Rice with Mountain Vegetables and Spicy Sauce

Ingredients

 * 4 cups Korean or Japanese short-grain rice, soaked for 20 minutes
 * 5½ tbsp sesame oil
 * 1 cup dried bellflower or 2 cups thinly sliced oyster mushrooms
 * 3½ tsp chopped garlic
 * 2 tsp + 1 tbsp salt
 * 1½ tsp red pepper powder or paprika
 * 2 cups dried fernbracken or 2 yellow summer squash, sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks
 * 5½ tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce
 * 6½ tbsp vegetable oil
 * 1 tbsp sesame salt or table salt
 * 1 tbsp scallion strips, about ½ scallion
 * 6 dried pyogo (shiitake mushrooms), soaked for 20 minutes
 * 2 tbsp granulated sugar
 * 2 tbsp cooking wine
 * 1 carrot, quartered and sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks
 * ½ medium-sized onion, sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks
 * 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks
 * 2 cups (about ¼ lb) bean sprouts, rinsed
 * 1 bunch (½ lb) spinach, rinsed, trimmed and blanched
 * ½ Korean pear or crisp, tart apple, sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks
 * 6 tsp red pepper paste, or more to taste
 * 6 fried eggs
 * 1 sheet laver (seaweed), cut into 1-inch-long x ¼-inch-wide strips

Directions

 * 1) Bring 4 to 4¼ cups water to a boil in large saucepan over medium heat, and stir in rice.
 * 2) Cover, reduce heat to low and cook about 20 minutes.
 * 3) When cooked, remove from heat, add 2 tablespoons sesame oil and mix thoroughly.
 * 4) Keep rice covered until ready to serve.
 * 5) Place bellflower in saucepan with water to cover, and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
 * 6) Discard water, and repeat process.
 * 7) Place bellflower in saucepan with lightly salted water to cover, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until bitterness is gone and bellflower is easy to slice.
 * 8) Remove from heat, drain and cut each root into strips.
 * 9) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry bellflower with ½ teaspoon chopped garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon red pepper powder.
 * 10) Add 3 to 4 tablespoons water, and cover.
 * 11) Cook about 10 minutes, or until tender, remove from heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon sesame oil.
 * 12) Set aside.
 * 13) Alternatively, heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry oyster mushrooms with ½ teaspoon chopped garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon red pepper powder.
 * 14) Cook about 5 minutes, or until tender, remove from heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon sesame oil.
 * 15) Set aside.
 * 16) Place fernbracken in saucepan with water to cover, and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
 * 17) Discard water, and repeat process.
 * 18) Remove from heat, drain and cut fernbracken into 2-inch-long pieces.
 * 19) Place pieces in bowl, and season with 4 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic, ½ tablespoon vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon red pepper powder.
 * 20) Alternatively, place summer squash matchsticks in bowl, and season with 4 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic, ½ tablespoon cooking oil, and ½ teaspoon red pepper powder.
 * 21) Set aside.
 * 22) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry fernbracken, adding water to cover and cooking 15 minutes, or until tender.
 * 23) Remove from heat, drain and mix with 1 tablespoon sesame salt, 1 tablespoon scallion strips and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
 * 24) Set aside.
 * 25) Alternatively, heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry summer squash matchsticks 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent.
 * 26) Remove from heat, drain and mix with 1 tablespoon sesame salt, 1 tablespoon scallion strips and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
 * 27) Set aside.
 * 28) Stem mushrooms, and slice thinly.
 * 29) Place in saucepan with mushroom soaking water.
 * 30) Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cooking wine, and cook over medium heat 10 minutes, or until tender.
 * 31) Set aside.
 * 32) Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry carrots, adding ½ teaspoon salt and a few teaspoons water to prevent burning.
 * 33) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
 * 34) Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry onion, adding ½ teaspoon salt and a few teaspoons water to prevent burning.
 * 35) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
 * 36) Sprinkle cucumber with ½ tablespoon salt, and let stand.
 * 37) When limp, squeeze hard.
 * 38) Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry cucumber about 1 minute.
 * 39) Remove from heat, and set aside.
 * 40) Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet or large wok, and stir-fry bean sprouts with ½ teaspoon garlic.
 * 41) Add salt and sprinkle of water, cover and cook until bean sprouts are softened, about 3 minutes.
 * 42) Season with 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon red pepper powder.
 * 43) Squeeze out water from spinach, and mix with ½ tablespoon sesame oil and ½ tablespoon soy sauce.
 * 44) To serve, fill bottom of individual shallow bowl with rice.
 * 45) Alternate vegetables and pear side by side on rice like rays of sun, placing 1 teaspoon red pepper paste in center.
 * 46) Place egg near red pepper paste.
 * 47) Sprinkle slivers of laver on top, and serve.
 * 48) Repeat process with remaining ingredients until all used up.