Korean Mixed Rice with Vegetables (Bibimbap)

Ingredients

• 5 cups cooked short-grain rice
• 12 ounces soybean sprouts, washed and drained
• 8 ounces spinach, blanched, rinsed and squeezed dry
• 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 1 large zucchini, cut into matchsticks
• 1 English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 pound fresh lean beef, such as fillet mignon or flank steak
• 4 ounces prepared fernbrake (gosari)
• 1 ounce dried bellflower roots (doraji), soaked for 18 to 24 hours
• 4 large eggs
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Vegetable oil, as needed for cooking
• Toasted sesame oil, as needed
• Toasted sesame seeds, as needed
• Garlic, minced, as needed
• Soy sauce, as needed
• Honey or sugar, as needed
• Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang), for serving

Method

1. Prepare the short-grain rice and keep it warm.
2. Place the soybean sprouts in a pot with water and a little salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
3. Drain the sprouts, reserving the cooking liquid for soup if desired. Season the sprouts with salt, garlic and toasted sesame oil.
4. Season the blanched spinach with salt, garlic, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds.
5. Lightly salt the carrot, bell pepper, zucchini and cucumber separately. Let them stand briefly, then squeeze out excess moisture where necessary.
6. Stir-fry each vegetable separately in a lightly oiled pan so the colours and textures remain distinct.
7. Prepare the soaked bellflower root and fernbrake separately, seasoning and stir-frying each until tender.
8. Cut the beef into thin matchsticks. Season with garlic, soy sauce, honey or sugar, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. Refrigerate until needed.
9. Fry the eggs, or separate the yolks if making the raw-beef presentation.
10. Divide the hot rice among four bowls.
11. Arrange the sprouts, spinach, vegetables, fernbrake, bellflower root and beef neatly over the rice.
12. Top each bowl with an egg and serve with gochujang and additional toasted sesame oil.
13. Mix everything thoroughly before eating.