Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Serves 2
Ingredients:
-3-4 strips of bacon, diced (or about 4oz ham or spam, or 1 can tuna, drained) *see note for vegan/vegetarian option
-3/4 cup diced kimchi
-1/4 small onion, diced
-1 scallion, chopped
-1 small carrot, finely chopped-optional
-3-4 tbsp juice from kimchi
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp gochujang (korean chili pepper paste)
-2 1/2 cups cooking rice
-oil for stir frying
-1/2 tbsp sesame oil
-salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
If using bacon, heat a lightly oiled large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces. Cook until the bacon is slightly browned. If you don't want all the rendered fat, remove it from the pan and add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. If using ham, spam, or canned tuna instead of bacon, you can simply add it while stir-frying the kimchi in step 2.
Add the onion and scallion and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Add the kimchi, optional carrots, juice from kimchi, soy sauce, and gochujang. Stir fry until the kimchi turns soft and deep in color, 3-4 minutes. Take the time to do this step so the rich flavors develop.
Add the rice, and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir until everything is well incorporated and the clumped up rice is broken up, 3-4 minutes.
Once the rice is evenly coated with the seasoning, turn up the heat high and continue to fry the rice, turning occasionally. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix in the sesame oil and the optional sesame seeds at the end.
Top with the optional fried egg, and garnish with the optional sesame seeds, gim (dried seaweed) strips and/or chopped scallions and serve. Enjoy!
Note: for vegetarian/vegan option, substitute the meat with tofu or omit it. Use vegan kimchi and skip the egg. If you want to make the dish spicier, add gochugaru. If you add too much gochugaru, it'll make the dish saltier.