Kimchi fried rice is one of the many easy dishes I love to prepare after a busy day. I am not sure about you but I do get very impatient when I am hungry and tired. Planning the menu, preparing the ingredients and cooking seems too much work then. I am sure many of you could relate to this. That is how this kimchi fried rice recipe came about. Made out of a variation of vegetables and meat of your choice, it is a wholesome meal.
Where to get kimchi?
You can buy kimchi at most Asian grocers and sometimes, they are even sold in local supermarkets as kimchi is now a popular side dish. The probiotic benefits in kimchi are acknowledged by main stream media online and offline. This explains its popularity.
It is also possible to make kimchi at home using easy to get ingredients. In this homemade kimchi recipe, we detailed the preparation process to avoid the risk of high nitrate consumption.
Variation of meat and vegetables
Fried rice is generally the best recipe as it goes well with any vegetables or meat. I kept it simple and only added some frozen seafood, eggs and scallions. Other types of ingredients you may consider adding are bacon, sausage, shiitake mushroom and beans. These suggested ingredients should be stirred and cooked along with the rice. You have to try it. It is comfort food at its best.
Kimchi fried rice with cheese
Yes, cheese is often added to kimchi fried rice. In fact, cheese is added to many Korean meals to enhance the dishes. I personally love adding sliced cheddar cheese the moment the fried rice is plated. The heat from the fried rice will melt the cheese. It is always so fun to have thick strings of cheese with every scoop of the rice. Besides cheddar cheese, mozzarella, American or swiss cheese can also be used. Do slice or grate them to ease the melting process.
Overnight rice or low moisture rice
Overnight rice is normally used as it is perfect for cooking fried rice. The moisture in overnight rice which has been refrigerated is rather low. In this awesome kimchi fried rice recipe, I boiled the rice 20 minutes before cooking. Right after that, the pot of rice was placed into the oven at 50 degrees Celcius with the cover removed. The aim was to remove as much moisture as possible from the rice and it turns out perfect this way.
Adjust the spiciness of the kimchi fried rice by adding the amount of kimchi according to your preference. If you find the kimchi fried rice a little too bland, feel free to add some oyster sauce. Enjoy kimchi fried rice with some cold brewed roasted green tea or any beverage of your choice. I promise this will be a satisfying meal.