Table of Contents
What is Dolsot? 돌솥
First of all, the photo above is not a dolsot (돌솥). The bowl you may think is a dolsot is actually a ttukbaegi (뚝배기). It seems that both dolsot and ttukbaegi are often called “dolsot” outside of Korea.
The photo above is a picture of a dolsot. So what is a dolsot? As the name suggests, a dolsot(돌솥) is a pot made of stone. And what about a ttukbaegi? A ttukbaegi is an earthenware pot made by baking clay.
A dolsot keeps food warm for a long time and produces crispy nurungji 누룽지 (burnt rice) at the bottom. In Korea, when you order dolsot bibimbap, it is always served in a dolsot, never in a ttukbaegi.
On the other hand, ttukbaegi is mainly used for soups, stews, and braised dishes. It retains heat well and keeps food warm for a long time.
Here is a delicious tuna kimchi jjigae(kimchi stew) cooked in a ttukbaegi. Cooking it in a ttukbaegi keeps the stew warm throughout the meal, making it even better.
Should I Buy a Dolsot? (돌솥)
In countries like Belgium, where I moved to, as well as other European countries and the U.S, dolsot(Korean stone bowl) can be hard to find. Instead, you can use a more common ttukbaegi. While Korean restaurants typically use dolsot, many homes also use ttukbaegi as a more accessible alternative.
Shop Dolsot 돌솥
Shop Ttukbaegi 뚝배기
What is Bibimbap? 비빔밥
Bibimbap(비빔밥) is Korean mixed rice. Bibimbap is a dish in which rice is topped with meat and various vegetables and then mixed with seasonings. It is one of the most iconic Korean dishes. When a friend asks, “What is the tastiest Korean food?” There are too many to choose from, but bibimbap would definitely be in the top 5 of the tastiest Korean dishes.
The charm of bibimbap comes from the harmony of flavors created by the combination of different ingredients. The ingredients in bibimbap don’t have a fixed answer. Since everyone adds ingredients according to their own preferences, there can be tens of thousands of variations of bibimbap. The seasoning can also vary, from soy sauce-based to doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (Korean chili paste), or sesame oil-based sauces. For now, the recipe I’m sharing today is the most classic.
Dolsot Bibimbap vs Regular Bibimbap
“What is the difference between Dolsot Bibimbap and bibimbap?”
Dolsot bibimbap(돌솥 비빔밥) is served in a hot stone bowl, while regular bibimbap comes in a standard bowl. But the difference in flavor is significant. When dolsot bibimbap is served, you’ll immediately hear the sizzling sound of rice cooking. This is because the hot stone bowl crisps the rice, creating a delicious layer of Nurungji 누룽지 (burnt rice). This adds a nutty, toasty flavor to the dish and helps the ingredients blend beautifully with the heat. It also keeps the dish warm throughout the meal. Once you try Dolsot bibimbap, you may find regular bibimbap a bit underwhelming in comparison. I highly recommend trying it for yourself!
What is Korean bibimbap made of?
Bibimbap Has Evolved Differently by Region.
Bibimbap has evolved in different ways depending on the local specialties of each region. For example, there is Jeonju bibimbap with raw beef (yukhoe) and Tongyeong bibimbap with clams and seaweed (tot namul).
In addition to regional variations, the ingredients that people add to bibimbap can vary greatly from person to person. However, the most famous bibimbap recipe in the world is the one I’m going to share with you today.
This classic bibimbap recipe consists of soy sauce-marinated stir-fried meat, seasoned carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, and spinach, all placed on top of rice. A fried egg is then added, followed by a drizzle of gochujang sauce and sesame oil before everything is mixed together.
Today, I’m going to show you how to make the secret gochujang sauce! In Korean households, people often just mix plain gochujang, but the gochujang you had in Korean restaurants probably tasted different. That’s because they make a special gochujang sauce separately. This secret gochujang sauce is incredibly easy to make, and it will taste just like the one you’ve had in Korean restaurants. I’m going to reveal the recipe for it today!
Do you put kimchi in bibimbap?
This can be divided into restaurant style and home style bibimbap. In most Korean restaurants in Korea, bibimbap does not include kimchi. It usually consists of vegetables, meat or fish, and egg. In Korean homes, however, it’s more common to mix leftover side dishes with rice. In such cases, kimchi is sometimes added to make bibimbap. Some people may make napa cabbage kimchi bibimbap, but I haven’t seen it often around me.
The most common kimchi bibimbap for Koreans is young radish kimchi bibimbap (yeolmu kimchi bibimbap 열무비빔밥). It’s easy to make and only requires young radish kimchi, gochujang, sesame oil, and an egg. Young radish kimchi is considered a summer kimchi, so young radish kimchi bibimbap is typically eaten in the summer. It is preferred on hot days because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients to be cooked over a hot stove.
Why is Bibimbap Expensive?
Fancy Bibimbap for Koreans
The bibimbap that foreigners know is actually very fancy to Koreans. Usually, Koreans don’t make the kind of bibimbap at home that foreigners are used to. It’s possible to make it, but it’s not common to go through the long cooking process of boiling, stir-frying, seasoning, and topping rice with all that meat and lots of vegetables just to have bibimbap.
In my family, my mother never did it that way. In Korea, it’s more common to mix leftover side dishes(Banchan) with rice to make bibimbap. So it’s not uncommon to skip the meat altogether. Therefore, at home, bibimbap is simply mixing leftover side dishes(Banchan) with rice. It may sound unappealing, but the different flavors of each side dish blend together harmoniously to create a new and delicious taste every time.
Now consider bibimbap at a Korean restaurant. The ingredients, such as seasoned meat, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts, spinach, and more, are truly diverse. Each of these ingredients takes a long time to prepare. The taste is amazing, but as a Korean, when I want to have bibimbap at home, I just use whatever leftovers I have.
Is bibimbap healthy?
Bibimbap is a dish that combines various ingredients such as rice, vegetables, meat or fish, and eggs all in one. Unlike wheat, it uses unprocessed rice, which provides healthy, unrefined carbohydrates along with protein and vitamins. It’s a nutritious and balanced meal that allows you to get a variety of essential nutrients in one bite. In addition, the seasonings used, such as gochujang (Korean chili paste) and doenjang (fermented soybean paste), are known to have cancer-fighting properties.
Calories in Dolsot Bibimbap?
The average calorie count for one serving of Dolsot Bibimbap is about 550 calories. However, depending on the ingredients and seasonings used, the calorie count can range from 400 to 900 calories.
Why does bibimbap taste so good?
The ingredients in bibimbap are actually vegetable and meat side dishes to Koreans. These bibimbap ingredients are already seasoned as side dishes, so they taste great when eaten with rice. Each of these delicious side dishes has its own unique flavor and texture. For example, the crunchy bean sprouts, chewy mushrooms, and savory meat are already perfect in their own right. When these tasty ingredients are placed on rice and mixed with a delicious sauce, their different flavors, aromas, and textures come together harmoniously to create a new taste. Adding a drizzle of sesame or perilla oil at the end enhances the flavor. Aren’t you starting to drool?
Restaurant-Quality Dolsot Bibimbap at Home.
The dolsot bibimbap(돌솥 비빔밥) I’m making today is an exact recreation of the dolsot bibimbap you would eat at a Korean restaurant in Korea. It’s so similar to the dolsot bibimbap I had at a high-end Korean restaurant that I can confidently call it the ‘best dolsot bibimbap’. The crispiness and nutty flavor that the dolsot creates, along with its warmth, offer a taste that is on a whole different level compared to regular bibimbap.
Watching the YouTube video will make it easier to follow the recipe. I will continue to share authentic Korean food recipes to show the world the true, delicious flavors of Korea through ‘Blonde Kimchi 블론드김치’. Thanks!
The Best Dolsot Bibimbap
Equipment
- 1 Dolsot or Ttukbaegi (Korean stone bowl)
- 1 vegetable sliceer (you can cut with knife as well)
- 1 Knife & cutting board
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Spatula or tongs
- 1 Rice cooker (or instant rice)
- 1 silicone brush (for oiling the dolsot to prevent sticking or you can use your hands)
Ingredients
- 450 g spinach (4 servings)
- 1 head garlic (4 servings)
- 250 g soybean sprouts (4 servings)
- 1 carrot (4 servings)
- 1/2 zucchini (4 servings)
- 1 egg (1 serving)
- 1 bowl rice (1 serving)
- 6 tbsp cooking oil
- 5 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp salt
- 250 g minced meat (4 servings)
Meat Seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (jin ganjang)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp matsul (Korean cooking wine)
Secret Bibimbap Gochujang Sauce (2 servings)
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp minced garlic (1tbsp is fine if it's too strong for you)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp plum syrup (if you don't have it, you can use mulyeot(corn syrup) instead but use less sugar then.
Instructions
Ingredient Preparation
- Finely chop a head of garlic (about 10 cloves).
- Chop the carrot into juliennes.
- Slice 1/2 zucchini into crescents about 0.5 cm thick.
Cooking Vegetables
- Boil spinach for 1 minute. When it boils, add 1/2 tsp of salt to the water.
- Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach.
- Spinach seasoning: 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp sesame oil.
- Boil the bean sprouts for 2 minutes.
- Squeeze out the excess water from the soybean sprouts.
- Seasoning for bean sprouts: 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp sesame oil.
- Stir-fry the carrot in a pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil.
- Stir-fry the zucchini in a pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil, then add 1/2 tbsp minced garlic and a pinch of salt and continue stirring.
Cooking Meat
- Season the minced meat first. (over 15min)
- Meat seasoning:1/2 tbsp sugar1 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp oyster sauce1 Tbsp minced garlic1 tbsp cooking wine
- Stir-fry the seasoned meat until completely cooked, making sure there is no pink left.
- Bibimbap Gouchujang Sauce (2 servings)
- Make the tasty bibimbap gochujang sauce:2 tbsp gochujang2 tbsp minced garlic1 tbsp soy sauce1/2 tbsp sugar2 tbsp plum syrup(If you don't have maesil cheong (Korean plum syrup), you can substitute it with corn syrup. However, be sure to reduce the amount of sugar accordingly)
Fry the Egg
- Heat 2 Tbsp of cooking oil in a pan and fry the egg to your desired level of doneness (sunny-side-up or soft).
Assemble the Dolsot Bibimbap
- Coat a hot stone bowl (dolsot) with 1 tbsp of sesame oil and heat.
- When the stone bowl is slightly heated (about 3 minutes), spread the rice evenly in the bowl.
- Place the egg in the center and add 1.5 tbsp each of the spinach, bean sprouts, carrot, zucchini, and seasoned meat around the egg.
- Heat for about 5 more minutes so that the rice is crispy on the bottom (the process of creating a crust in the dolsot).
Finishing Touches
- Drizzle 1-2 tbsp of the bibimbap gochujang sauce on top, to taste, then drizzle with 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Mix well so that the vegetables, rice, and sauce are well combined.
Jal meokgetseumnida!
- Dolsot Bibimbap 돌솥 비빔밥
- 잘 먹겠습니다!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @blondekimchi_ on Instagram and hashtag it #blondekimchi.