Rice vs. Noodles
We had the waffles vs. pancakes talk in my Chocolate Banana Blender Pancakes post. So it’s only appropriate that we have the rice vs. noodles talk. Even though this is a Kimchi Fried Rice recipe, I have to admit that I’m more of a noodle gal. Despite my preference for noodles, in no way, shape, or form do I dislike rice. I freaking love rice, which is why I’m posting this recipe.
Kimchi fried rice has to be one of the best styles of fried rice. Something about that hint of spice and tang from the kimchi paired with the runny fried egg gets me every time. Seeing as it’s one of my favorite styles of fried rice, I decided to create my own version!
A Little Bit of Everything
This Kimchi Fried Rice recipe is sort of a fusion of Korean and Japanese food. Obviously, there’s Korean influence since it’s a kimchi fried rice. Often times, kimchi fried rice recipes will have crisped spam. However, I couldn’t just leave it at crisped spam — I had to add in my own little flair.
If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you’d know I love sweet and salty food combinations. So I decided to caramelize my spam in the same way spam musubi are made. I crisped my spam in a hot pan then added in a mixture of soy sauce and brown sugar to create that delicious sweet and salty flavor profile. I also added in some furikake to the recipe (because furikake makes everything taste better) and topped the dish with some bonito flakes!
Fried Rice Tip
Tip: One of the most important things to note is to use leftover cold rice or rice made the day before. Leftover, cold rice is drier and firmer than fresh rice. This prevents the rice from turning mushy and sticky when you cook it.
Rice it Up
If you’re ever missing the Kimchi Fried Rice from your favorite restaurant, know that you can easily make it at home! I know some restaurants are opening and that delivery is always an option, but there’s nothing more homey than cooking for yourself!
Chef it up with this Kimchi Fried Rice recipe and let me know what you think! I know COVID-19 cases are increasing in some areas so please stay safe and cautious! Thanks for tuning in today and I’ll talk to you in my next post!
Kimchi Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 12 oz can of Spam (diced)
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Chopped Yellow Onion
- 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
- 2 1/2 cups Chopped Kimchi with Juice
- 6 cups Cold White Rice (cooked the day before)
- 1 tbsp Gochujang
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 3/4 cup Green Onions (cut into 1 inch sticks)
- 1 tbsp Furikake Seasoning
For Serving and Garnish
- As Needed Fried Eggs
- As Needed Bonito Flakes
- As Needed Furikake Seasoning
- As Needed Sliced Green Onions
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved. Set it aside for later.
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. When the pan has heated, add in the vegetable oil. Place the diced spam into the pan and arrange the pieces so they are in a single layer. Allow the spam to cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until it begins to brown. When all the sides of the spam have browned and crisped, add in the soy sauce and brown sugar mixture. Mix the sauce with the spam and continue to cook until the spam pieces have caramelized and most of the liquid has reduced and evaporated. Remove the spam from the pan and set it aside for later.
- Heat a clean pan over medium heat. Add in the butter and allow it to melt. When the butter has melted, add in the chopped onion and garlic. Cook the onions until they turn translucent. Add in the kimchi and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add in the rice and mix until the rice has been coated with the kimchi juice.
- Mix in the spam, gochujang, sesame oil, green onions, and furikake. Stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Allow the rice to cook without mixing for a few minutes to allow the rice at the bottom to get crispy. Continue to cook and stir the rice until it has heated and has the desired crispiness. Serve with a fried egg and garnish with sliced green onions, furikake, and bonito flakes
