Kimchi Fried Rice

5-6 Servings (1 cup each)

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

To me this is comfort food.  Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made with pickled cabbage and other vegetables.  It is the national dish of Korea. You can usually find kimchi in jars or plastic bags in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The heat and spiciness will of course depend upon the kimchi that you use.  You can omit the soy sauce called for in the original recipe, if you wish, because kimchi can be high in sodium.  Have your ingredients prepped before beginning because this delicious dish comes together quickly.  It’s quite satisfying on its own or it can be served as a side dish for a lean protein such as roasted salmon.  Serve this meal with a cold crispy fruit (grapes or Clementine oranges come to mind) to round out your dinner.   

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger (I use the minced from a jar.)

2-3 cups leftover cooked brown rice

2 cups frozen peas and carrots

1 cup kimchi (more or less to taste) (Kimchi usually comes in a jar.)

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (optional)

3 beaten eggs*

1 Tablespoon chili paste or sriracha sauce (optional)

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds for topping (optional)

1-2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Heat a swirl of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant.  Add the rice, peas and carrots, kimchi, and soy sauce (if using.)  Stir-fry for a few minutes or until everything is warmed and sizzling.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Scramble the eggs in the center of the pan and then mix them throughout the rice.  Serve with the sriracha sauce, sesame seeds and/or scallions, if you like. 

*You can fry the eggs in a separate pan, sunny-side up or poach the eggs if you prefer and then top the fried rice with the eggs.  This doesn’t work so well if you plan to have leftovers.

Kimchi Fried Rice served along with crisp cold seedless grapes and leftover roasted salmon. To roast salmon fillets, set the oven to 450F and cook the salmon (drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper) for about 8 minutes.