Radish Kimchi Fried Rice
Radish Kimchi Fried Rice is a quick and easy way to use up some leftover white rice and radish kimchi. It’s an umami-packed, vegan fried rice that gets its texture and spice from the crunchy and juicy radish kimchi.
Radish Kimchi Fried Rice (Kkakdugi Bokkeumbap, 깍두기 볶음밥) is a quick and easy meal that can be prepped in just 20 minutes. While similar to the more popular cabbage kimchi fried rice, this dish uses the crunchier, juicier, and subtly sweeter radish kimchi (kkakdugi, 깍두기).
It’s a great way to use up some old white rice and kkakdugi in your fridge.
What is kkakdugi?
Like napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi is similarly spiced with Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) and is umami-rich. However, it is a tad sweeter and has a toothsome crunch.
I usually buy kkakdugi to eat with seolleongtang (Korean ox bone soup) or tteokguk (Korean rice cake soup). I should probably learn how to make kkakdugi, but for now I get mine from my local Korean grocery store, H-mart.
Fried Rice Seasoning
The usual seasonings for this fried rice include:
- Gochujang
- Radish kimchi juice
- Soy sauce
- Coconut sugar
- Toasted sesame oil
Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot of overlap in ingredients for this dish and kimchi fried rice. Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), however, seems to be more commonly used to make radish kimchi fried rice. You can find gochujang at your local Korean grocery store or Trader Joe’s.
Other ingredients
I always like to mix some crushed, roasted dried seaweed (geem, 김) into my fried rice for extra umami and its toasted flavor.
I also like to top my fried rice with finely sliced perilla leaves. It gives the dish a fresh herb taste, and depth of flavor with its anise-like flavor. You can find perilla leaves at your local Asian grocery store (e.g., H-mart).
This particular recipe is vegan. However, SPAM, pork belly, and thinly sliced beef are other common additions for protein. You could also top the fried rice with some melted, shredded mozzarella cheese or a fried egg.
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Mise en place:
If you make this Kkakdugi Bokkeumbap, I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to leave a comment and/or recipe rating at the bottom of this page. And if you have a photo of your food, be sure to tag @chrisseenplace on Instagram!
Kkakdugi Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cups steamed short grain white rice
- 1 tsp garlic, crushed
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Korean Radish Kimchi (kkakdugi), chopped into bite-sized pieces (preferably well-fermented)
- ½ tbsp gochujang
- 3 tbsp kkakdugi marinade sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (or TT)
- ½ tsp coconut sugar
- 3-4 perilla leaves, thinly sliced
- 3-4 tbsp roasted dried seaweed, shredded
- t tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat ½ tbsp of toasted sesame oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat, and add the rice.
- Break the rice apart and mix it in with the sesame oil.
- Mix in the kkakdugi marinade sauce, soy sauce, and coconut sugar into the rice.
- Push the rice to the side. Add the rest of the toasted sesame oil to the other side of the pan and add the garlic and green onions. Let it cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the kkakdugi and saute for a minute.
- Mix it all in with the rice.
- Stir in some of the shredded, roasted seaweed and perilla leaves.
- Add some of the fried rice to a bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds and the remaining roasted seaweed and shredded perilla.
- Serve immediately.