Nostalgic Kimchi Fried Rice with Egg and Ketchup
Kimchi fried rice (김치볶음밥) is a childhood nostalgic dish. Let’s find out how to make a quick and easy Kimchi fried rice with egg and ketchup that will savor every bite
Nostalgic Comfort Korean Meal
Kimchi fried rice is one of Korea’s popular comfort dishes. I ate it as a kid, once I liked kimchi. It’s just a wholesome meal that is super simple to make. Basically, you saute the kimchi, add your rice, kimchi juice, season to taste, and voila! You’re done.
My mom made it for my sister and me after work for a quick dinner idea. It was delicious, comforting, and filling! My niece loves to eat it after school. It said it satisfied her soul…
It’s great to eat when drinking (my favorite way), for a quick dinner or lunch, and other fun occasions!
Many Delicious Variations
The dish comes in many variations. Some add pork belly, mushrooms, canned tuna, and more! It’s really up to your tastes’ preference. As long as you have the core ingredients: kimchi, rice, and oil/butter
A popular way is to use any leftover pork belly as the protein and mix it with the fried rice. I used to make it like this in college with my friends after eating Korean bbq. Just plop the rice and kimchi on the same pan as what you cooked the pork in, saute, and add leftover chopped pork bellies. What’s even better is to crisp the bottom of the fried rice for 5 minutes and sprinkle on cheese.
My favorite way of eating it is with melted cheese, fried egg and ketchup drizzled on top. This might sound a little odd but I swear, it’s delicious if you like ketchup! If you’re not a fan of ketchup, you can skip this ingredient and it will taste just as good!
Kimchi Fried Rice with Fried Egg and Ketchup
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup chopped kimchi
- 4 tbsp kimchi liquid
- 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste (gochujang)
- 1 tsp soy sauce add if it needs to be saltier
- 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- 3/4 cup choice of protein (canned tuna, spam, pork belly, plant-based meat, and etc)
- 1-3 eggs
- 1/4 cup roasted seaweed flakes
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/3 cup cheese of choice
Instructions
- Chop kimchi into bite sized pieces
- Melt butter on a frying pan1 tbsp butter
- Saute the kimchi and protein until kimchi is slightly soft1 cup chopped kimchi, 3/4 cup choice of protein (canned tuna, spam, pork belly, plant-based meat, and etc)
- Create a doughnut shape and add rice and kimchi liquid on the center of the pan2 cups cooked rice, 4 tbsp kimchi liquid
- Combine with kimchi
- Add red pepper paste and soy sauce (optional)1 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste (gochujang), 1 tsp soy sauce
- Mix until kimchi is soft to bite and protein is cooked to the appropriate temperature
- Sprinkle cheese on the rice to melt and drizzle sesame seed oil1/3 cup cheese of choice, 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- Add oil on a clean frying pan. Fry the eggs. Can be over-easy if you like.1-3 eggs, 1 tbsp cooking oil
- Add the fried rice to a serving bowl
- Drizzle ketchup and top with roasted seaweed flakes1/4 cup roasted seaweed flakes, 1 tbsp Ketchup
Notes
Additional Tips
- For a sweeter taste, add 1/2 tsp of sugar. Add more if needed.
- For crispy fried rice, press the rice down (after it’s been incorporated with kimchi, kimchi juice, red pepper paste, and soy sauce) on a non-stick or greased pan for 5 minutes.
