Nurungji is Korean-style scorched rice. It’s a crispy and delicious snack that you can make from leftover rice!
What is Nurungji?
Nurungji is essentially the thin layer of burnt rice at the bottom of the pot. This especially happens when you cook rice on the stove because of direct fire. While some consider this an accident or mistake, many cultures around the world LOVE crispy rice and it’s a growing delicacy here in the US.
In Korea, we call this Nurungji or Korean Scorched Rice. Sometimes we intentionally cook rice on the stove and cook it a little longer to make sure to get that crispy treat. Then, you can also make scorched rice soup or porridge because the nutty and smoky flavor makes dishes even more delicious!
By the way, know that crispy rice at the bottom of bibimbap? That’s essentially what it is! If you are fond of eating crispy and crunchy rice, this is how to make it with leftover rice!
What You’ll Need
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- Vegetable or Canola Oil – You need a high smoke point oil so that it can withstand the amount of time we will be cooking the rice without burning it.
- Leftover Rice – Any white rice will do. Make sure it has not been dried out too much (left uncovered for a long period). It’s better if the rice is a little bit sticky because it will mend together better.
- Nori Sheet – This is just for aesthetic, so it looks like onigiri, where it is used to “hold” the rice. It also adds a nice flavor.
- Soy Sauce and Sugar – The combination will make a sweet and savory glaze that will level up the rice snack. Feel free to swap the sugar for your preferred sweeteners like honey or monk fruit.
How to Make Nurungji?
1. Place pan on medium heat, add oil and spread it out evenly, and let it heat up.
2. Ensure the pan is already hot then spread out the rice evenly, creating a thin layer. Use your clean, wet hands to keep the rice from sticking to your hands as you spread.
3. Let the rice crisp up for 5 minutes per side. Using your spatula, flatten out the rice to crisp it up even more.
4. Combine the soy sauce and sugar, and mix them well to create a nice glaze.
5. Flip the rice after 5 minutes, and brush the toasted side with the glaze. Flip it once more, and brush the other side with the glaze as well.
7. Transfer the crispy rice to a chopping board and divide it into four. Cut up rectangle nori sheets and fold it at the bottom of the crispy rice. Serve freshly made and enjoy the crunch!
Tips to make Korean Scorched Rice successfully:
- Use a nonstick pan (any shape is ok) to keep the rice from sticking.
- To flip successfully: If you can tolerate the heat, use your fingers to gently pull up the sheet of rice and flip it. Otherwise, use your biggest spatula. You can also use a plate—cover the pan with a plate, flip the pan together with the plate to place the rice on it, then slide the other side of the rice back into the pan.
- Feel free to adjust the cooking time to make the rice less crispy or crispier. Simply keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn all the way—add oil or flip as needed.
Can you eat burnt rice?
Essentially, if you are cooking nurungji from leftover rice, you can control how toasted it can get. You just need a strong jaw to chew these thoroughly. We are only toasting it until it gets golden brown, but not burnt. Do not eat burnt (ones that have turned black) rice.
What does Nurungji taste like and how do you eat it?
Nurungji tastes like toasted rice. It’s a bit smoky, but the highlight is really the texture.
Typically, we enjoy this even without the glaze, but adding the soy sauce-sugar glaze will really level it up. If you don’t like the glaze, you can also sprinkle some ramen seasoning, BBQ powder, or furikake on top of it. Kids will surely love this!
Aside from that, you can be creative by using it as a garnish for salads or topping the crispy rice with some ahi poke or kimchi. These are some of the ways people popularly enjoy this addicting treat!
What to do with leftover Scorched Rice?
When you make these, I highly recommend you finish it because it’s best when fresh. Any leftovers stored for long will not be as crispy anymore.
Other Korean snacks you might like:
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Scorched Rice (Nurungji)
Equipment
- Nonstick Pan
Ingredients
- Vegetable or Canola Oil For frying
- 1 cup Leftover Rice
- 1 pc Nori Sheet
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Place your pan on medium heat, put oil, and spread it out evenly.
- Once the pan is hot enough, put rice on top and spread it out into a thin layer.
- Allow the rice to crisp up for 5 minutes on each side. Using your spatula, flat out the rice even more to crisp it up.
- Meanwhile, combine soy sauce and sugar to create a glaze.
- After 5 minutes, flip the crispy rice, brush it with some glaze, then flip again to brush the other side with the glaze.
- When desired crispiness is reached, place the rice into a cutting board, and slice it into 4. Cut up rectangular nori sheet and fold each sheet at the bottom of the sliced crispy rice.
- Serve freshly made and enjoy the crunch!
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