Ddeokbokki ()

Today, we will be exploring the world of popular Korean snack foods. You may be surprised at how similar to mealtime food Korean snack food is, and this is because often times snacks replace meals, as most Korean workers or students do not have the time for a sit down meal anymore. Often, these foods are found at street stands all around Seoul and the major cities, and often they are the only dish being offered at each stall, being a specialty of the cook.

Dinner style Ddeokbokki with ramen and porkbelly. Another place you will find these dishes, however, is in the homes of young students and novice cooks, as they are so easy to make and an excellent gateway into the world of Korean cooking. And that is also precisely why these will be the first Korean recipes I share with you all, in hopes that you are not discouraged by the difficulty level of these recipes and get a bad idea of Korean cooking in general. I know that there are many of you who will not have access to certain ingredients, and I do very much understand your plight. Therefore, I have included substitutions using commonly found items whenever possible, although some ingredients are irreplaceable. If you are serious about Korean food, I recommend finding a Korean store, even if it is a bit far, and stocking up on the essential items, as most of the essential ones do not go bad for a long time, such as pepper paste and kimchi. So, lets get started with ddukbokki! It is pronounced like duck-boh-key, very roughly. For those of you proficient in Korean, it is . I chose this recipe to share because it is very hard to find something that will taste authentic online, and even Koreans improvise on this recipe so often that a novice cook does not have the proper knowledge to start cooking it. I got a craving for this dish when I was living in America, but even for I, who is not a novice cook, it did not taste exactly similar until I moved to Korea again and learned how to make it right. Let me explain the ingredients. Ddeok is basically the same as mochi, and if you do not have access to ddeok you can use Japanese mochi, although the taste and texture differs slightly. They are both glutinous rice cakes, however. If you do not have access to a grocery store that sells glutinous rice cakes, it will be hard to make this dish! However, all is not lost, as you can make your own ddeok at home with glutinous rice flour. To make your own, please view this recipe. Now that we have ddeok figured out, lets discuss red pepper paste. Called gochujang in Korean, literally spicy pepper paste, this ingredient is essential. Not only peppers go into pepper paste! This can be found at any Asian grocery store, so please check the directory in your area and find a place you can go. The good news is that gochujang keeps forever when properly stored in the fridge!

The rest of the ingredients will be found in every Korean kitchen, as most are the backbone of Korean cooking. They are garlic, ginger, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and corn syrup. Please do not use garlic or ginger paste! Unfortunately, many companies mash their garlic or ginger with unwashed equipment and bacteria breeds in the extracted juices. My mother used to make a garlic and ginger mix paste once a month which was perfect put into dishes by the spoonful. Unfortunately, she passed away before I could get the ratio from her, and all of my attempts to duplicate it have been incorrect. So, please chop the garlic and ginger yourself or put it in the food processor! Alright, I am going to include two recipes here. The first is the easiest and simplest, and probably closest to the street food style. The second I will call homestyle, even though you can find it in many restaurants and kimbap stores! I just call it homestyle because it is a little more intermediate and has more ingredients. So, lets get started! Basic Ddeokbokki This is the basic ddukbokki, with a thicker sauce. Dont be afraid of the inclusion of less upscale meats such as hot dogs and spam! The Korean War occurred in the 1950s, and when American soldiers came they brought with them all the processed American food, such as cheese singles and luncheon meat. Ever since, Koreans have started somewhat of a love affair with these processed foods, much to the dismay of traditional cooks! Keep in mind that while SPAM and Kraft may seem low brow and disdainful to you, in Korea these foods are expensive imports and they do not carry the same stigma as they do overseas. You will need: - a large skillet with walls at least two or three inches high, and a fitting lid - ddeok, either prepackaged or self-made - a working faucet - 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or food processed - about half the amount of chopped garlic in chopped ginger (Doesnt make sense? You will need twice the amount of garlic as you have ginger, so chop to a rough estimate of about half of what you have in chopped garlic.) - some vegetable oil - a dash of sesame oil (optional but recommended) - soy sauce, about a tablespoon one, two, three, or all of the following: - spam, in large cubes or slices - hot dogs, sliced into rounds - ham, in large cubes - fish cake, the kind that comes in a flat sheet and is pre-fried (this is the most commonly found choice in korea)

- corn syrup, about 3-4 tablespoons (example: Karo) - gochujang, about two dessert spoonfuls 1. If you are using homemade ddeok get about 10-15 pieces from your supply, and go to step 2 right now! Open your packaged ddeok and place in a bowl, then cover with cold water until the pieces break apart from each other easily. Dont use warm water or you will lose too much of the starch and your ddukbokki sauce wont thicken. As soon as they break apart easily, drain and save about 10-15 pieces of ddeok. The rest go in a ziploc bag in the fridge, to be eaten within a week. Dont refreeze! 2. Place the garlic, ginger, and oil in the skillet, and turn the heat to medium high. Immediately stir to coat the garlic and ginger in oil so that they dont stick to the pot. 3. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add whatever meat or fish you are going to add, then stir until meat begins to brown. Turn the heat down to medium low, and add water about 1.5 centimeters or 3/4 inch above the bottom of the pan, then add soy sauce. I recommend having a large cup filled with water by your side throughout, as you may need some more water later without taking the pan of the heat. Wait a few minutes for the heat to turn down if you are using an electric stovetop. 4. Add the ddeok. The reason why you want to add on low heat is so that you do not accidentally sear the ddeok and make it stick to the bottom of the pan. Now, turn the heat to medium, and place the lid on top. After about a minute, it should begin to boil. Immediately remove the lid and stir the ddeok around to avoid sticking. Turn to medium low once more, and continue to let it simmer with the lid off. You should begin to see the liquid turn opaque from the starch of the ddeok. This is good. Continue to stir every so often to keep the ddeok from sticking. The liquid should not cover the ddeok, but if it goes down to where more than half the ddeok is above water, add more. 5. In a small bowl, combine the gochujang and corn syrup. If you are wary of spice, use a little less gochujang. It is better to have not spicy enough food that you can add chili powder to than too spicy food you can do nothing about! It may seem like a lot of corn syrup, but ddukbokki is supposed to be somewhat sweet. 6. From the pan, add a little broth to the paste/corn syrup mixture, and stir until the mixture is a smooth liquid. I do this because it is not so easy to stir in gochujang, and no one wants to be the one who bites into a large chunk of unblended pepper paste! Add this liquid to the pan, and stir around until evenly blended. Turn the burner to low, then place the lid over the skillet once more for about 5-10 minutes. 7. Now, it is done! At this point, you will need to take it off the burner. Many Koreans have portable gas burners at their table, so they dont do this, and eat it directly out of the skillet. Even though many of you dont have this luxury, I would still eat it out of the skillet, honestly! If you put it in bowls, you wont find the little pieces of food, and on plates the liquid is too runny and doesnt coat the food enough. Place the skillet on a oven mitt or pot holder, and jab at the ddeok and meat with a fork, chopstick, or toothpick. Enjoy!

 Homestyle Ddeokbokki A buildup on the original recipe, this ddukbokki is a meal, not a snack, and has more ingredients. Many Koreans add ramen to this and eat is a soup or stew, and many more put a slice of American processed cheese on top to melt, although this is only a good idea if you can keep it on the burner throughout eating, or else the cheese will solidify again. For those noodles, buying Top Ramen and throwing away the flavor package is not a bad idea, and economic too. I highly suggest reading the Basic Ddukbokki recipe before trying this, as I refer to it often. You will need: - a large skillet with walls at least two or three inches high, and a fitting lid - ddeok, either prepackaged or self-made - a working faucet - 4 cloves garlic, minced or food processed - about half the amount of chopped garlic in chopped ginger (Doesnt make sense? You will need twice the amount of garlic as you have ginger, so chop to a rough estimate of about half of what you have in chopped garlic.) - some vegetable oil - a dash of sesame oil (optional but recommended) - soy sauce, about a tablespoon your choice of the following: - spam, in large cubes or slices - hot dogs, sliced into rounds - ham, in large cubes OR, a cooked meat version: - thinly sliced beef tenderloin or pork, marinated in the following mix for an hour prior: - some minced garlic - some sesame oil - an equal amount of corn syrup or fruit juice such as pear or apple - twice as much soy sauce as the amount of corn syrup or juice - fish cake, the kind that comes in a flat sheet and is pre-fried (for homestyle, this is essential)

- corn syrup, about 3-4 tablespoons (example: Karo) - gochujang, about three dessert spoonfuls - green onion, sliced thinly (this is essential for homestyle) - one package ramen (optional, but if you include it please add a bit more water to your skillet) 1. Prepare your dduk in the manner described in step 1 of Basic Ddukbokki, only you will only need about 10 pieces as there will be more going into the pot with this recipe. Then, if you are using uncooked meat, add it to the skillet with all of its marinade, the garlic, and ginger and cook on medium high heat until the meat is browned fully and beginning to crisp, then add fish cakes and stir. Please omit the soy sauce and oil, as there is already enough in the marinade. If you are using processed meat, add the garlic ginger and oil as in step 2 of Basic Ddukbokki, then add the meat and fishcakes as in step 3. 2. Add water until it is about an inch and a little bit or 3 cm above the bottom of the skillet. Keep a cup of water with you throughout as you may need to touch up. Turn the heat to medium low, and wait for a few minutes to adjust if you are using an electric stovetop. Then, add the ddeok. Follow step 4 of Basic Ddukbokki. 3. Combine the corn syrup, gochujang, and a little bit of broth as in Step 5. Add to the skillet. You may wish to add some more gochujang, as homestyle ddukbokki is spicier. After the red pepper is fully blended into the skillet, add ramen if you are using it, then sprinkle the top with green onion. Cover and let simmer on low for 6-7 minutes. If your water doesnt cover the ramen, you will need to flip it after three minutes to make sure the uncovered side cooks as well. Koreans dont really separate their ramen before hand, it is usually pulled apart at the table by diners. 4. Enjoy! If you have ramen you will need a fork or chopsticks, but if you dont you may also poke at the pieces of food with a toothpick.

Plain Chewy Rice Cakes for Cooking ()

This basic recipe will go over how to make two important Korean ingredients, flat, round ddeok for soup, and cylindrical ddeok for ddeokbokki. Ddeok is traditionally made from glutinous rice, which is cooked and pounded with a little salt and sugar until it makes a sticky dough. It is then shaped and packaged off to the Korean grocery stores, where you can buy them in the cold foods section to take

home and use. Unfortunately, not everyone can get to the Korean grocery store, and since these are not really available elsewhere that may mean a whole area of Korean foods has to be left unexplored. No more! The truth is that with glutinous rice flour it is no longer impossible to make ddeok at home. I guess it is true that glutinous rice flour is another specialty ingredient, but any Asian food store would have it as opposed to ddeok, which can only be found in Korean stores. Many normal grocery stores in the United States at least sell glutinous rice flour in the Asian food section, usually Mochiko brand, which is expensive but will do. It is important for people to understand that their homemade ddeok simply will not be exactly the same as the store-bought kind. I will officially advise you to buy packaged frozen ddeok, but here is my recipe if you cant find it in your area. The recipe is exactly the same until you begin to cut and shape the ddeok.

All the things you'll need to make ddeok. Plain Ddeok () You will need: - 1 cup glutinous rice flour - 1/3 cup boiling water - dash of sugar - dash of salt - potato starch or corn starch 1. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir. 2. Boil the water in a sauce pan and then pour over the rice flour mixture. Working quickly, combine the water and dry ingredients into a smooth dough with consistent texture. Even though its sticky rice cakes, the dough at this time should not stick to your hands or the bowl. You may need to add some more rice flour to make this happen. Now, you may do one of two ways: For long, cylindrical Ddeok:

Dough rolled out properly and ready for cutting. 3. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper dusted with starch powder, then roll with your hands into a long thin dough snake. Let sit for 15 minutes. 4. Chop the snake into smaller pieces about an inch and a half in length. You can of course make them shorter or longer if you wish, this is just the standard. For leaf-shaped flat ddeok: 3. Roll the dough into a thick cylinder about an inch and a half in diameter. Let it set for 15 minutes. 4. Chop the cylinder into thin slices. It should squish the shape into an oval or leaf shape slighty. 5. Package the ddeok in a plastic bag and use within a few days.

Cylindrical ddeok ready for packaging or adding into other recipes.

Ingredients for 2 people are (Expected preparation time: 4 minutes, cooking time: less than 10 minutes)

 Fresh [2] rice cake 300g (I always prefer fresh rice cake from the rice cake shop, it tastes best.) [3] Fish cake 2 sheets 1/2 an onion 1 stalk of spring onion 2 leaves of cabbage Water 1/3 cup

Seasoning sauce (mix these in a bowl well) : [4] Gochujang 2 tbsp, Sugar 2 tbsp (I used dark brown sugar), Chili powder 1/2 tsp , Squashed garlic 1 tsp (If you are afraid of spice, you can reduce the chili powder) Preparation 1. Thin slice the onion.

2. Cut the cabbage and spring onion into medium size pieces. 3. Cut the fish cake sheets into medium size pieces. 4. Cooking 1. 2. 3. Pre heat the wok for about 10 seconds. Add some oil and the onion. Stir it. Add the cabbage and stir it. Separate the rice cakes with your hands.

4. Add the rice cakes, fish cakes, sauce and water. Stir it. 5. 6. Add the spring onion. Stir it Once all the vegetables are cooked, serve the meal on the plate.

Thanks yah Jun. Bener2 enak bgt....hehehehe ampe abis semua bersih...ngk dibagi2 lagi ama yang lain..... Oh yah yang resep ini ngk taruh cumi, tapi juni taruh...jadi 2 kali lebih enak...why coz squids is one of my fav seafood.

Fish Cake
What it is made of and how it is made. It is usually made of yellow corvenia (a type of fish) or squid. (Oily fish isnt good to make fish cake.) The squashed fish flesh is kneaded with some salt, sugar, starch, and cooking wine then, steamed or fried.

Gochujang Sauce
If you have a look at my blog carefully, you will know how often I use gochujang (a type of hot chilli sauce). We use it as often as salt for cooking. This is a picture of the Gochujang that I am using currently.

It was about 14,900 won (US $15.70) for 3kg. It usually lasts for about 3-4 months, even though I use it a lot. Tips : If you need some food containers (Tupperware style) just go to the big super market and buy a big gochujang (2-3 kg). Because they give containers free of charge as a promotion thing when you buy a large gochujang. It is nearly all year around.

Yangpun Bibimbap
Yangpun is a kind of salad bowl, and Bibimbap is boiled rice with various vegetables and Gochujang sauce. People usually share the whole bowl (scoop and eat from the bowl), so some foreigners might not like this idea, however it seems to taste nicer to me simply because we share the joy of the food together. -Ingredients for 2 people (Expected prep time 5 minutes , Cooking time 5 minutes ) For vegetables and meat (You can pretty much use any kind you want)

1 King oyster mushroom Kimchi 20g (very small handful) Tuna 125g 1/5 a zucchini 1/2 a medium onion 5 Sesame leaves Soy sauce 1 tsp

Some olive oil (for pan frying some veggies) 1 egg For Gochujang sauce (Bibimbap taste really depends on this sauce, mix these well in a bowl.)

Gochujang 1 tbsp Sugar 1 tsp Vinegar 1 tiny dash (make sure not to pour it out, it happens often.) Water 5ml (1 tsp) For meals

Steamed rice for 2 people (about 2 cups) Sesame oil 5ml (1 tsp) -Preparation-

1. 2. 3. 4.

Thin slice the mushroom, onion, and sesame leaves. Cut the zucchini in half moon slices. Slice some Kimchi. Drain the tuna oil. -Cooking1. Pan fry mushroom (There is no need to wash the pan between these steps).

2. Fry the egg.

3. Stir fry some zucchini and onion with soysauce.

4. Put some rice into a Yangpun (The big bowl). 5. Put the vegetables and meat into the Yangpun. 6. Add Gochujang sauce and sesame oil.

7. Mix them throughly.

8. Dig in

Stir fried Kimchi and Rice (Kimchi Bokkumbap in Korean)

When I was making Kimchi Bokkumbap for lunch, my sister was helping me out. I said to her to cut neatly and put the ingredients neatly on a plate, because I need to take some pictures to post for the blog, and my sister was surprised because I havent posted recipes for Kimchi bokkumbap yet. I sort of did here, but it is more complicated because it has some extra ingredients and didnt taste as good as this one, if I remember the taste right. (It was a very early post, so my cooking wasnt as good as nowadays.)

This recipe is really simple and quick to make, you can also appreciate the Kimchi taste more (this implies that it has a stong Kimchi taste). It works really well with bacon and enoki mushrooms too. It was the best Kimchi bokkumbap I ever had. Ingredients for 3 big eaters or 4 medium eaters (Prep time 5 minutes, Cooking time 5 minutes )

1 cup of Kimchi (at least 1 week fermented) 3 cups of steamed rice 1 pack of enoki mushrooms Bacon 150 g Minced garlic 1/2 tsp Kimchi liquid 4 tbsp (this is the sauce in the bottom of the kimchi container) Sesame seed oil 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp 3-4 eggs for topping (by the number of people) Some parched sesame seed (optional) Prep

1. 2. 3.

Cut the Kimchi and bacon into small pieces. Cut off the root of the enoki mushrooms and rinse them. Pan fry the eggs individually. Cooking

1. 2. 3.

Pre heat the wok for 10 seconds and add the olive oil then spread it well. Add the garlic, stir it fast for 10 seconds. Add the bacon and stir it until half of it cooks.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Add the Kimchi and stir it until 80% of it cooks. Add the mushrooms, stir it for a second then add the rice. Add the Kimchi liquid and mix all together throughly. Add the sesame oil and mix it throughly with other ingredients. Serve it on a plate (You can sprinkle some parched sesame seeds on top) add the egg on top.

Side Dishes (Banchan) Stir Fried Dried Squid Strips (Ojingeochae Bokkeum)

Have you had these slightly spicy, chewy and sweet stir fried dried squid strips ( ) before? Wow, it is a real long name in English isnt it? I remember when I was in primary school, I shared my lunch with other friends. The lunch box usually consisted of steamed rice, a couple of side dishes, and sometimes soup as well. Sharing your lunch box with friends mean sharing various side dishes with each other, so we can have more variety of food. One day, I tasted these stir fried dried squid strips from one of my friends lunch box and it was so delicious. After school, I had to mention about this food to my mom and also asked if she can make some for my lunch box as well. I dont know what it is so special about this side dish but I am sure every kid loves it. I have to say it is very morish too.

(AU$4.10 available at a Korean grocery shop )

By the way, plain dried squid strips are often served as a drinking snack, especially with some beer at a bar in Korea. However I prefer to have this as a side dish with rice. I love the sweet and spicy taste. Do you? Ingredients (takes less than 15 minutes total) Note : The ingredients are enough to make 5 to 7 single side dishes.

141 g dried squid strips 2 tsp vegetable oil -Sauce (mix these in a bowl)

4 tsp Gochujang 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp honey 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp red wine (or rice wine) Methods

1. 2. 3. 4.

Soak the dried squid strips in cold water for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and slightly squeeze the squid strips. Pre heat the wok for 10 seconds on high heat and add the vegetable oil. Turn the heat down to medium heat and add the sauce.

5. 6. 7. 8.

When the sauce is heated, add the dried squid strips. Mix the sauce and the dried squid strips well. Simmer it for about 20 seconds (until the sauce nearly disappears). Serve it on a plate (you can sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on top).

Simple Steamed Eggs (Gyeran Jjim)

I dont like receiving phone calls around meal time, especially when I am busy preparing food. It might sound strange but I believe the more attention the food gets, the tastier it gets. Unfortunately I was on the phone while the eggs were steaming in the pot. It was my sister from Korea, you know what happens then. The long chit chat and giggles. Nevertheless, I couldnt concentrate much on the conversation. My mind was with the steaming eggs. Hang up, sis! I need to check my babies. I returned to the kitchen. Da da~! I opened the lid and I saw real gems in pretty cups. I didnt expect the eggs to rise yet they looked so adorable!

I think the eggs have a joker face. You never know what it is going to be until you serve it. Do you agree? I was so happy to see the well transformed eggs but slightly sad that I missed how they transformed. I hope you dont miss this.

Ingredients (to serve 3 people)

6 large eggs (~70g each) 15cm by 15cm kombu (dried seaweed) 1 cup of warm water 2 tbsp anchovy sauce 1 stalk of finely chopped shallot (green part only) 1/3 of finely chopped medium size carrot Prep

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Soak the kombu in warm water for 15 minutes. Beat the eggs and sieve them two times. Add the kombu water into the beaten eggs (discard the kombu). Add the anchovy sauce, shallots, and carrot. Mix them well. Pour the egg mixture into bowls (up to 80% of the bowl) and cover them with plastic wrap.

Method (It makes it easier if you have a big steamer) 1. 2. 3. 4. Boil the water in a steamer (high heat). When the water starts to boil, add the bowls. Lower the heat to medium to low, steam the bowls for about 15-20 minutes. Serve them.

The raised eggs sink slightly as time passes. Though they still look pretty. It was a perfect match with plain rice. Michael thinks it can be a good entree as well. However eating it on its own can be salty, so you might want to reduce the amount of anchovy sauce to 1 tbsp if you dont like too much salt taste. For a variation, you can add other kinds of vegetables or even some meat. I will do another post with those some other time. In the mean time, I also think plain steamed egg would be a good babys formula.

Anchovy Sauce (Myulchi Aecjeot in Korean)

Anchovy sauce is a kind of fish sauce. This is a picture of the anchovy sauce bottle () I was talking about yesterday. (I added it when I made radish Kimchi)

I bought it for 1600 won (US $1.70) for 416 ml. (Odd number, isnt it?) It is made of long fermented and simmered anchovies. The sauce is light brown. You can use anchovy sauce when you make Kimchi, brown seaweed soup, sesame leaves Kimchi, or stew (jjigae), as a substitute for soy sauce. I knew it could be used in Kimchi, but I didnt know about the other dishes. *ashamed grin*

Tuna Salad Sushi Rolls

No, it is not a traditional Korean food, but it is quite a simple meal to cook. Ive been suffering from time consuming dishes lately, so I needed a break. I wonder if this sushi is available in Japan. Kat if you are reading this post, please tell me! I think, it can be a good picnic meal or dinner party appetizer. Ingredients for 12 sushi rolls (Big meal for 1 person, light snack for 2 people)

Freshly steamed white rice for 1 person Tuna 250 g (drained of its oil) 1/4 an onion 3 crab sticks 1 cucumber Dashi (mix these together) Vinegar 1 tbsp, Sugar 2 tsp, Salt 1 tsp, Refined rice wine 1 tsp Salad sauce Mayonnaise 3 tbsp, Pepper 4 sprinkles, Salt 4 sprinkles Preparation 1. Cool down the rice for about 10 minutes.

2. Finely chop the onion, tuna, and crab sticks.

3. Put them into a bowl.

4. Add the salad sauce and mix it well.

5. Peel the cucumber skin off then thin slice the flesh with a peeler carefully. (Thickness about 0.2 cm)

6. Boil the dashi on the pan for 15 to 20 seconds.

7. Pour half of the dashi on the rice and mix it well. (You can add it more as needed.) Making 1. Wet your hands in cold water then work rice (12 dough ball of rice). 2. Wrap the rice with cucumber.

3. Put the tuna salad on the rice. 4. Serve the sushi rolls on the plate.

Tips 1. 2. When rice seem to stick on your hand, use cold water. (have a bowl of cold water next to you.) The height of rices dough ball should be shallower than the sliced cucumbers height. (to hold the tuna salad topping)

Refined Rice Wine

I usually use Refined Rice Wine to get rid of the meat smell. However it contains natural succinic acid which apparently gives a refreshing taste as well. Here is the picture of the refined rice wine that I use.

It is 1.8 L. (about 6500 won, US $ 6.80) I bought it a fairly long time ago, but I only use it for cooking purposes. So it lasts a long time. Its Korean name is Chung-Ju. -Quick Korean lessonJu ( in Chinese Chracter) means alcohol in Korean. e.g. So-Ju, Maek-Ju (Beer), Poktan-Ju (boilermaker or mixed drinks in English)

Thinly Sliced Radish Kimchi (Mu saengchae in Korean)

As I announced yesterday, todays recipe is thinly sliced radish Kimchi, which is what I enjoyed with bossam on the weekend. It is very cheap to make (I spend 500 won US $0.50 on a big size radish) and very easy to make, though it can hurt your hands or back, if you are not good at thin slicing. Ingredients

1/2 a big white radish (daikon) I was going to use up a whole radish, but it was just too much slicing work for me. So I decided to use only half of it.
For Sauce

Salt 1tsp Anchovy sauce- 1 tbsp Chili powder 1 tbsp and 1tsp Minced garlic 1 tbsp Sugar 1 tbsp (I used dark brown sugar)

Step 1. Peel the radish with a peeler, then thin slice the radish. (if you have a slicer, use it, it is hard work to thin slice it.) Step 2. Put the sliced radish into a big bowl, add all the sauce I mentioned. Step 3. Mix them well with your hands. (I recommend you wear a glove when you mix it, otherwise the sauce can sting your skin.) Step 4. Serve it on a plate. (You can eat it straight away or wait until the next day. I found overnight fermented Kimchi tastes better.) I really loved how it turned out. It wasnt heavily seasoned Kimchi, so I could enjoy the simple fresh taste.

Chili Powder (Gochutgaru in Korean)

One of my blog readers, Anthony, asked me what kind of chili powder I used for the thinly sliced Kimchi I made the other day. (I was confused about what to buy when I went chili powder shopping the other day, so I understand your curiosity, guys) Showing a picture seems to be the best answer, so here is a picture of chili powder I used for Kimchi. (150 g 2800 won (US $ 2.90), I use this for other cooking as well.)

Here is more information about chili powder if you are interested. How to make chili powder 1. 2. 3. Take the stem off the red chilies, open them, and take out the seeds. Wipe them with a cloth and dry them in the sun. (until they completely dry out. It usually takes a couple of days or up to a few weeks) Once they are dried enough, pound (grind) them up. Chili Powder for different purposes (by the thickness of its grinding)

Finely ground chilies : Gochujang (Chili paste), condiment for cooking Medium ground chilies : Kimchi, Cubed Radish Kimchi (Ggak Ddu gi)

Thick ground chilies : Young radish Kimchi (Yoelmu Kimchi), Young vegetable Kimchi (Put Kimchi) I think mine is between finely and medium ground chilies.

Anchovy Sauce (Myulchi Aecjeot in Korean)

Anchovy sauce is a kind of fish sauce. This is a picture of the anchovy sauce bottle () I was talking about yesterday. (I added it when I made radish Kimchi)

I bought it for 1600 won (US $1.70) for 416 ml. (Odd number, isnt it?) It is made of long fermented and simmered anchovies. The sauce is light brown. You can use anchovy sauce when you make Kimchi, brown seaweed soup, sesame leaves Kimchi, or stew (jjigae), as a substitute for soy sauce. I knew it could be used in Kimchi, but I didnt know about the other dishes. *ashamed grin*

Steamed Pork Wrapped in Leaves (Bossam in Korean)

I had a busy weekend trying new recipes. Some dishes turn out really well Sliced radish Kimchi, Bossam, Nachos with salsa sauce and cheese toppings, and some didnt turn out so well Shindangdong ddeokbokki (a type of ddeokbokki) Most of all, I am so glad that bossam turned out so well. It is really easy to make, but it requires some patience. It took me 1 hour and 30 minutes to cook the meat. I had to keep watching it to make sure it doesnt boil over (though it boiled over a couple of times, I didnt have a big pot). My sister and Michael had nearly fainted out of hunger by the time I served meal. It could have taken 30-40 minutes with a pressure cooker, but I wanted to give it a try on the gas range. Bossam is very popular at this time of the year, because it is Kimchi making season. (I am visiting my mom today to help her making Kimchi, most likely just to take some pictures, and hang around) Apparently freshly made Kimchi goes really well with bossam. For the amount of the meat and vegetables below, it will costs 25 to 30,000 won (US $26-31) at a restaurant in Korea. However, if you make it yourself, it costs 13,000 won (US $14). Ingredients for 3-4 people (Expected Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes) For steamed pork

Pork 1kg (actually I used 988 g) You can use shank or pork belly, I used pork belly 1 onion 1 stalk of spring onion (it was really huge) 2 green chilies Fresh ginger 30 g Pepper 1/2 tsp Minced garlic 1 tbsp Refined rice wine - 4 tbsp Soy bean paste (Doenjang in Korean) 2 tbsp Water 8 cups Some Koreans add coffee beans in it, it apparently helps get rid of the meat smell along with soy bean paste, and gives a brownish color. However, I didnt add it. Michael doesnt like coffee. For wraps

Lettuce 190 g Sesame leaves 24 g Ssamjang 3 tbsp 1 cucumber 2 green chilies You can also have salted shrimps as a dipping sauce, apparently it helps with digesting the meat. Steps (You really need a big pot)

1. 2. 3.

Peel off the onion skin and ginger skin. Cut the spring onion (size doesnt matter as long as it fits in a pot) Pour the water, refined rice wine, soy bean paste, garlic and pepper into the pot, then add the pork, onion, spring onion, chillies, ginger. (Basically add everything I mentioned on steamed pork ingredients, just add the liquid and powdery stuff first.) Boil it on low heat for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. While the pork is boiling, you can prepare for the wraps. (Probably 10 minutes before you serve the meal, ingredients can dry in the air) Rinse the lettuce and sesame leaves. Peel the cucumber skin off, cut them into 6 pieces. Thin slice the chilies. 6. Take out the meat. Cool it down for about 3-5 minutes. 7. Thin slice the meat. (Though if it is not cooked properly you might be need to boil it a bit longer.) 8. Serve the meat with wrapping vegetables and some Kimchi. (I served with radish Kimchi)

4. 5.

How to make wraps 1. 2. Put the lettuce on one hand, add the sesame leaf on top, then add the pork, some Kimchi, chili, and ssamjang sauce (It really depends on your preference though this is how I like to eat it). Wrap the lettuce. I found that the meat on its own doesnt taste as good as in a wrap. Chili itself is very spicy though it is usually not spicy with the meat (Though this is my personal opinion.)

Ssamjang Sauce
Ssaamjang is a mixture of gochujang and doenjang (Soybean paste) This is the picture of the Ssamjang I am using.

I use this sauce for dipping when I make wraps with lettuce to eat meat. I didnt buy a big one for this, because I only use a small amount of it each time. It is about 2,000 won (US $2.10) for a 500g container.

Inarizushi (Yubu Chobap in Korean) Instant Version

When I was in school, I was so jealous when some of my friends brought Yubu Chobap as a lunch on a school field trip day. Mine was just plain vegetable Kimbap like most of the kids, so my friends lunch box looked even more fancy, unique and so special. My mom never made any Yubu chobap for me in my life, so I always thought it is really expensive or hard to find. Now, as an adult, I realized that it is very easy and cheap to get those ingredients at a supermarket, I sometimes buy instant Yubu chobap to brighten my day. Though it is an instant version, so dont get your hopes too high. It is my favourite non fish sushi by the way. Its very more-ish.

Ingredients for 16 Yubu chobap (Big enough as one persons meal or a light meal for 2 people) (Expected prep and making time less than 10 minutes)

Freshly cooked white rice for 1 and half people (If I used a measuring cup, it would be about 2 cups, though I cant guarantee. Use a bit less water than usual for cooking rice.) Yubu chobap package : It includes 16 Yubu (fried bean curd), flavoring sauce (clear liquid sauce), herb mix, and fried flavoring. Steps 1. Pour the rice in to a bowl. (A big bowl, like a salad bowl is easier to use) 2. Pour out all the sauce from the packet on to the rice. (Though, I only used half of the herb mix, which is the green packet. It is really up to you.) 3. Mix the rice well with a spatula.

4. Hold the Yubu and open it. 5. Scoop out the rice from the bowl and fill the Yubu with it.

6. Serve it on the plate.

This is the packet I used, and different brands are also available. It was 1,950 won (US $ 2) at Homeplus.

As you can see, it is very simple, even a 5 year old child can make it. Good for picnic meals or when you dont want to bother with heavy cooking.

Vegetable Kimbap
Kimbap is similar to sushi roll. Vegetable Kimbap especially tastes similar to California roll. You can buy Kimbap at a Kimbap store, and there is one on nearly every corner of the street in Korea. (Kimbap is available from 1000 won (US $ 1.05) at the shop.) Kimbap is very popular as a picnic meal. There are lots of variations of kimbap, however Im going to show you how to make vegetable kimbap today. It is quite simple to follow. Ingredients for 2 people

Laver 4 sheets Steamed rice for 2 people 4 Yellow radish strips 2 Crab sticks 4 sticks of BBQ Kimbap ham (Kimbap ham is long and easy to slice. Because it is made for Kimbap) 3 stalks of spinach 1/5 a carrot 6 long sticks of seasoned edible burdock root 3 eggs Some sesame oil Some salt Preparation (It will take about 15 minutes)

1.

Cut the crab sticks in half. (Length ways, it will give you a total 4 sticks.)

2. 3. 4. 5.

Cut the carrots into long thin slices. (I need 6 sticks.) Rinse the spinach and parboil it in boiled water. (For 1 minute) Put the spinach into a bowl. Add 2 sprinkles of salt and 1 dash of sesame oil on spinach then mix it well. Beat one egg in a bowl. Fry the egg in a pan and make the egg stick by rolling it. (It is better if you can make it thin.) Do the same with rest of the eggs.

6. Cook the carrots, crab sticks and BBQ ham in a pan with a little oil. (You can use un-cooked ones, but I prefer cooked ones.) 7. Put all the ingredients on one plate. It makes it easy to roll.

8. Add 2 dashes of sesame oil and 2 sprinkles of salt on the rice. Mix it well.

During the process of no 5 and 6 I used the same pan and I didnt rinse or wash it.

Making (It will take about 10 minutes)

1. 2. 3.

Place one laver on the bamboo mat. (Actually you dont really need a mat. I hardly use it.) Put the rice on the laver. You need to spread it thinly. (I use my fingers and rice spatula.) Put two burdock sticks, two carrot sticks, crab stick, ham, yellow radish, egg stick (all one each), and some spinach in the middle of the rice. Roll it. (If the laver doesnt stick, paste some water at the edge.

4.

5. Once you made rolls, paste some sesame oil onto the laver surface (just little bit) and slice them.

6. Serve it on the plate.

Picture) Top right : Normal Kimbap Picture) Bottom left : Normal ingredients with 1 layer of mayonnaise Picture) Bottom right : 3 ingredients with 2 layer of mayonnaise I expected to make 3 big rolls which is just enough for two of us, but there was some seasoned rice left over, so I had to make 1 small roll extra. Tip) I tried one layer of mayonnaise just before I rolled the laver, it gives a moist texture and nice taste. So if you want, you can try.

Seaweed for Christmas

I cant believe that the holiday is over already. Back to blogging after having a couple of days of break is kind of weird and feels unnatural. I got rusty very quickly.

I got an interesting present for Christmas from some Canadian friends, so I would like to show what I got. These are some pictures of the present. Including Brown seaweed, Dried kelp, Seasoned laver, Unseasoned laver etc.

Brown Seaweed Soup (Miyeok Guk)

How are you folks? Its been three weeks since my last post. I was very busy keeping up with my life, mostly study. And what else happened? Oh! the weather. We had a couple of nasty windy days, one or two weeks ago. I felt like I was in Korea at the end of November. At the end of that day, I was desperate to have something that could warm me up. I know most of you have completely different ideas about the food you crave right now (I got a couple of requests about Korean sherbets -Patbingsu, a popular summer snack), but I am not in that mood right now. Probably not for six more months to be exact. So I made this brown seaweed soup (miyeok guk ), because it is such a simple thing to make. It is not creamy like some western style soups nor does it look fancy. Yet the aroma that comes from the sesame oil was just right to comfort and warm me up. In addition, it just tasted so good, as if my mother cooked it. Maybe I am exaggerating, but that was how good it was. Miyeok guk is also known as birthday soup in Korea. Ive already mentioned about this on other post, so you can read about it if you are interested. Ingredients (enough for 3-4 servings, ready in 15 20 minutes)

35g dried brown seaweed (Miyeok) 70g sliced beef shank 2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp soy sauce (I used Kikoman brand) 1 tbsp Korean sesame oil 4 cups water 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 3 sprinkles ground black pepper to season the meat

Prep 1. 2. 3. 4. Soak the dried brown seaweed in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the seaweed a couple of times in running water. Drain the water. Cut the seaweed with scissors to little finger lengths. Season the beef with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 3 sprinkles of ground black pepper. Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. Pre heat the sauce pan (or pot) for about 30 seconds. Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil, the brown seaweed, and the sliced beef then stir it for 2 3 minutes. Add the water then boil it on medium heat until the seaweed and the meat cook (about 5- 10 minutes). Add the soy sauce and garlic, boil it for 2 more minutes then serve. (You can adjust the taste with some salt if it is needed, however I didnt use it).