Category Archives: Korean Food at Home

February 1, 2018 · 1:44 pm

Korean Kimchi Mung Bean Pancakes

 

Korean Kimchi Mung Bean Pancakes

Korean Kimchi Mung Bean Pancakes

Detoxify your body while eating these Mung bean pancakes packed with superfood ingredients. This savory pancake is served with a side of dressed up soy sauce, you can eat it this way or straight up. It’s jammed packed with a complete balance of proteins in the grains combined with legumes. You can skip the meat and still get every nutrient your body needs!

Korean Kimchi Mung Bean Pancakes

By Rina Oh

Servings: 4

Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shelled and split mungbeans rehydrated in water
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ¼ cup white flour
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 bunches of scallions
  • ½ cup kimchi, chopped
  • ¼ cup sunflower or safflower oil

Directions

  1. In a food processor, pulse the mungbeans until they are broken down and still grainy for about 30 seconds.
  2. Add egg, cornstarch, flour, and water and continue pulsing for 30 more seconds. Alternately, put the ingredients into a deep bowl or pot and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
  3. Transfer batter into a bowl, add scallions with kimchi and stir using a spatula.
  4. Heat a nonstick pan on the stovetop for a minute on high heat. Add vegetable oil and let it heat for another 30 seconds.
  5. Add about two ladles of pancake mixture and evenly spread it out using a spatula. Use the spatula to even out the sides of the pancake. You may add some oil around the sides of the pancake at this point. Move the pan around to prevent the pancake from sticking to the pan, as the batter absorbs the oil. Cook for about two minutes.
  6. Flip the pancake and repeat the steps above.
  7. You will know the pancake is finished when it gets brown and crispy.
  8. Remove from heat and transfer to a cutting board. Slice the pancake with a sharp knife into eight wedges like a pizza. Serve with soy sauce on the side.

Tip: For best results and time efficiency, soak the mungbeans overnight in the refrigerator. Mungbeans can be purchased in Asian markets and whole nutrition markets. Thanks to the internet, you can also order them online!

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January 31, 2018 · 11:28 am

Korean Japchae (Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Vegetables)

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Brighten your culinary palate with this noodle dish traditionally served at large banquets. Korean restaurants offer this popular dish as an appetizer. It’s also a great way to use any leftovers you may have!

Korean Japchae (Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Vegetables)

By Rina Oh

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup sunflower oil
  • ½ cup julienned carrots
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup thin-sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 zucchini, julienned
  • 4 ounces boneless beef short ribs, sliced very thinly
  • 6 ounces Korean vermicelli (cellophane noodles)
  • 4 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a nonstick pan over high heat; add carrots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer carrots to a large bowl. Repeat sauté process with spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini, respectively.
  2. Sauté beef in the remaining oil until browned completely, about 3 minutes; transfer to a cutting board and slice into thin slicers approximately the size of the vegetables.
  3. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Cook vermicelli at a boil until soft and stretchy, about 6 minutes; drain.
  4. Toss noodles with the vegetables in the bowl. Stir soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl to dissolve the sugar; pour over the noodles and vegetables and toss to coat.
  5. Divide noodles and vegetables between four bowls; garnish with sesame seeds to serve.

 

Tip: Prepare ingredients ahead of time and reserve in the refrigerator to help save time in planning healthy meals for the week! You can purchase the Korean vermicelli noodles at Asian Markets or online.

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January 30, 2018 · 1:49 pm

Korean Bulgogi Sliders

Korean Bulgogi Sliders

Korean Bulgogi Sliders

Take your sliders to the next level and add some Unami to it by marinating your protein with Korean BBQ sauce. It’s packed with flavor that is a bit different and familiar at the same time!

Korean Bulgogi Sliders

By Rina Oh

Servings: 4

Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

  • Buns:
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Sliders:
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 scallions, sliced thinly

Directions

  1. Mix water and yeast with sugar and allow to proof for 5 minutes in a warm area; add egg with vegetable oil and mix thoroughly.
  2. Combine dry ingredients and add liquid mixture. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Cover and allow to rise for 1 ½ hours in a warm area.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  4. Prepare grill for direct high heat (450°F to 500°F; 230°C to 600°C).
  5. Divide dough into 8 to 10 or smaller balls if desired.
  6. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Combine all the ingredients for the sliders. Form mixture into small patties.
  8. Preheat grill on high and brush the patties with vegetable oil. Place on grill and cook to desired temperature; remove patties from grill once they are cooked and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
  9. Slice buns with a serrated knife and place patties on top; garnish with scallions if desired.

Tips: For medium, cook at high temperature for 3 minutes on each side. For well done, cook at temperature for 5 minutes on each side.

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December 22, 2011 · 12:13 am

Patjuk, a vegan Winter Solstice Food

 

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On Donjinal (December 22): Patjuk, a red bean porridge is cooked and eaten throughout Korea. It’s popularity stems from the seasonal scarcity of fresh meat and vegetables as a mid-winter food which eventually sustained as an entire meal minus all the side dishes one would normally consume during other seasons.

A popular mysterious belief is that the food drives evil spirits away, brings good harvest in the coming months, and of course good luck. It is typically served with glutinous rice flour cakes formed into small balls that resemble a quail’s egg.

I tweaked my recipe from the traditional method by incorporating cooked rice instead of using raw grain rice to cook the porridge. After all- tis the holidays and less work means more time for other things!

Ingredients

1 cup dry red beans

1 cup cooked medium grain glutinous rice

100 grams glutinous rice flour

6 tablespoons boiling water

1 teaspoons salt

6-8 cups water

Directions

Soak red beans overnight in a medium bowl with water (about 3-4 cups) to cover. Drain water before use.

Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add red beans and allow to cook for about an hour uncovered on a simmer.

Stir in cooked rice, season with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour on a simmer. Mash with a potato masher and stir in steamed rice cakes.

The beauty of this dish is that you can buy your rice cakes instead of making them yourself (which is a labor of love in itself). If you’re like me, you’ve made the rice cakes a few weeks in advance and stored them in the freezer. They’re actually very easy to make, and shouldn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes total prep and cooking time.

Combine salt and flour.

Have your boiling water handy and stir in one tablespoon at a time. Your dough shouldn’t be too mushy or too dry.

Knead your dough for about 5 minutes. Form into small quail size balls and steam them for about 15 minutes until they are completely cooked through. The center should be moist, not dry.

Transfer rice cakes into red bean porridge and serve with kimchi or other banchan on the side. You can also enjoy this on its own!

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December 19, 2011 · 9:36 pm

Feast of the Seven Veggies: Celebrating One Year of Meatless Monday!

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Being Korean born and growing up in the US was aberrant when the timely holidays rolled in. Korean holidays are virtually desolate here. My initial Thanksgiving culinary traditions began at fourteen years of age, with the help of a Betty Crocker cookbook purchased at Woolworth’s in Flushing, Queens.

I cooked my first holiday dinner for my parents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. The dishes served were mashed potatoes with gravy, buttermilk biscuits, and stuffed turkey.

Here’s my grownup version of mashed potatoes: Potato gratin. Looking back, I can’t recall serving any green vegetables that year. The tradition continued well into my twenties, where I explored traditional American holiday foods married with my Korean heritage which translated as kimchi on the side.

Patjuk is typically served as a Winter solstice food in Korea (one of very few major Korean holidays).

When I eventually married an Italian American, an entire continent of food emerged and I finally discovered how to enjoy seasonal dishes which included lots of fresh local tomatoes, fresh herbs, and really good cheese. I learned how to adjust my salt in salads according to the season, and pasta went far beyond spaghetti and meatballs. I became versed in fixing up marinara sauce discerning contrasting characteristics between marinara and Sunday sauce. Lasagna had been discovered long before the marriage of two cultures- (I have to credit myself for having perfected it thanks to a handy old copy of a NY Times cookbook I picked up from the Piermont library when I was a teen). In short, I spent the last six years exploring this new and exciting cuisine, discovering porcini mushrooms, risotto, cavetelli, pesto, and an endless repertoire of recipes from family members and cookbooks. I finally began cooking the green vegetables during this time. Our typical holidays included a marriage (literal) of Koreans and Italians. Whether it was Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. It was Italian food with kimchi as its co-star.

Kimchi & soy pajeon, zucchini pajeon.

Cooking Korean food at home meant, there was much tweaking which led to the creation of newly adapted dishes for my big Italian family. I eventually became so involved in cooking that spending six hours in the kitchen seemed conventional and acceptable. To outsiders, it may have looked like I was absolutely manic about food- that’s because I was! I loved food so much that I enrolled into culinary school to really hone my kitchen skills and became a professional chef.

Roasted beets with red onion and champagne vinaigrette.

Last year, I discovered Meatless Monday and when I was asked to submit a holiday post for Food2.com, I ventured into my old handy Betty Crocker cookbook for advise and cooked up American classics with a twist. It was the beginning of a year-long relationship with seasonal vegetables. Here’s a seasonal roasted root vegetables dish: (purple potatoes, heirloom sweet potato, chippolini onions, garlic) below:

This holiday season celebrates my one-year anniversary with going Meatless one day a week! I cooked up a Christmas dinner starring Korean food served up as the Feast of the Seven Veggies! It’s my Korean version of the classic Italian Christmas Eve supper. Christmas for Koreans has become more popularized in recent years and they have a special name for it (seongtanjeol). I made seven main dishes, with matching seven side dishes (banchan) for this special occasion. Some traditional recipes originated from the Royal kitchens of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. It was a labor of love- the nine delicacies in Gujeolpan were  a tad bit time consuming.

I suggest if you’re going to try this at home, give yourself a few days to make the dinner. Start with Gujeolpan, use the leftover veggies to make japchae, cook your vegetables ahead of time and marinade and dress them right before consumption.  When the feast is finished, you can have the leftover banchan in a mixed rice bowl (bibimbap) the following day.

No dinner is ever complete without a hot spicy soup at the end! Spicy tofu soups and stews are an absolute food staple made with gochugaru, tofu, and garlic, this version includes kimchi.

Here are the seven Korean style side dishes I made!

Acorn Starch Jelly…looks like jello, sort of tastes like jello- except it’s 100% vegan!

Assorted mushrooms with crushed sesame seeds…

Baby Bok Choy with perilla seeds and sesame oil…

Mung bean sprouts…

Braised Korean peppers with garlic…

Marinated spinach…

What kind of Korean meal is complete without kimchi?! None!

For dessert, I made Songpyeon. A sweet and savory rice cake. It’s typically served up during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving according to the Lunar calendar). I’m currently working on finishing up a round up of all the dishes I’ve conjured up this past year for a vegetarian cookbook! Recipes are coming shortly, stay tuned…

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November 30, 2011 · 7:17 pm

Korean Food at Home: Seaweed Soup

Seaweed is an amazing plant. It’s a silky, virtually guiltless food that works miracles for any type of cleansing diet. Usually green, but sometimes brown or purple, it grows in the ocean. Coastal farmers throughout the world raise and dry them. Although I grew up far away from the ocean, I consumed seaweed quite frequently: whether it was roasted, cooked, or served as a cold salad. You can add some to your noodle soup or simply make an entire meal out of it! Some experts believe compounds found in limited varieties of seaweed called fucoxanthin can even assist in breaking down stored fat cells in your body.

Miyeok guk (Korean seaweed soup) is consumed on four main occasions: A newborn’s 100th day, baby’s first birthday, women’s postpartum diet (consumed with every meal for six consecutive weeks), parents 60th birthday and more generally on every birthday. Pair it with rice and a few side dishes of banchan, and you’re good to go.
Korean Seaweed Soup Miyeok Guk

Ingredients
4 cups water
½ cup sirloin beef, cut into small cubes
1 cup dried seaweed (miyeok), re-hydrated in water for 30 minutes
1 tablespoon dashida (instant beef stock)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Rinse re-hydrated seaweed under cold running water.

Place beef cubes in cold water and bring to a boil. Skim impurities.

Add seaweed, dried stock and cook at medium heat uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Season to taste with salt. Enjoy!

TIP: You can substitute 4 cups of real beef stock for the dashida and water: remember the leftover stock I recommended you freeze!

Rina Oh is an artist, writer and chef. This post was originally appeared in Korean Food at Home on Food2.com, a website that is owned and operated by Scripps Networks. These posts are copyrighted material and any photographs, illustrations or written material are forbidden to be used or reposted anywhere without permission. For more information on Meatless Monday, please visit meatlessmonday.com

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Filed under Hot on the Blog, Korean Food at Home, November 2011, Seaweed, Soups

November 16, 2011 · 6:41 pm

Korean Food at Home: Ban Chan Side Dishes

Ever wondered where all the little side dishes come from when you’re out eating at a Korean restaurant? No? Maybe? Well I was, so I embarked on a mini research mission.

It turns out that banchan, the side dishes we’re talking about, originated from the individual tables that were served up many, many eons ago in both the Royal court and upper class homes. At large banquets and feasts, various little tables were featured, one for each guest. Imagine going to a birthday feast where instead of sitting at tables of 8, 10, or 12, you sat alone, with your own small table. It’s because of this now obselete culinary practice that various small dishes emerged and banchan was born.

So Koreans love their ban chan — subbing out full courses in favor of smaller side dishes. The more there, is the merrier they get. Each meal, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, always includes some form of ban chan.
In honor of the long-held tradition, I prepared four individual banchan side dishes and Korean pancakes made with Chinese chives. The latter is a form of pajeon, or savory pancake in Korean. The five dishes literally take less than an hour to make. And did I mention they make for great leftovers?

4 Classic Banchan: Korean Side Dishes & a Small Plate

Braised Korean Peppers with Fish Cakes

Ingredients
2 cups Korean peppers
1 cup water + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup Korean fishcake sliced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions
In a saucepot, add water, soy sauce and peppers. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes until they soften up. Turn off the heat and leave covered for about half an hour. The peppers will continue to steam inside the pot with the burner off.

Heat sesame oil and soy sauce in a saucepan and add fish cake. Saute for about 2-3 minutes in medium heat until the cakes are browned. Remove and serve with sliced braised peppers.

Korean Mustard Greens with Soy Vinaigrette and Daikon Radish

Ingredients
2 cups Korean Mustard Greens uncooked with stems cut off

1 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 garlic clove minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup Daikon radish, shredded

Directions

Blanche mustard leaves in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove and rinse under cold running water. Squeeze excess water with your hands.

 

Place greens inside and mix thoroughly to season each piece.

Stir in shredded Daikon radish.

Crown Daisy with Soy Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 bunch of crown daisy
1 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 garlic clove minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions

Blanche crown daisy in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove and rinse under cold running water. Squeeze excess water with your hands.

Mix soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, salt, sesame seeds and green onions in a mixing bowl. Place greens inside and mix thoroughly to season each piece.

Toasted Anchovies

Ingredients
1 cup dried anchovies
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions
In a frying pan, heat sesame oil and soy sauce and add anchovies.

Cook for about a minute on high heat and add sugar and continue cooking for another minute. Deglaze with a few drops of water. Remove from heat.

Korean Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
pinch sugar
1 cup cold water
1 cup Chinese chives, sliced into 2″ strips
Vegetable oil for pan frying

Directions
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add water and whisk well until the batter is smooth. Sir in the Chinese chives.

In a saucepan, heat about two tablespoons of vegetable oil and ladle pancake mix.

Cook for about 2 minutes on each side on medium heat. Cut into squares and enjoy with soy sauce on the side.

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November 9, 2011 · 6:08 pm

Korean Food at Home: Pot au Feu

Growing up, I always loved meat and potatoes, but struggled to appreciate how truly sophisticated Korean food can be. That is, until I became a professional chef.

Korean food extends well beyond traditional tabletop BBQ and kimchi tacos. With ancient culinary traditions that can be traced back at least 3,000 years, seasonal and regional foods dominated most if not all diets. Korean short rib stew is a delicacy that flourishes when fancied up. I prepared mine using both Hansik (Korean food) cooking methods and classic French cooking techniques, and let me tell you it made all the difference. Serve it alongside rice and a pickled side or two like kimchi, and enjoy.
Korean Pot au feu (Soe-galbijim)
Yields 2 servings
Adapted from The Beauty of Korean Food : with 100 Best-loved recipes by the Institute of Traditional Korean Food

Ingredients:
1 cup carrots, peeled sliced on a bia
1 ½ cups yama sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes
2 pounds of short ribs with bone attached
½ cup dried jujubes
2 brown oak mushrooms, soaked in water for an hour
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup jin soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

Directions:
In stockpot, place short ribs and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer (160-180 degrees) but do not let the water boil! Skim off impurities and continue cooking for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, strain liquid and rinse short ribs under cold water. Return to a fresh, clean stockpot and cover with fresh cold water.

Add vegetables, mushrooms, jujubees and whole garlic cloves. Continue cooking at a low simmer for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove short ribs and place in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables, jujubes, and mushrooms and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid for later use.

Mix marinade in the meantime. In a medium size mixing bowl add sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and honey and ginger. Pour over the short ribs. Allow ribs to soak the marinade for about 10 minutes.

Place short ribs and vegetables in a tagine. Add about ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid to the tagine and continue cooking in a low simmer for about 20 minutes until the flavors of the marinade are distributed. Adjust seasoning with salt and honey if necessary.

TIP: you can freeze your marmite to make consommé later or use it as beef stock! So do not throw it out if there’s a lot left over! Freezing the stock in pint containers are excellent for flavoring soups later on!

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September 12, 2011 · 2:33 pm

Meatless Monday: Vegetable Bibimbap with Jujube and Ginseng Hot Chili Sauce

Bibimbap is a signature Korean comfort food. The word directly translates as “mixed meal.” I rummaged through my fridge and found all sorts of vegetables and herbs, and thought about making a quick and easy version here.

I went to a local market and found American ginseng over the weekend. Ginseng is used as a natural remedy to help boost the immune system and lower blood pressure. It’s a bit on the bitter side, so mix it into sauces or use as an aromatic in brasing liquids. I paired it here with Korean jujubes, persimmon vinegar (another great find) and gochujang (Korean fermented red chilli paste), and it was amazing.

Vegetable Bibimbap with Jujube and Ginseng Hot Chilli Sauce

Ingredients
For the sauce
2 tablespoons persimmon or apple vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginseng
2 jujubes, chopped
1 cup cooked medium grain rice (sticky rice)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 California carrots, julienned
1 zucchini, julienned
1 cup daikon radish, julienne
1 cup hydrated shitake mushrooms, julienned
1 cup assorted peppers, julienned
1 egg, cooked sunnyside up (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a medium non-stick skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and sauté vegetables starting with zucchini (least pungent) on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until tender. Repeat steps for carrots, shitake mushrooms and peppers. Daikon is served raw (but you can cook them if you wish).

In a big bowl, place rice in center with vegetables surrounding it. Serve it with an egg or you may substitute it with tofu or any other legume. Mung bean sprouts are excellent also! 

Mix hot chilli sauce to desired level of spiciness and enjoy!

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July 11, 2011 · 4:09 pm

Meatless Monday: Spiced Tofu and Kimchi Tacos

As far as summertime bites go, few other foods hold a candle to tacos. They’re light and airy, and the perfect complement to otherwise hot and heavy afternoons, and depending on your mood you can fill them with anything from fresh avocado and lime to sauteed vegetables and hot sauce. But as satisfying as a duo of stuffed corn tortillas can be (especially when paired with tangy margarita, or two), their most redeeming quality may just be how easy they are to prepare.

When making tacos, I try to pair flavors that accentuate one another. Since tofu benefits from it’s amazing ability to lap up anything it’s cooked with (in this case, a hodge-podge of spices), and kimchi works wonderfully in balancing out puingent spices like cumin and oregano, I brought them together along with creamy avocado and a hint of tangy lime juice, and it was such a satisfying mouthful I had to share.

Recipe: Rina Oh

Spiced Tofu and Kimchi tacos
Yields 12 tacos

Ingredients
1 package of fresh corn tortillas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound extra firm tofu, crumbled
4 jalepeno, diced
1 cup cherry tomato, sliced
2 scallions, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup Napa cabbage kimchi chopped
Fresh lime juice (optional)

Directions
1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil and add tofu and jalapeño in a medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently until jalepeno is tender. Add herbs and spices and cherry tomatoes. Cook for an additional 3 minutes and add soy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Toast corn tortillas and assemble tacos by adding tofu, topped with avocado and kimchi.

This recipe takes less than 15 minutes in preparation and cooking time!

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