Keon-gang-sik yeongyangbap

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rice
  • 2 oz kale (or chard, or spinach), tough stems removed, washed, drained and chopped
  • 8 oz Korean radish (or daikon, or turnip), peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 8 oz soybean (or mungbean) sprouts, cleaned
  • 2 lg king oyster mushrooms (or any mushroom, about 6 oz), sliced
  • 4 eggs, sunny side up or over easy (optional)
  • Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) and toasted sesame oil for serving (optional)
Seasoning Sauce
  • 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tsp gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

Directions

Rice
  1. Put the rice in a heavy pot and cover with cold water. Tilt the pot and slowly pour out the water, taking care not to pour out any rice. Swish the wet rice around in the pot with one hand, then fill the pot with cold water again, swish, and drain. Do this a few more times, changing the water each time, until the water runs clear. Drain as much water as you can. The rice will still be wet.
  2. Add 11&frasl2 cups water to the rice. Place the chopped kale over the rice and spread it evenly. Then add the radish and soy bean sprouts, and mushrooms. Cover and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so that the rice will be soaked.
Seasoning Sauce
  1. Combine the soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, sugar (or Swerve), green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Gently mix them well with a spoon. Cover and set aside.
Cooking
  1. Cook the pot over medium high heat for about 7 to 8 minutes.
  2. Uncover and stir the rice, vegetables, and the mushrooms with a rice scoop or a wooden spoon to make sure that none is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  3. Add 1⁄4 cup of water and turn over the rice well. Cover and turn down the heat to low. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
  4. Uncover the rice and test for doneness.
Serving
  1. Gently fluff the rice with a rice scoop and divide the rice into 4 portions and put each portion into individual bowls. Add the sunny side up eggs if used. Serve right away with the seasoning sauce, hot pepper paste (gochujang), and extra sesame oil.
  2. Add some seasoning sauce, hot pepper paste and toasted sesame oil according to your taste and mix them well with a spoon and eat. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.