Omurice and Injeolmi (Fried rice with Omelet and Korean Sweet Rice Cake with Roasted Soybean Powder)

I love it when I learn about a new food that I'd never heard of before. Such was the case, a few nights ago, when I made my usual call for dinner requests and got back "omurice" as my response. 

"Omurice?" I asked. I was stumped. Little did I know, it's a popular food in Korea and Japan. Although the recipes vary, it's essentially fried rice with your choice of meat mixed in, wrapped in a thin omelet and slathered with ketchup. Omurice! 

Admittedly, I could have done better with the plating, but hey, it was my first time. And I was on the phone!

Making omurice takes very little time. So, if you happen to have some leftover rice in the fridge, this is a really fun way to use it up. Here's how I made it.

Ingredients:

For the fried rice:
sesame oil
1/4 lb ground beef
1 tbs garlic, minced
1 tbs mirin
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of cooked, cold, short grain rice
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 carrot, diced
3 tbs ketchup (really!)

For the omelet:
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt

Instructions:
In a nonstick pan, heat a little sesame oil over medium high and add the garlic and beef and sautee until it begins to brown. Stir in the mirin and continue to brown the beef until the liquid has evaporated. Drain on a paper towel.

Rinse the pan, place it over medium high heat and add a little vegetable oil. Sauté the carrots and onions with a little salt until tender. Add in the rice and beef and stirfry until everything is well mixed. Stir in the ketchup and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Transfer rice to a bowl and set aside.

Now, beat together the eggs, salt, and heavy cream in a bowl.

Wash your pan again and place it over medium-low heat. Coat with nonstick cooking spray and add the  egg mixture. When the edges are dry and the top begins to solidify, flip and cook until the egg is completely cooked through. It should take about 5 minutes. Be careful not to brown the egg!

Gently invert the bowl of rice onto a plate so that it makes a little dome, lay the omelet on top and then place the bowl overtop again. Press firmly and remove it. You'll have a cute little egg dome! Top with ketchup and serve!



That night I made another special treat: a classic Korean snack/dessert called injeolmi. Whenever we go to the little Korean market, it's impossible not to leave with a pack of these or at least some sort of sweet rice cake. But, now that I know how easy they are to make at home (Thanks, Maangchi!) I'll probably be buying a few less of them!

Here's how I made them:

Ingredients:
1 cup sweet rice flour
pinch of salt
1 tbs sugar
3/4 cup filtered water
Roasted soybean powder for dusting

Instructions:
In a microwave-safe, medium bowl, mix together 3/4 cup water with rice flour, salt, and sugar. Stir vigorously and cover with saran wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Carefully remove from microwave and stir the mixture as if you are pulling taffy for about a minute. Cover again with plastic wrap, return mixture to the microwave, and cook for 1 more minute.

Remove it again and repeat the taffy pulling, spoon motion for about one minute. Do this vigorously!

Scrape it out onto a silpat and allow to cool slightly. Shape it into a flat rectangle and cut into about 10 pieces. Roll each one gently in roasted soybean powder and let them cool. (Personally, we think these taste yummy freshly made, but even better after they sit a few hours.)

Enjoy!