Tofu Bim Bim Bap

I got inspiration to make this dish after eating at a Korean restaurant earlier this week. It was a hole in a wall joint in the Paldo market in the Crossroads area in Bellevue. This dish is a mix of lightly sauteed zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and tofu, topped with an egg and gochujang, a hot pepper bean paste. The hot pepper bean paste is what makes it taste great - if you can't find it at your local asian supermarket, you can easily make it yourself. Yum!

Makes 4 servings

about 4 cups of cooked rice (1.5-2 cups of uncooked rice - I used organic brown rice)
2 cups of carrots, julienned
2 cups of zucchini, julienned
8 oz of bean sprouts, washed and drained
4 oz of dried mushrooms, sliced
8 oz of firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
4 eggs
some vegetable or canola oil
gochujang sauce (or make yourself - try this one)
salt to taste

1. Soak the mushrooms for 10-15 minutes until they plump up and ready to slice.
2. Julienne the carrots, zucchini. Then slice the mushrooms once they are plump and soft.
3. In a pan, heat some oil, stir fry the zucchini for just 1-2 minutes. Add salt to taste. Place in a small bowl. Below are all of the ingredients to stir fry.
   

   

4. In the same pan, add additional oil, and stir fry the carrots for 1-2 minutes. Place in a small bowl.
5. In the same pan, add additional oil, and stir fry the sliced mushrooms for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of sugar.
6. In the same pan, add additional oil, and stir fry the bean sprouts for 1-2 minutes. Add salt to taste. Place in a small bowl.
7. In the same pan, add additional oil, stir fry the tofu cubes. Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Place in a small bowl.
8. In the same pan, add additional oil, cook the eggs. You can cook it sunny side up, but I like my eggs cooked almost thoroughly. Place the eggs on a small plate/bowl.
9. In a serving bowl, add a cup of cooked rice, topped with all of the vegetables, including the egg and about 1 tsp of gochujang sauce, depending on how spicy you want it!
   
   

   

   Here's the gochujang sauce I used.