My lovely extended family had kept mentioning having cooked kimchi fried rice, and I was intrigued. Having made a Sunday pot roast chicken, I had deliberately kept some meat back to use during the week. Some went in sandwiches, as having 4 people at home for lunch every day means we want to have interesting and varied lunches, and some I had earmarked for a chicken fried rice.
I had found this recipe online with some really lovely fresh crunchy pickled vegetables as a salad to go with the rice, and my lovely nephew sent me the video that he uses for the recipe, and so using what I had I cooked a mashup of the two that suited us perfectly. However, I didn't want to lose the combined method so what better thing to do than blog it!
You will need:
2 cups of cooked and cooled rice.
1 cup of kimchi, drained, liquid reserved, chopped
1 - 2 tablespoons of gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
3-4 spring onions, sliced, green and white parts kept separate
leftover cooked chicken
If you want to do the vegetables as well, you will need:
half a bunch of radishes, thinly sliced
150g baby cucumber, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
60ml (1/4 cup) cider or red vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt flakes
First make the pickle by dissolving the sugar and salt in the vinegar and adding all the thinly prepared veg and tossing well. Leave to absorb the pickling dressing.
Next, heat the oil in a wok and fry the chicken. After a minute or two, add the garlic and white parts of the spring onions.
When it is starting to brown at the edges, add the chopped kimchi. Continue to stir and now add the cooked, cooled rice. Stir through the gochujang and also the reserved liquid from the kimchi. Mix very well so all the rice is coated evenly in the sauces. Once the rice is thoroughly heated through, serve, with the pickled vegetables on the side. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds if liked.