance and chill it if you’re making it the traditional way.
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Source:  Variation on recipe from Purple Carrot