Eureka Moment with Homemade Kimchi

A few weeks ago, I decided to make my own kimchi at home. I really like the stuff-- it's vegetable and it's spicy! I followed this recipe loosely and eyeballed some of the ingredients. I used normal chili powder because I couldn't find any Korean chili powder in Landmark.

My kimchi didn't turn out to taste the same as those that I've tried in Korean restaurants. The smell and taste was a bit different and it was a bit too strong. It was good when eaten with meat and rice but I could not eat it on its own. Short version: it's a failure, lol.

I pondered if it was worth the effort of making kimchi-- what if I just bought the ones in jars found at the supermarket?

And then I had a little eureka moment when I saw leftover rice beside the kimchi in the fridge-- KIMCHI FRIED RICE! I searched for some recipes on the internet and found this. I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand and I wasn't in the mood for meat so I decided to go the most basic way:

Kimchi Fried Rice (serves 1)

• 1-2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3/4 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup napa (Chinese cabbage) kimchi, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 egg

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the egg.
2. Leave around 1 tbsp of oil in the pan. Pour the rice into the pan and toss, making sure that the grains don't stick to one another.
3. Add the kimchi and toss until cooked.
4. At this point, you may add sesame oil, soy sauce, and/or juice from the kimchi.
5. Serve on a bowl, top with fried egg.

I liked my end product! And I think it makes for a good breakfast because there's carbs, veggies, fat and protein. It's also simple and quick to make as long as you already have kimchi on hand.

I still haven't decided whether I'm making my own kimchi again or if I will just buy it next time. Maybe I'll do a couple more trials. Maybe I'll try again if and when I find Korean chili powder. However, for the meantime, I'm definitely making more kimchi fried rice!