Bibimbap, Korean (Cauliflower) Rice

Bibimbap Korean (Cauliflower) Rice

The recipe is inspired by the Korean dish Bibimbap, which means mixed rice. I’ve adapted it so that you don’t have to go find a special Asian store for the ingredients.

There is no guchujung, Korean red chili paste; the bought paste is full of not-real ingredients and the fermented homemade version requires more dedication than I have. The vegetables should be julienned; I have neither julienner nor extra time to cut vegetables so finely so I grated them. Sesame seed oil is not really available where I live, so I used sesame seeds. I wanted people to be able to make this without having to run to a specialty store. Technically this is bibimbap inspired rather than bibimbap, but that makes for a rather unwieldy title.

Traditionally bibimbap is made with short grain rice but I’ve also made it with cauliflower to make it grain free. Truth be told, it’s better with rice – in fact, it’s downright addictive. But it’s also very good with cauliflower ‘rice’, and that’s what I used for the photos.

Notes: Besides the vegetables that I listed below, I’ve also added chopped lettuce, radish, and bean sprouts at various times. The meat can be substituted with a fried egg or two per person for a vegetarian version. Any ground meat will work, I used beef but pork or even chicken will fit.  If you need to be soy free, feel free to substitute coconut aminos+salt for the tamari. The best fat to use is butter, for that nutty flavour, however if you can’t eat dairy, olive oil or baking coconut oil will do.

Bibimbap, Korean (Cauliflower) Rice

Ingredients

  • 150g / 1/2 large cucumber
  • 100g / 1/2 small zucchini
  • 100g / 1 large carrot
  • 100g small chunk crinkly cabbage
  • 300g /10 oz ground meat
  • 450g / 3 cups cauliflower OR 3 cups cooked short grain rice
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) sesame seeds
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) butter or olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp (45ml) tamari
  • hot red pepper sauce
  • fat for sauteing

Instructions

  1. Grate vegetables into a large bowl, in the order given.
  2. In a little fat, brown the ground meat in a frying pan over med-high heat and add to bowl.
  3. Process the cauliflower through a food processor until rice sized. Add a little fat into the frying pan and add cauliflower and a bit of water and saute. The cauliflower should be cooked and soft but still with some bite, not mush. (omit this step if using rice) Add cauliflower (or cooked rice) to large bowl.
  4. Pour sesame seeds onto a clean dry pan and shake to distribute the seeds. Heat at medium heat, occasionally shaking to prevent burning. When the seeds are brown and fragrant, add to the large bowl.
  5. Let butter melt on top of the hot ingredients. Pour tamari over and mix well.
  6. Serve and add hot sauce to individual bowls. Enjoy!
https://www.almostbananas.net/bibimbap-korean-cauliflower-rice-2/

Originally posted at Whole New Mom.