Dolsot Bibimbap (Korean Stone Pot Rice Bowl)

Dolsot Bibimbap is a classic Korean rice dish that comes with various vegetables and meat and served in a sizzling hot stone bowl. It can be served with or without the hot stone bowl and still be delicious! Using the stone pot, it gives an extra sizzling hot and you get a crispy browned burnt rice at the bottom – making this dish extra delicious.

The difference in serving bibimbap in a stone bowl is that because it comes served piping hot, it’s topped with raw egg yolk instead of a fried egg as the usual bibimbap. It will be cooked from the residual heat of the stone bowl as you mix it up with the rice and vegetables.

Making a bibimbap can be as classic or as fancy as you wish with any vegetables or meat that you have at home. It’s a very versatile dish and healthy. The main ingredients are rice, vegetables and meat cooked and dressed with sesame oil, and topped with a spoonful of gochujang; Korean red pepper paste.

CAN I MAKE BIBIMBAP WITHOUT STONE BOWL?

Yes, of course. Having the stone bowl means the food is kept warm and you get a crispy browned rice at the bottom at the pot as the pot is season with sesame oil. The way to make the vegetables and meat are same, except for the raw egg. Regular bibimbap served in a bowl is usually topped with fried egg instead.

Another option to the stone bowl is a small cast iron pot or a chinese claypot.

Tho I’m not going to lie, the process to make is long because each vegetable needs to be cooked separately. So I would recommend to make more so you can keep it in the refrigerator and have it the next day

WHAT TOPPINGS CAN I USE FOR BIBIMBAP?

I used what I had in my fridge at that point of cooking. Usually for bibimbap, being colourful makes the dish more exciting so use vegetables of various colours. But here are some references.

• Meat / Seafood / Protein : Beef, pork or chicken bulgogi, squid, shrimp, baby octopus, beef tartare, kalbi. For vegetarian option, used firm tofu, baked or fried. I used Striploin marinated with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and stir fried.
• Sauteed Vegetables : I used carrot, spinach, mung bean sprouts, and mushroom. Other examples are like capsicum, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus.
• Dried Namul : Perilla Leaves, Burdock, Gosari, Burdock. I used sauteed burdock from the store.
• Topping: Gochujang, fried or raw egg, and toasted sesame seeds.

STEPS TO MAKE BIBIMBAP

• Cook short grain rice (Japanese or Korean Rice)
• Prepare the vegetables.
  • Julienne 1 carrot to matchsticks. Cut mushroom to thin slices.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in 1 cup mung bean sprouts and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from hot water and mix with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp minced garlic. Set aside.
  • Blanch 3-4 bunch of spinach in the hot water and remove. Squeeze out the water. Cut into 2″ length and mix with 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Mix and set aside.
  • Burdock, since it’s already precooked, just cut to 2″ length
• Prepare the meat.
  • Slice 300g beef into thin strips. I find cutting them to bite size is easier to eat the overall dish with just a spoon.
  • Marinade with 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp toasted sesame seed. Mix and cover till ready to use.
• To Cooking:
  • Heat pan over high heat. Add 1 tsp oil. Add in julienned carrots and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt and remove when its done.
  • Add sliced mushroom and 1 tsp garlic and cook till it’s softened. Add 1 tsp soy sauce and cook a further 1-2 minutes. Remove into a bowl.
  • Add beef and cook till it’s semi cooked. Check for seasoning. If serving in a regular bibimbap, without the stone pot, you can cook beef to more doneness. The doneness is up to you.
• Assembly
  • If using Dolsot, stone pot, put a few drops of sesame oil at the bottom of the pot. Divide rice into the pot. Arrange vegetables and meat on top.
  • Add 1 egg yolk per pot and 1 tbsp of gochujang. Add a drizzle of sesame oil on top and toasted sesame seeds. Place it over the stove and let it heat up.
  • Once you hear the crackling, ticking sound from the rice, it is ready.
  • If serving in a normal bowl, top with fried egg instead and 1 tbsp of gochujang and toasted sesame seeds.
• To eat, mix everything together till its well combined.

Did you try this dish?

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