Kongnamul Bap - Soybean Sprout Rice Bowl

Simple rice bowl cooked with sprouts, seasoned beef, and a chili-soy sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: bibimbap, rice bowl

Servings: person

Calories: 1896kcal

Author: Daisy Merano

Combine ground beef, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix
1/4 lb. ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Place the rice in a cooking pot. Rinse the rice twice in water. Drain.
1 1/4 cups rice
Arrange the Soybean sprouts and ground beef mixture over the rice. Pour-in the water.
1/4 lb. ground beef, 3 cups soybean sprouts, 1 1/2 cups water
Cover the cooking pot. Cook in low heat until the rice is half cooked. This will take around 12 to 13 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, make the sauce by combining the green onions, hot pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, Gochujang, Sesame seeds, Sesame oil, and honey. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
1/4 cup green onions, 1 tablespoon Gochujang (see notes below), 1 Hot pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teasoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
Heat the cooking oil in a pan. Once the oil gets hot, start to cook the egg sunny-side-up. It will help to push the oil towards the egg using a spatula so that the top part gets cooked evenly.
1 egg, 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Once the rice is half cooked, gently mix the rice with the beef and Soybean sprout. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
1/4 lb. ground beef, 3 cups soybean sprouts
Transfer the cooked rice, beef, and Soybean sprout in a serving bowl. Top the fried egg with roasted sesame seeds. Season with the sauce.
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, 5 tablespoons soy sauce
Serve. Share and enjoy!

Choose fresh soybean sprouts. Fresh sprouts make a big difference in taste. I always check that the roots are pale, the stems crisp, and there’s no strong smell. Older sprouts give off an unpleasant sharpness that seeps into the rice.
Use a thick-bottomed pot. A thin pot can scorch the rice before it finishes cooking. I prefer using a heavy pot or cast iron so the heat distributes evenly. If I use a rice cooker, I choose the “mixed rice” or “multigrain” setting for better control.
Sauce can be made ahead. You can mix the sauce a day in advance and keep it chilled. Doing this allows the flavors to deepen, especially the garlic and gochujang. Just give it a stir before serving since the ingredients may settle.
Don’t stir too hard when mixing rice. When I mix the rice midway through cooking, I do it gently. Pressing too hard can break the sprouts and turn the rice clumpy. A light scoop-and-fold motion works best to keep the grains fluffy.
Gochujang alternatives, if needed. If you don’t have gochujang, a mix of miso and chili garlic paste can get close, though the taste won't be identical. It still adds body and heat, which is better than skipping it altogether. But for true flavor, I keep a small jar of gochujang in my fridge at all times.