Rice Dishes

Kongnamul-bap (Soybean Sprout Rice)

Name: Kongnamul-bap (Soybean Sprout Rice)
Prep time: 32 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: short-grain rice 300 ml; soybean sprouts 150 g; Korean leek (daepa) or scallions 1/2 Korean leek; eggs 2; guk-ganjang (soup soy sauce) 1 Tbsp; toasted sesame oil 1 Tbsp; minced garlic 1/2 tsp; toasted sesame seeds a pinch

Cook the soybean sprouts on top of the rice, using a little less water than usual because the sprouts release liquid. Scramble the eggs separately and mix them in with the seasoning.

Prep 32 min · Cook 16 min · Total 48 min · 2 servings · Easy

한국어로 보기 (Korean version)

Steps

1
Wash the rice and soak it for 30 minutes. Rinse the bean sprouts and discard any that smell sour.
2
Add a little less water to the soaked rice than you normally would, put the bean sprouts on top, cover, and cook over medium heat. When it boils, turn the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam for 5 minutes.
Lifting the lid often leaves the sprouts undercooked. Pick up a stem — if it breaks softly, they're cooked through.
3
Beat the eggs and softly scramble them in a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes.
4
Add the thinly sliced leek, soup soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and scrambled egg to the rice and mix.
If the sprout stems are still stiff, don't mix yet — add 2 Tbsp water to the pot and steam over low heat for 3 minutes more.

Substitutions

Instead of	Use	How
guk-ganjang	seasoning sauce: 1 Tbsp soy sauce plus 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)	Use this when serving it like bibimbap. Soy sauce may contain wheat and soy.
eggs	leave them out	The sprouts and rice are enough without the eggs. The cooking time stays the same.

Storing leftovers

As kongnamul-bap cools, the sprouts release water and the rice turns soggy. Cool, refrigerate, and eat within 1 day; reheat in a pan with 2 Tbsp water over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until the sprouts and egg are hot all the way through. Don't freeze rice mixed with egg — refrigerate only.

Serve with

Kimchi and miyeok-guk (seaweed soup). The rice is already seasoned, so keep the soup lightly salted.

Making more or less

If you add more rice, add another handful of sprouts and re-measure the water. In an electric rice cooker, let it steam 5 minutes more after the cooking cycle ends.

Before you cook

Don't eat soybean sprouts raw. Once the rice is done, check that the stems are soft.

Questions

My kongnamul-bap came out mushy.

The sprouts release water, so if you add your usual amount of water, the rice turns mushy. Use a little less water than usual for soaked rice, and if it's already mushy, turn off the heat and open the lid briefly to let steam escape.