Bibimbap — 'mixed rice' — is the Korean dish that captures the philosophy of Korean cooking in a single bowl: multiple components, each prepared separately to its own ideal state, combined at the table by the eater. The gochujang (fermented chilli paste) is stirred through everything at the moment of eating, the fried egg is broken and mixed in, and the result is unified by the mixing process.
Bibimbap Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked short-grain Korean rice
- 300g ground beef
- 200g baby spinach
- 200g bean sprouts
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 200g shiitake or king oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tbsp ghee (for cooking vegetables and eggs)
- Beef seasoning: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 tsp sugar
- Gochujang sauce: 4 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Sesame seeds and sliced spring onion to garnish
Method
- Cook each vegetable component separately in ghee with a pinch of salt: spinach (1 minute, squeeze dry), bean sprouts (2 minutes), carrots (3 minutes), mushrooms (4 minutes). Season each with a few drops of sesame oil.
- Cook the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat with its seasoning for 5 minutes until cooked and slightly caramelised.
- Mix the gochujang sauce ingredients together. Taste — adjust honey and vinegar balance.
- Fry the eggs in ghee sunny-side up — whites set, yolks runny.
- Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Arrange the vegetables and beef in separate sections around the rice.
- Place a fried egg in the centre. Add a spoonful of gochujang sauce.
- At the table, stir everything together before eating.
Is bibimbap seed oil free?
Yes with ghee and sesame oil. Gochujang is seed oil free (fermented chilli paste, rice, and salt). Check any commercial gochujang brand — some add soybean paste which is fine, others add seed oils as a preservative.
Is sesame oil a seed oil?
Sesame oil is technically pressed from seeds, but it is used as a condiment and flavouring, not a cooking fat. The MAHA approach typically excludes it from the 'seed oils to avoid' category when used in small quantities as a flavouring. For strict avoidance, omit or use ghee only.
Can I use other vegetables?
Yes. Zucchini, cucumber, and fernbrake are traditional. The dish is flexible — use whatever you have, cooked separately.
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