Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe

For those days where you can barely be stuffed to cook a meal, fried rice is an easy choice, and as comforting as a warm sun after the rain. It's a heaven where proteins and vegetables are tossed with leftover rice for a quick meal within half an hour, leaving me with more time to sit in front of the TV watching reruns of The O.C.

A few months ago, there was a great deal on kimchi. I (may have) went a little overboard bulk-buying kimchi, and found them cute little glass jars to reside in inside the fridge. The rest of my family however were less than pleased to have to fit their perishables around 5 kilos of kimchi, but that's not the point. The point is, chopped kimchi adds a tinge of spice and tartness to fried rice, and yes, as a matter of fact, I do need 5 kilos of kimchi.  

Kimchi Fried Rice 

Original Recipe from the New York Times

For those of us who don’t have a large wok, or a wok burner for stir-fry, this version of fried rice uses a regular pan set over medium heat, and still results in great tasting fried rice. 

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ small onion, medium dice
1 cup roughly chopped kimchi (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons kimchi juice, or to taste
1 tbsp gojuchang (optional)
½ cup small-dice Spam, ham or leftover cooked meat (optional)
2 cups cooked, cooled short-grain rice. 
2 teaspoons soy sauce, and more as required
1 teaspoon sesame oil, and more as required
Vegetable oil, for frying eggs
Eggs, one per person
Crumbled or slivered nori (roasted seaweed) for garnish
Sesame seeds for garnish

STEPS

In a nonstick sauté pan set over medium-low heat, melt butter and add onions. Stir occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the onions start to sizzle. Add kimchi, kimchi juice and gojuchang, and let the mixture come to a boil, about 3 minutes. Add spam if using. Cook until most of the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Using the flat side of a spatula, break up the cooled rice into individual grains (no need to be OCD about it), Increase the heat to medium and stir the rice in. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until the rice is very warm and well-coated in the kimchi sauce. 

Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil in by the side of the skillet, such that it comes into contact with the walls of the skillet first before reaching the food. Taste, and adjust with more soy sauce, sesame oil or kimchi juice as required. As you cook the eggs (see below), turn heat down slightly, but let the rice cook, untouched, to lightly brown. 

In a separate non-stick pan, fry eggs. To get the nice sunny-side-up eggs, cover the pan with a lid after cracking in the eggs to allow the top of the egg to cook by steam 

Serve rice topped with fried eggs, nori and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.