Swiss Chard (근대, gundae) is commonly eaten vegetable in the northeastern part of Korea. I don’t think I had this nutritious vegetable down in the south where I grew up.
Swiss chard is easily obtainable in most parts of the world. And where I live, it is super cheap so I am so indulging Swiss chard in many dishes. I am not tired of them yet.
I love making Swiss Chard Rice (근대밥, gundae-bap) with spicy chili sauce to top it off. I like to make it total vegan version but you can always add ground meat to add some protein in the dish.
With almost creamy yet chewy texture of Korean brown rice cooked with Swiss chard, you can savor the healthiness at its best.
It is super easy to make, of course! I hope you will get to try your Swiss chard in Korean way.
Soak your brown rice in water overnight in the refrigerator. You will need to soak them so they can cook evenly and soft.
You might wonder why my brown rice is not as yellow as most brown rice. It is because this particular brown rice called 5분도미(5 bundo-mi), is halfway between brown rice and white rice. It has removed 50% of bran layer during the milling process. It still has a great nutrition of the brown rice yet yield the soft and fresh taste of white rice. Check my All about Korean Rice post to find more information.
Of course you don’t need to have this special rice to cook this. Plain white rice would be great, too. If using white rice, 30 minutes would be sufficient for soaking. For the brown rice, make sure you soak in the water long enough. It will also needs longer simmering time.
Make stock with dried sea kelp. Just boil 3 cups of water, add the sea kelp, and let it sit for 1o minutes. You will get the golden stock!
If your Swiss chard seems very thick and fibrous on the white part, bend the upper part of the stem toward the back and slowly peel off. It will remove some fibrous layer on the outside.
In a heavy bottom pot, heat wild sesame oil or sesame oil over medium heat and saute chopped Swiss chard until soft.
Voila! they will reduce in half the volume very soon.
Add rice and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the stock. Boil, close the lid, and simmer for 15-20 minutes over low heat. Then remove from the heat and let it sit so the remaining heat in the pot do the rest.
Need more detailed instructions on this part? Look at my post of How to cook rice on the stove.
When the Swiss chard rice is done, fluff it with rice paddle (밥주걱 bap-jugeok) or spoon to incorporate everything.
Combine all the ingredients for chili topping sauce, and drizzle over your Swiss chard and brown rice. Mix it up…
…and ENJOY! Nom-nom-nom!
I like to eat a meat-free meal as least couple of times a week in my diet, just so that I don’t overfed myself with too much animal based protein. And this Swiss Chard and Brown Rice is the just perfect recipe for my needs. I hope you get to try it.
- 2 cup Brown Rice, soaked in water overnight
- 1 small bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 large pieces dried sea kelp
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon wild sesame oil or sesame oil
- for the chili topping sauce
- 2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- dashes black pepper
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- Drain the rice from the water and set aside.
- To make stock, boil 3 cups of water and add the sea kelp. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes for the flavor to release. Reserve 2 cups of stock.
- Ina heavy bottom pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, add the Swiss chard and saute until soft. Add the rice and continue to saute for 2 more minutes. Pour the reserved 2 cups of sea kelp stock into the pot. Let it boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered.
- Remove from heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes so the remaining heat inside the pot will finish the job.
- When done, fluff the rice so that they can be incorporated with Swiss chard.
- Meanwhile make the chili topping sauce by combining all the ingredients.
- To serve, spoon over the rice in a bowl, top with the sauce, and mix all together to incorporate the rice with the sauce. Serve warm and enjoy!
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