Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Stir-Fried Zucchini and Kimchi Rice Bowls

Stir-Fried Zucchini and Kimchi Rice Bowls

By Courtney HillOctober 17, 2023

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

Korean bibimbap, a meal-in-a-bowl of rice topped with various vegetables plus meat and/or seafood, then finished with an egg, gave us the idea for these rice bowls. Stir-fried zucchini is tender but almost meaty in texture, and kimchi brings a jolt of spice and garlic. Gochujang, an umami-packed fermented pepper paste and a core ingredient in the Korean kitchen, is a go-to seasoning at Milk Street. It does double duty as the base for the sauce that seasons the zucchini and is drizzled on as a finishing touch. Sticky, pleasantly chewy short-grain rice is best. We like to top each bowl with a runny-yolked fried egg.

Ingredients
  • 2-3

    tablespoons gochujang

  • tablespoon kimchi brine, plus 1 cup cabbage kimchi, drained and chopped

  • 1

    tablespoon toasted sesame oil

  • 2

    tablespoons neutral oil

  • 1 ½

    pounds medium zucchini OR summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1- to 1½-inch lengths

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

  • 3

    scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

  • About 6 cups freshly cooked rice, preferably short-grain

  • Optional Garnish:

  • Red pepper flakes OR toasted sesame seeds

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, kimchi brine, sesame oil and 2 tablespoons water. Measure 2 tablespoons of this mixture into another small bowl and set aside. Into the remaining mixture, whisk in 3 tablespoons water and set near the stovetop for stir-frying.

Step 2

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the neutral oil until barely smoking. Add the zucchini and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ginger and gochujang mixture reserved for stir-frying; cook, stirring, until the zucchini has absorbed the sauce, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Divide the rice among 4 serving bowls. Spoon on the zucchini mixture, then top with the kimchi. Sprinkle with the scallions and drizzle with the reserved gochujang mixture.