Kongnamul bap (Soybean Rice) Recipe
Kongnamula bap (콩나물밥) is essentially steamed rice cooked with soybeans and other ingredients. It’s an easy and hearty meal you can make ahead of time!
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Kongnamul bap is a simple Korean recipe. I grew up eating it at a Korean church in Atlanta. The moms put the rice, soybean sprouts, and ground beef in industrial rice cookers. It did the work while the moms went into service. By lunchtime, the dish was done!
I loved the rice with the sauce. That’s what really makes the dish. It’s primarily soy sauce, a little bit of sugar, sesame seed oil and seeds, and gochugaru (red pepper flakes).
Prep Time
While the recipe is simple, it requires some prep time if you make it from the stove. The rice needs to be thoroughly rinsed and soaked in water for a few minutes.
The ends of bean sprouts are generally snapped off. Some people don’t do this.
Once all the ingredients are prepped, you just need to throw them into the rice cooker or a large pot!
Storing the rice
Store any leftover rice in Tupperware and put them in the fridge. When ready to eat, just scoop the rice into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up!
Try kongnamul bap
Kongnamul Bap (Soybean rice)
Ingredients
- 16 oz Bag of soybean sprouts (1.5 cups) Make sure to rinse before use
- 2 cups short-grain white rice or brown rice Rinse a few times with water. Note 1.
- 2 cups water
Ground Beef
- 1.5 lbs ground beef can use ground chicken or turkey
- 1/2 tbsp mirin (cooking wine)
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce for the rice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp choice of sweetener (sugar, meshil, or honey) adjust level of sweetness based on preference
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (korean red pepper flakes)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
Making it using pressure cooker
- Rinse and drain rice a few times2 cups short-grain white rice or brown rice
- Add to the pressure cooker pot and pour water2 cups water
- Layer on soybean sprouts16 oz Bag of soybean sprouts (1.5 cups)
- Cook for 30 minutes on high. Make sure to fully release the steam before opening the lid after the time is up!
Making it using a rice cooker
- After rinsing the rice a few times, layer on the drained rice with soybean sprouts. Add water16 oz Bag of soybean sprouts (1.5 cups), 2 cups short-grain white rice or brown rice, 2 cups water
- Press the rice cooker setting and you're done!
Marinated beef
- In a pan, add ground beef, mirin, salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat is done. Taste the beef and adjust seasoning based on taste preference.1.5 lbs ground beef, 1/2 tbsp mirin (cooking wine), salt and pepper to taste
Sauce for the rice
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sweetener of choice, minced garlic, green onions, gochugaru, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Taste the sauce and adjust to taste preference.1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp choice of sweetener (sugar, meshil, or honey), 3 cloves garlic, minced, 2 green onions, chopped, 1 tbsp gochugaru (korean red pepper flakes), 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp sesame oil
- Assemble the rice, beef, and sauce. Mix them together and enjoy!
- Store leftover in the fridge
Notes
- Use any Korean or Japanese white/brown rice
