Kimchi Fried Brown Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms, Tofu & Korean BBQ Sauce

My Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe Notes

This is a quick meal I really enjoy making for myself. Sautéed mixed mushrooms and tofu, brown rice, kimchi, all tossed together with Korean BBQ sauce then garnished with scallions & black sesame seeds. I also use a bit of kala namak in this dish (It's a black salt high in sulpher that mimics the flavour of eggs. It's totally optional but I like to use it. Kimchi Fried rice is often served with a fried egg on top, so using a bit of kala namak is how I achieve the eggy flavour, without the egg!) 

Don't be afraid to use what you have on hand to make this a meal. No tofu? leave it out. Don't like mushrooms? Leave those out too. I tossed in asparagus to some of my leftovers. I would probably add shredded kale to this for the added nutritional boost. The kimchi has cabbage, carrot, daikon radish & green onion and the benefit is both that it is the vegetable component of this dish and adds a ton of delicious flavour.  

I make kimchi at home because it can be pretty expensive to purchase. The great thing about making Kimchi at home, is you can make a big batch very inexpensively. My last bucket lasted almost a year. If you aren't familiar with it, Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables. It is a bit spicy from the korean chili powder. I really love it. If you don't want to make kimchi, you can definitely find it in many grocery stores, but if it is something you enjoy eating, you really need to give my recipe a shot. It's super good for you and is very simple, so really it is a win win. Buckets of delicious healthy kimchi on the cheap!!!

The other main flavour component to this dish is Korean BBQ sauce. I make a batch of the BBQ sauce to keep in my fridge at all times. It is great for flavouring quick veggie rice dishes on the fly when you don't want to spend a lot of time on dinner. This Korean BBQ sauce is a thin sauce, almost like a vinaigrette really. I see many recipes that thicken Korean BBQ in a pan with cornstarch but I prefer it this way for my purposes. It packs a flavour punch. Use it in this recipe, then save the leftovers to drizzle wherever you want!!

If you decide to tackle your own Kimchi, (and I think you should because it is easy and economical!), this is the Korean Chili Powder that I use, linked below. 

Korean BBQ Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sambal oelek
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tsp sesame oil

Method :

1.  Just combine all the ingredients. Keep in a jar in the fridge and give it a shake before using. Sometimes I don't even chop my ginger and garlic, I just throw everything together in a container and blitz it together with my immersion blender. 
2. Make this Korean BBQ sauce the day before you want to use it for best flavour. 

Kimchi Fried Rice with Mixed Mushrooms & Tofu

​​Serves 4

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked and cooled
• 300 g mixed mushrooms (I use at least part shiitake if I can, then whatever else I can find. Go ahead and use straight up button mushrooms if you want. They are more affordable and it will still be delicious.)
• 1 small onion, sliced or diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups kimchi with some of it's juice
• 1 block firm tofu, pressed and cubed (you can leave the tofu out if you want, but I love it)
• a few grinds of kala namak (keep in mind this is salt, and the Korean BBQ sauce is salty from the soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup Korean BBQ Sauce (I add this to taste. 1/2 cup for sure, then taste and see if you want more....a bit of Korean BBQ sauce can be served on this side to drizzle if you want.)
• a few scallions to slice for garnish
• black sesame seeds for garnish
• a piece of a sheet of nori, julienned for garnish (optional, I always have nori on hand so I use it)

Kala Namak makes a big difference when making vegan fried rice. This is the product I bought and it lasts a long time, as a little goes a long way. 

Method:

1. Heat a wok over medium high heat. Sauté onion for a few minutes in a bit of veg oil. 
2. ​Add mushrooms to wok and sauté over high heat for a few minutes. Stir around occasionally. If the heat is too low then they will end up steaming in the liquid that is released. Higher heat is necessary for the liquid to evaporate. Obviously don't burn anything. Add a bit more oil if needed. 
3. When mushrooms are about half way done, add in cubed tofu & sauté another few minutes.
4. Now add the cooked and cooled brown rice along with a few cracks of kala namak if using. Stir around for a few minutes to toast/fry the rice. 
5. Now add kimchi and stir around to heat through. letting any juice evaporate. (I add the kimchi at the end keeping in mind I don't want to cook the shit out of it at this point. I want it to maintain some of it's texture. Cook it too long and it will just be soft and indistinguishable.
6. Now add Korean BBQ sauce. I start with half a cup then taste...add maybe a couple spoonfuls more if you want.  
7. Stir around just until any excess liquid has evaporated. 
8. Divide into bowls and garnish with black sesame seeds, chopped scallions and some shredded nori if desired. I sprinkled a bit of rice wine vinegar on mine too for brightness but that's just me. Do what tastes good for you! 

You can buy Kimchi but it's totally worth it to make it yourself. (so easy and way more affordable)

Vegan Kimchi