Okay, so I decided to dive into some Korean cooking the other day. Been seeing those quick recipe videos everywhere and thought, “How hard can it really be?” I wanted something fast for dinner, nothing too crazy.
Getting Started
First thing, I hit the web. Just searched for quick easy korean recipes. Tons of stuff popped up, almost too much. I figured I’d start with something I actually eat when I go out. Kimchi Fried Rice seemed like a safe bet. It uses leftover rice, which I almost always have, and kimchi. Plus, I needed a simple side, so I looked for a basic vegetable dish. Found something called Sigeumchi Namul – basically seasoned spinach. Looked dead simple.
Next step was checking the cupboards. Had day-old rice, check. Had a jar of kimchi lurking in the back of the fridge, check. Needed a couple of key things though. Had to run out and grab some gochujang (that red chili paste) and toasted sesame oil. Already had soy sauce, garlic, salt, sugar, that kind of stuff. Oh, and a bag of fresh spinach for the side dish.
Cooking Time
Alright, back in the kitchen, ready to go. I started with the Kimchi Fried Rice because it felt like the main event.
I chopped up about a cup of the kimchi. Got my pan hot with a bit of oil. Tossed in the kimchi, let it sizzle and get a little browned. Added a clove of minced garlic in there too. Then, I dumped in the cold rice. Big clumps, you know? Had to spend a minute breaking it all up with the spoon, mixing it with the kimchi.
Once that was mixed, I made a little well in the center. Put in a good spoonful of gochujang, a splash of soy sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a tiny pinch of sugar just to balance it out. Then I just stirred everything like crazy, making sure the rice got all coated and reddish. Let it cook for a few minutes, getting slightly crispy on the bottom.
While the rice finished up, I quickly fried an egg in another small pan. Sunny-side up, slightly runny yolk is essential, trust me.
For the Seasoned Spinach (Sigeumchi Namul), it was super quick. Boiled some water, threw the spinach in for like, maybe 30-45 seconds? Just until it wilted. Drained it immediately and ran cold water over it to stop the cooking. Then, the important part: squeezed out as much water as humanly possible. You really gotta wring it out. Put the spinach lump in a small bowl, added minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Mixed it all up with my hands – feels more authentic that way, right?
The Verdict
Scooped the kimchi fried rice onto a plate, slid the fried egg on top. Put the little pile of seasoned spinach next to it. Looked pretty decent, actually! The whole thing took maybe 25 minutes, start to finish. So yeah, definitely quick.
Taste test? The Kimchi Fried Rice was spot on. Spicy, tangy, savory, and that runny egg yolk just brought it all together. The spinach side was simple, garlicky, and nutty from the sesame oil – a nice fresh contrast to the rice. Honestly, it tasted way better than the effort involved suggested.
It really was easy. No complicated techniques. Just some chopping, stirring, and mixing. If you’ve got leftover rice and some kimchi, you’re basically halfway there. Definitely adding these to my regular rotation for fast dinners. Give it a try if you haven’t!
