Gulbap (Oyster Rice) Filled with the Scent of the Sea
A special pot rice cooked with naturally sweet radish and fresh oysters gently steamed on top, mixed with seasoned sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
A special one-bowl dish made with seasonal Korean radish and oysters. Because the radish releases moisture, keep the ratio of rice to kelp broth equal, and add the oysters during the final steaming stage to preserve their plump texture. Served with spicy seasoned sauce, it makes a satisfying meal without any other side dishes.
- Servings
- 3 servings
- Cook time
- 15 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- White rice2 cups
- Oysters200 g
- Korean radish (mu)200 g
- Kelp broth2 cups
Seasoning sauce
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)4 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Minced green onion1 tbsp
- Minced red chili pepper1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Soak 2 cups of white rice in water for about 1 hour, then drain in a strainer.
- Gently swish and wash the oysters in light salt water (about 2-3 tbsp of coarse sea salt dissolved in 5 cups of water), then drain in a strainer.
- Julienne the Korean radish to about 3 mm thick. If julienned too thin, it becomes mushy once cooked; you can also add ingredients like soybean sprouts or mushrooms.
- The kelp broth is made by steeping a 5 cm square piece of dried kelp in 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes.
Steps
1. Soak 2 cups of white rice in water for about 1 hour, then drain the water through a strainer.
2. Gently swish and wash the oysters in light salt water, then drain the water through a strainer.
Julienne the Korean radish to about 3 mm thick. If you julienne the radish too thin, it becomes mushy once cooked.
You can also add ingredients like soybean sprouts or mushrooms here.
* Light salt water is water made by dissolving about 2-3 tbsp of coarse sea salt in 5 cups of water.
* Keep this salt water concentration in mind when purging shellfish like cockles or Manila clams.
3. Add all the ingredients for the seasoned sauce and mix well.
4. Add the soaked rice to a pot, pour in 2 cups of kelp broth, and place the Korean radish on top.
Cover with the lid and start cooking over high heat.
Normally when cooking rice, the ratio is rice (1) to water (1.2), but because gulbap includes moisture-rich radish, the rice and water are kept in an equal ratio.
The kelp broth is made by steeping a 5 cm square piece of dried kelp in 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes.
5. Bring it up to high heat, and once it bubbles vigorously, reduce the heat to low.
It may boil over because of the foam, so leave the lid half-open while boiling, and once the bubbles subside, close the lid and let it steam for about 10 minutes.
6. When the rice is nearly done, add the oysters and let it steam for about 5 minutes more.
If cooking rice in an electric rice cooker or pressure cooker, add the oysters when it switches from cook to warm.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you julienne the Korean radish too thin, it becomes mushy once cooked.
- Because gulbap includes moisture-rich Korean radish, the rice and water are kept in an equal ratio.
- If cooking rice in an electric rice cooker or pressure cooker, add the oysters when it switches from cook to warm.
FAQ
How do you measure the cooking water for gulbap?
Because a lot of moisture comes out of the Korean radish, it is best to cook it with a 1:1 equal ratio of soaked rice to kelp broth.
Do you add the oysters from the very beginning when putting on the rice?
Do not add them from the beginning; place the oysters on top when the rice is almost fully cooked and let them steam for an additional 5 minutes or so.
When do you add the oysters when using an electric rice cooker or pressure cooker?
Add the oysters and let them steam at the point when the cooking cycle finishes and it switches to warm.
Can other ingredients be added besides Korean radish?
Depending on your preference, adding ingredients like soybean sprouts or mushrooms cooks together very nicely.
