With new flavors and textures, becoming more than the sum of its parts, feasting on bibimbap promotes harmony, both on your tongue and, potentially, in your life

Bibimbap is a riot of flavor: a bowl of rice and vegetables with maybe some meat and maybe an egg and probably a sauce that scratches an itch for umami, sweetness, tang and spice. This recipe for bibimbap is adapted from Seji Hong's "Korean Made Easy," a fantastic introduction to homestyle Korean cooking. Hong is the founder of BomBom sauces, a U.K.-based line of savory condiments.

Personally, I would put bibimbap in my favorite savory meal category, "stuff on rice." Except "bibimbap" means "mixed rice," and that's because, traditionally, it's a bowl of rice with stuff on top that the diner then mixes together, with crispy or chewy bits and slick or saucy bobs interspersed with lots of warm, fluffy rice.

Hong's recipe is for a vegetarian Yachae Bibimbap (Roasted Vegetable Bibimbap). It's especially home-cook-friendly because, while the rice cooks - in your rice cooker or on your stove - the stuff (a medley of vegetables) roasts on a sheet pan in the oven. As all that is happening, you stir together a five-ingredient sauce. A few minutes before you want to eat, you'll crack a couple of eggs into the now-browned and gorgeous vegetables on the sheet pan and close the oven door until they're cooked to your liking.

This recipe calls for kale, onions, peppers, zucchini and mushrooms, but you can use whatever you have on hand. That said, it's not just nice to see a variety of colors in the bowl; it's tradition.

"Obangsaek, the classic five-colour spectrum in Korean culture, embodies harmony and balance," Hong writes. "These colours represent cardinal directions and essential life elements: blue/green for east and wood; red for south and fiery energy; yellow for centre and soil; white for west and the strength of metal; and black for north and water." She points out that this spectrum is present in most aspects of Korean culture, such as dress, art and food. "Ingredients in harmony with these colours are believed to connect individuals to the universe's energy, carrying philosophical meanings."

Bibimbap is a prime example of this connection between color and balance. A variety of complementary - in color, texture and flavor - ingredients promotes harmony, both on your tongue and, potentially, in your life. The final instruction in Hong's recipe reads, "Bibim (mix) it and enjoy!"

The key is in the mix, then. Isn't that a lovely thought? Mixed together, the individual elements become one, transforming from disconnectedness to interconnectedness. As the dish coalesces, it creates new flavors and textures, becoming more than the sum of its parts.

YACHAE BIBIMBAP (Roasted Vegetable Bibimbap)

TOTAL TIME:: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 2

A sheet pan and a hot oven do most of the work for these Korean vegetable bibimbap bowls. While a medley of vegetables and mushrooms soften and brown, make a pot of rice and mix together a simple sweet-and-spicy gochujang sauce. Then, form little nests out of the browned vegetables and crack an egg into each one. The eggs will be done minutes later, at which point you can scoop each nest onto steamed rice. Serve the dish with the sauce drizzled over the top or on the side.

INGREDIENTS

For the vegetables and eggs:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

• 4 large leaves kale, preferably Russian or Tuscan (6 ounces total), thick ribs removed, thinly sliced

• 1 small red onion (6 ounces), halved and sliced

• 1 small zucchini (5 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced

• 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced

• 6 ounces mushrooms, such as button, cremini or shiitake, stemmed, if needed, and sliced

• Fine salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 large eggs

For the gochujang sauce:

• 2 tablespoons gochujang

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce, preferably low-sodium

• 2 teaspoons granulated or light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated

• 2 cups steamed white rice

• Toasted sesame oil, for serving

• Toasted sesame seeds, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Roast the vegetables and eggs: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Line a large sheet pan with foil, if desired, and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the kale, onion, zucchini, bell peppers and mushrooms, and, using your hands, toss until everything is lightly coated. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned around the edges. Using a silicone spatula or tongs, push the vegetables into two round nests 4 to 5 inches in diameter, making a shallow divot in the center. If the bottom of the pan looks dry, add a little more olive oil into each divot. Crack an egg into each, and season the top with salt and pepper. Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the egg whites are opaque.

To make the gochujang sauce: While the vegetables are roasting, in a small bowl, stir together the gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice and garlic until well combined.

To serve, divide the rice between two bowls, top each with a vegetable nest and egg, and drizzle the sauce over top (or serve on the side). Add a few drops of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.

Substitutions: Red onion >> scallions, garlic scapes, or yellow or white onion. Kale >> mature spinach, bok choy, mustard greens, collards, cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower. Zucchini >> frozen winter squash, such as butternut; thinly sliced delicata squash; or fresh, chopped acorn squash. Bell peppers >> any kind of peppers or eggplant. You could also use more of any of the other vegetables. The mushrooms are really good in this dish >> but you could substitute more bell peppers or squash. In place of eggs >> add cubed firm tofu to the vegetables and roast everything together. Soy sauce >> tamari or liquid aminos. Gluten-free? >> Use tamari instead of soy sauce and look for a gluten-free gochujang.

Saucy and rich, this korma is packed with summer vegetables. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand - fresh or frozen - but a colorful variety is ideal, and preparing them so that they cook evenly is essential (see Notes). Chickpeas add protein and texture, though other beans or cubed firm tofu can be used in their place. Yogurt and homemade cashew broth are common additions to kormas, but this streamlined dairy-free version uses light coconut milk and cashew butter. It's inspired by a recipe from cookbook author Meera Sodha, whose korma is sweet and spicy. Sodha finishes hers with a topping of toasted almonds and raisins. The garnish adds a lovely crunch and sweetness, but is optional here.

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