Fried rice can be prepared in many ways, either as a meal in itself, or as a side. This version is an easy midweek meal that is made a little bit more special by adding kimchi. Kimchi is a fermented Asian cabbage that has a spicy and tangy flavour. It might not sound the most appetising but the first time I tasted it, was a revelation. I now eat it regularly and it’s a staple on the shopping list. For anyone who likes toasted sandwiches, adding kimchi to a cheese toasted is well worth doing.
Of course, in keeping with my “pop a fried egg on top of everything” tendency, serving this rice with a crispy fried egg complete with a beautiful runny yolk is highly recommended. I’m trying hard to have greens with my main meal, so I served this with lightly steamed broccoli. I use both the florets and the stalk. Just remove any course parts from the stalk before chopping it and adding it to the steamer.
It’s little wonder I love fried rice. It’s relatively inexpensive to make and takes very little time to prepare and cook. It’s an easy dish to add layer upon layer of flavour to and it keeps very well for next day leftovers. I’m not sure about you but when I get take away, I always have rice left over and this is the exact dish I turn to so as to avoid wasting it.
Scroll on for the recipe for this Kimchi Fried Brown Rice.
Kimchi Fried Brown Rice
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ thump size of ginger root, grated
1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari
2-4 eggs
To serve
Toasted cashew nuts
Chopped scallion
Fresh coriander leaves
Method
Cook the brown rice according to instructions. Drain well and set aside.
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to stop it burning. Add the chopped kimchi and accompanying liquid and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium / high and add the cooked rice to the pan. Toss into the kimchi mixture. Add the sesame oil and tamari and stir through. Remove the kimchi fried rice from the pan and divide between your serving bowls.
Heat a little more coconut oil in the frying pan and fry the eggs until they begin to crisp up at the outer edges. The yolks should still be runny. Top each bowl of kimchi with a fried egg and add some toasted cashew nuts, chopped scallion and fresh coriander leaves.
Note: If you are keeping some of the kimchi fried rice for the following day, hold off on frying the egg for that portion until just before serving.
