Sesame-fried egg bibimbap

Name: Sesame-fried egg bibimbap
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1 tsp cooking oil; 2 small zucchini, sliced into rounds; ½ small brown onion, sliced into half-moons; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp soy sauce; ½ tbsp maple syrup or honey; 1 tsp Korean chilli flakes; sesame oil to finish

Rosheen Kaul

March 18, 2025

Sesame-fried egg bibimbap is a vegetarian version of the Korean “mixing rice” dish.Armelle Habib; STYLING: Lee Blaylock

Time:< 30 minsServes:2

Bibimbap is a quintessential Korean dish that translates to “mixing rice”. The bed of cooked rice (bap) is the perfect vessel for toppings such as meat, fresh vegetables and kimchi, each prepared separately to bring out its unique flavour and texture. The right mix of ingredients should hit every note – salty, sweet, spicy, sour – all harmonising when combined. A fried egg on top brings the whole dish together into a rich, creamy, spicy delight. This simple vegetarian version has a few components, but they are easy to prepare, and come together quickly.

Ingredients

Sauteed zucchini

1 tsp cooking oil
2 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
½ small brown onion, sliced into half-moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tsp Korean chilli flakes
sesame oil to finish

Spinach namul

120g baby spinach
¼ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced

Sesame fried eggs

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
½ tsp cooking oil
2 eggs

Bibimbap sauce

2 tbsp gochujang
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 spring onion, finely sliced

To assemble

2 cups hot cooked rice
2-3 tbsp kimchi, sliced into small pieces, optional
2-3 baby cucumbers, cut into lengths, optional
Japanese mayonnaise
shredded nori
toasted sesame seeds
roasted seaweed sheets

Method

Step 1
To prepare the sauteed zucchini, heat the cooking oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the zucchini. Fry in a single layer without disturbing for 1-2 minutes to char slightly, then stir and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions soften, then add the soy sauce, maple syrup and Korean chilli flakes. Continue cooking over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes more until the vegetables are tender, then turn the heat off and lightly sprinkle with sesame oil to finish.
Step 2
To prepare the spinach namul, blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, then strain and shock in iced water. Once cool, gather the spinach into a ball and squeeze out the excess liquid, then transfer it to a small bowl. Season with sesame oil, salt, sugar and garlic, and set aside.
Step 3
To cook the sesame fried eggs, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, and add half of the toasted sesame seeds. When they start to smell toasty, crack the eggs into the pan. Fry until the egg white is almost set, then sprinkle the rest of the seeds over the top. Flip the eggs gently, if you like, or just slide them out of the pan and set aside.
Step 4
To make the bibimbap sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, whisk thoroughly to dissolve the sugar and combine.
Step 5
To assemble, divide the hot rice between two bowls and arrange each of the toppings separately on top. Drizzle with as much bibimbap sauce and Japanese mayonnaise as you like, then top each bowl with a fried egg, shredded nori and more sesame seeds. Serve with roasted seaweed sheets. Mix thoroughly before eating.