It is now a little more than two weeks after the surgery and the restrictions on solid food is finally lifted. A little celebration is in order, and in my world the word celebration is synonymous with the word noodles; preferably those that are MSG-laden. But since my doctor made me promise not to eat any more of them (seriously, he might as well made me sign some form of agreement), I settled with this Korean noodle dish laden with vegetables and flavored with a spicy, sweet and sour sauce using red pepper paste. Also, just to kill two birds with one stone, I hope this will answer the food wishes of the many who asked if I could post more vegetarian recipes. Although you really needn’t worry, my dietary restrictions regarding meat is good for another two months.

JJOL-MYEON (쫄면): (Serves 1-2)

[ 1 packet of Jjol myun (I used egg noodles) +  toppings: (1/2 cup bean sprouts + 1/2 cup julienned cucumber + 1/2 cup julienned carrots + 1/2 cup julienned cabbage + 1/2 - 1 hard boiled egg) + sauce: (2-3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) + 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) + 2 tablespoons vinegar + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic  + 2 tablespoons Sprite + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds +  1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil) ]

Julienne carrots, cucumber, and cabbage using a mandolin or a really sharp knife. Set aside.

Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook the beansprouts (covered) for 5 minutes. You don’t want to be overdone, so keep an eye on it. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

Cook jjolmyun noodles in boling water 8 minutes or until tender. Rinse with cold water and set aside to drain.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients listed above in a bowl.

Place the noodles in a bowl and add the toppings and sauce.

Mix thoroughly before digging in.

Enjoy!

  3 months ago       177 notes
  food  hansik  Korean food  jjolmyun  noodles  

Bibimbap (비빔밥) / Korean Mixed Rice

  1 year ago       70 notes
  bibimbap  korean food  hansik  super junior  kim ryeowook  cho kyuhyun  food  food blog  cooking blog  recipe blog  photographers on tumblr  

I like my rice cold. I’ve always thought that since the rice is less glutinous, the  individual grains [more] readily mixes and infiltrates into side dishes therefore maximizing flavour into every bite. Unfortunately, living in an Indonesian household means that there is always freshly steamed (thanks to the R2D2-looking electric rice cooker) at your disposal; which is why I always resort to sticking a bowl of fluffy rice inside the fridge for a couple of minutes if I wanted to have some.

Now the rice in this recipe is no exception. There are many banchans (반찬)  to choose  from to top your rice with and the imagination really is the limit, but a fellow tumblogger said this:

mymindismypantry said: 

do bokkeum potatos and carrots with mushrooms and egg but semi running and all you need is soy sause an sesame oil….drool

and so I will include a recipe for that below. There are no speciality-store ingredient for the banchans (except maybe the Gochujang) used in this post; all found in your local supermarket or even a staple in your fridge, as mentioned by Cho Kyu Hyun & Kim Ryeo Wook.

You can serve the bibimbap in regular bowls or heated stone bowls, for those who prefers a little zing. The Koreans eat their rice with this small spoon with a long, tapered handle - someday I’m going to get my hands on such spoons to help me eat slower (and maybe smaller portions? Maybe not). In the meantime I’ll settle with shovelling this delicious dish into the pie hole with a regular-sized spoon.

Side note: This will also join the Hansik series. I know I’ve made Kongnamul Bap (콩나물밥) / Korean Beansprout Rice as an approximation to this dish because I didn’t have the gochujang (red pepper paste) before, but why approximate when you can now make the real thing?

Other Hansik Series (8 members down, 2 more to go) :

Choi SiWon’s Pajeon (Scallion Pancakes)

Lee (EunHyuk) HyukJae’s Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef & Vegetables)

Kim (YehSung) JongWoon’s Dak Kang Jung (Crispy Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce)

Kim RyeoWook & Cho KyuHyun’s previous approximation to Bibimpab; Kongnamul Bap(Beansprout Rice)

Lee SungMin’s Baechu Kimchi (Whole Spicy Pickled Cabbage)

Park Jung Soo (Leeteuk)’s Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)

and the one used in this recipe: Kim Hee Chul’s Bulgogi 

Let’s make some 반찬 !

BANCHANS (반찬) / SIDE DISHES:

[ A bunch of spinach + 1 small carrot + 1 small cucumber + a handful of bean sprouts +  1 small onion + 1 small potato + 1 green chili + 1/2 cup of mushrooms + 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil + 2 garlic cloves, minced + 1 small piece of ginger, minced + 1 tablespoon sesame oil + 1 teaspoon sesame seeds + 1 meat side dish like bulgogi ] 

To make GamJa YaChae BokkEum (감자 야채 볶음) / Bokkeum Potatoes:

• Peel andcut the potato, onion and half of the carrot into thin matchsticks. Soak the potato matchsticks in a cup of cold water for about 10 minutes to remove some of the starch. 
• Remove the seeds from the hot pepper.
• After 10 minutes, rinse the potato twice, and drain the water.
• Pour 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a heated nonstick pan. Add the potato and fry for about 5 minutes on medium, or until the potatoes are half-cooked. Then add the carrot and onion to the pan.
• Add the chopped hot pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic. Fry for 3 minutes on medium-high. 
• Turn off the heat and sprinkle ½ tsp of sesame seeds on top.

For other vegetables:

• Spinach: 
Steam the spinach and then squeeze the water out of it. Give it a rough chop and sautee with some oil and season with salt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Set aside.
• Cucumber: Cut into thin slices. Set aside.
• Bean Sprouts: Blanch and set aside.
• Carrots: Cut into matchsticks. Heat 1/4 teaspoon of oil in non-stick frying pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic and some minced ginger and then add in the carrots. Fry for a few minutes and season with salt. Add in a splash of sesame oil in the end. Set aside.
• Mushrooms:Slice the mushrooms. Heat 1/4 teaspoon of oil in non-stick frying pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic then add in the mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes and season with salt. Set aside. 

After all that hard, hard work is done, you can now proceed with making some bibimbap sauce:

BIBIMBAP SAUCE:

[ 2-3 tablespoon red pepper paste + 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar + 1 teaspoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds + 1 teaspoon sesame oil + 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic ]

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY:

[ Vegetable and meat banchans + a bowl of rice + 1-2 teaspoon of bibimbap sauce per person + 1 egg, left raw if you’re using a stone bowl or cooked to your liking ] OPTIONAL: Toasted sesame seeds + Dried seaweed strips/flakes.

In a bowl, arrange meat and vegetables over steaming, hot rice. 

Top with egg of your choice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and top with dried seaweed strips, if you like.

Drizzle with bibimbap sauce and, most importantly, mix thoroughly before taking a bite.

BANCHANS (반찬) / SIDE DISHES:

[ A bunch of spinach + 1 small carrot + 1 small cucumber + a handful of bean sprouts +  1 small onion + 1 small potato + 1 green chili + 1/2 cup of mushrooms + 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil + 2 garlic cloves, minced + 1 small piece of ginger, minced + 1 tablespoon sesame oil + 1 teaspoon sesame seeds +1 meat side dishes like bulgogi ] 

To make GamJa YaChae BokkEum (감자 야채 볶음) / Bokkeum Potatoes:

1. Peel andcut the potato, onion and half of the carrot into thin matchsticks. Soak the potato matchsticks in a cup of cold water for about 10 minutes to remove some of the starch. 
2. Remove the seeds from the hot pepper.
3. After 10 minutes, rinse the potato twice, and drain the water.
4. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a heated nonstick pan. Add the potato and fry for about 5 minutes on medium, or until the potatoes are half-cooked. Then add the carrot and onion to the pan.
5. Add the chopped hot pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic. Fry for 3 minutes on medium-high. 
6. Turn off the heat and sprinkle ½ tsp of sesame seeds on top.

For other vegetables:

Spinach: Steam the spinach and then squeeze the water out of it. Give it a rough chop and sautee with some oil and season with salt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Set aside.

Cucumber: Cut into thin slices. Set aside.

Bean Sprouts: Blanch and set aside.

Carrots: Cut half of the carrots into matchsticks. Heat 1/4 teaspoon of oil in non-stick frying pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic and some minced ginger and then add in the carrots. Fry for a few minutes and season with salt. Add in a splash of sesame oil in the end. Set aside.

Mushrooms: Slice the mushrooms. Heat 1/4 teaspoon of oil in non-stick frying pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic then add in the mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes and season with salt. Set aside.

BIBIMBAP SAUCE:

[ 2-3 tablespoon red pepper paste + 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar + 1 teaspoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds + 1 teaspoon sesame oil + 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic ]

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY:

[ Vegetable and meat banchans + a bowl of rice + 1-2 teaspoon of bibimbap sauce per person + 1 egg, left raw or cooked to your liking ]

1. In a bowl, arrange meat and vegetables over steaming, hot rice. 

2. Top with egg of your choice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and top with dried seaweed strips, if you like. Drizzle with bibimbap sauce and, most importantly, mix thoroughly before taking a bite.

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       66 notes
  bibimbap  food  korean food  hansik  super junior  kim ryeowook  cho kyuhyun  food blog  cooking blog  recipe blog  

One more dish to add to the growing list of Hansik, and this time it’s Kim Hee Chul’s favourite.

The presence of Korean pear in the marinade nearly threw me off because I wasn’t sure how it would contribute flavour-wise (beef and pear didn’t sound like a good pair to me).

But as it turns out the pear purely acts as a tenderizer (and what a tenderizer it was!), leaving the meat super succulent and juicy. Let this marinate for at least 2 hours to get the most out of the flavour and texture and enjoy it in lettuce wraps, on top of rice or add it to tofu soups for a pleasant surprise.

Other Hansik Series (8 members down, 2 more to go):

Choi SiWon’s Pajeon (Scallion Pancakes)

Lee (EunHyuk) HyukJae’s Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef & Vegetables)

Kim (YehSung) JongWoon’s Dak Kang Jung (Crispy Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce)

Kim RyeoWook & Cho KyuHyun’s approximation to Bibimpab; Kongnamul Bap(Beansprout Rice)

Lee SungMin’s Baechu Kimchi (Whole Spicy Pickled Cabbage)

Park Jung Soo (Leeteuk)’s Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)

BEEF BULGOGI:

[ 1 pound rib eye, thinly sliced  + 1/4 cup soy sauce +  1/8 cup sugar + 6 cloves  garlic + 1 small size onion + 1/2 of a  small Asian pear + 1/4 cup of water + 2 tablespoon sesame oil + 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ]

In a food processor or a blender, add all the ingredients except the beef. Transfer to a large bowl and add more sesame oil or black pepper to taste. 

Toss in the meat, cover, and set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat a grill pan or a large iron skillet to high heat.

Remove the meat from the marinade, and then toss in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Serve the beef with lettuce, white rice, kimchi, and hot bean paste.

BEEF BULGOGI:

[ 1 pound rib eye, thinly sliced  + 1/4 cup soy sauce +  1/8 cup sugar + 16 cloves  garlic + 1 small size onion + 1/2 of a  small Asian pear + 1/4 cup of water + 2 tablespoon sesame oil + 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ]

1. In a food processor or a blender, add all the ingredients except the beef. Transfer to a large bowl and add more sesame oil or black pepper to taste. 
2. Toss in the meat, cover, and set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat a grill pan or a large iron skillet to high heat.
4. Remove the meat from the marinade, and then toss in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
5. Serve the beef with lettuce, white rice, kimchi, and hot bean paste.

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       239 notes
  food  bulgogi  korean food  hansik  super junior  heechul  food blog  cooking blog  recipe blog  

As much as I love eating ice cream in the summer heat, sometimes it can be a little too rich. Patbingsoo is a cool and satisfying dessert that’s substantial without being rich, and with all its different components it won’t bore your taste buds. I personally was sceptical at first at the thought of shaved ice topped with an adzuki bean paste and practically all the fruits you can think of - it didn’t seem like it would taste good. But then again I forgot the crucial ingredient in this dessert - condensed milk. Forget chocolate, condensed milk is the godsend ingredient that will make anything and everything taste good. And this dessert was of no exception, so do give it a try. 

The way to eat this is to mix all the components into a watery soup and then sharing it with others; 2 people per bowl is ideal, or so I’ve heard, and then have some fun fishing out chewy pieces of tteok (chewy rice cake) from deep within your bowl.

I’m going to include a recipe for tteok and paht (adzuki bean paste) in this post, should you not be able to find some that’s ready-made:

RICE FLOUR BALLS:

[ 1/3 cup water + 1 cup sweet rice flour (chapssalgaru 찹쌀가루) ]

Boil 1/3 cup of water, stir in 1 cup of sweet rice flour and knead several times (A dough attachment is especially useful)

Roll into a big round ball and pat into a 1-inch thick square.

Cut into 1cm cubes and boil in water until they float, then roll the balls in some glutinous flour mixed with icing sugar to prevent them from sticking to one another.

Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to make them firm but slightly chewy.

RED BEAN PASTE:

[ 1 cup adzuki bean (pat 팥) + 4-5 cups of water + pinch of salt + 3 tablespoon sugar ]

1 cup of dried red beans will make a little more than 2 cups of sweet red beans. Each serving of patbingsu needs ½ cup of sweet red beans.

Rinse and strain 1 cup of red beans and place them in a thick-bottomed pot.

Add 4 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to simmer for 1 hour.

Open the lid and check if the beans are cooked well or not. The beans should be crushed easily. Chew a sample of the beans. If there is something hard when you chew, you need to cook longer.

After all that’s done, all you need to do is shave some ice, cut up the fruits and assemble.

PATBINGSOO (팥빙수):

[ 1 pint ice + 1 cup red bean paste + 2 tablespoon (or to taste) condensed milk + 3 tablespoon sweet rice flour + chopped fruits for garnish (kiwi, banana, strawberries, mango, etc) ]

Shave the ice into a pile in a bowl. It’s best to use an electric ice shaver instead of trying to do this by hand.

Trickle the condensed milk evenly over the ice. 

Distribute small scoops of red bean paste around the pile of ice.

Now sprinkle bits of the rice flour balls and pieces of fruit (your choice).

Mix it all up and dive right in with your spoon(s).

RICE FLOUR BALLS:

[ 1/3 cup water + 1 cup sweet rice flour (chapssalgaru 찹쌀가루) ]

1. Boil 1/3 cup of water, stir in 1 cup of sweet rice flour and knead several times (A dough attachment is especially useful)
2. Roll into a big round ball and pat into a 1-inch thick square.
3. Cut into 1cm cubes and boil in water until they float, then roll the balls in some glutinous flour mixed with icing sugar to prevent them from sticking to one another.
4. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to make them firm but slightly chewy.

RED BEAN PASTE:

[ 1 cup adzuki bean (pat 팥) + 4-5 cups of water + pinch of salt + 3 tablespoon sugar ]

1 cup of dried red beans will make a little more than 2 cups of sweet red beans. Each serving of patbingsu needs ½ cup of sweet red beans.

1. Rinse and strain 1 cup of red beans and place them in a thick-bottomed pot.
2. Add 4 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to simmer for 1 hour.
3. Open the lid and check if the beans are cooked well or not. The beans should be crushed easily. Chew a sample of the beans. If there is something hard when you chew, you need to cook longer.
4. After all that’s done, all you need to do is shave some ice, cut up the fruits and assemble.

PATBINGSOO (팥빙수):

[ 1 pint ice + 1 cup red bean paste + 2 tablespoon (or to taste) condensed milk + 3 tablespoon sweet rice flour + chopped fruits for garnish (kiwi, banana, strawberries, mango, etc) ]

1. Shave the ice into a pile in a bowl. It’s best to use an electric ice shaver instead of trying to do this by hand.
2. Trickle the condensed milk evenly over the ice. 
3. Distribute small scoops of red bean paste around the pile of ice.
4. Now sprinkle bits of the rice flour balls and pieces of fruit (your choice).
5. Mix it all up and dive right in with your spoon(s).

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       376 notes
  patbingsoo  patbingsu  food  dessert  korean food  hansik  food blog  cooking blog  recipe blog  

There are many variations to Lee Sung Min’s Hansik, but whichever you choose to make, always remember that there is no messing around with Korean red pepper powder.

I’ve always thought I could handle spicy food really well - maybe even too well, but a little restrain and self-control is needed when you’re dealing with this red gunpowder.

Always, always start with the smallest amount of gochugaru, because once you’ve put too much the whole batch could become inedible. I’d say 1/2 cup is a safe bet (I put 1 cup in mine). Oh and when tossing the cabbage, make sure you put on a pair of gloves because the pickling mixture can really irritate your skin. Only after all these safety precautions are taken care o should you commence with making some kimchi, because being sensible doesn’t hurt.

In any case, today this first time kimchi-maker has just made an airtight container full of kimchi and watched an episode of Running Man - I feel like a Korean ahjumma. So here’s ahjumma sharing a kimchi recipe with Janey and the Sungmin stans and others out there. 

Other Hansik Series (6 members down, 4 more to go):

Choi SiWon’s Pajeon (Scallion Pancakes)

Lee (EunHyuk) HyukJae’s Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef & Vegetables)

Kim (YehSung) JongWoon’s Dak Kang Jung (Crispy Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce)

Kim RyeoWook & Cho KyuHyun’s approximation to Bibimpab; Kongnamul Bap (Beansprout Rice)

BAECHU KIMCHI (recipe adapted from Eating & Living)

VEGETABLES:

[ 1 napa cabbage (about 6 pounds) + 1 cup coarse sea salt + 5 cups of water + 1-2 carrots, cut into matchsticks + 3 - 4 scallions, sliced diagonally ]

In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup of salt in 5 cups of water. 

Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters.

This step is usually done by cutting the stem end in half only about 3 - 4 inches in. Then, slowly pull apart to separate into two pieces by hand. 

Do the same for each half to make quarters. Running the knife through all the way would unnecessarily cut off the cabbage leaves.

Thoroughly bathe each cabbage quarter in the saltwater one at a time, shake off excess water back into the bowl, and then transfer to another bowl. 

Using the other 1/2 cup of salt and starting from the outermost leaf, generously sprinkle salt over the thick white part of each leaf.  Try to salt all the cabbage quarters with 1/2 cup salt, but you can use a little more if needed. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage quarters. 

Pour the remaining salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Set aside for about 1 - 2 hours, rotating the bottom ones to the top every half an hour. 

The cabbages should be ready to be washed when the white parts are easily bendable. Rinse thoroughly 3 times, especially between the white parts of the leaves. Drain well, cut side down.  

Meanwhile, prepare the other seasoning ingredients for the pickling paste.

PICKLING PASTE:

[ *Flour paste (1 tablespoon glutinous rice powder + 1/2 cup water, simmered over low heat until it thickens to a thin paste and cooled) + 1/2 cup Korean red chili pepper flakes, gochugaru (adjust to taste)  + 1/4 cup saeujeot (salted shrimp), finely minced + 3 tablespoons myulchiaekjeot (fish sauce) + 3 tablespoons minced garlic, about 5 cloves + 1 teaspoon grated ginger + 1-2 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 cup water ]

Mix all the seasoning ingredients, including the rice paste and water, well. Set aside while preparing the other ingredients (cut the carrots and spring onions) in order for the red pepper flakes to dissolve slightly and become pasty.

Transfer the paste to a large bowl and combine with the carrot matchsticks and scallion slices.

At this step, it is recommended that you wear a pair of surgical rubber gloves, unless you want spice burns all over your hand. 

Mix well by [gloved] hand. Taste a little bit. It should be a little too salty to eat as is. Add salt, more salted shrimp or fish sauce, if necessary.

Cut off the tough stem part from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold the leaves together. Place one cabbage quarter in the bowl with the pickling paste.

Spread the pickling paste over each leaf, one to two tablespoons for large leaves. (Eyeball the stuffing into 4 parts and use one part for each cabbage quarter.) Make sure to spread the paste in between the leaves too.

Fold the leaf part of the cabbage over toward the stem and nicely wrap with the outermost leaf before placing it, cut side up, in a jar or airtight container. Repeat with the remaining cabbages.

Once all the cabbages are in the jar or airtight container, press down hard to remove air pockets. Rinse the pickling paste bowl with 1/2 cup of water and pour over the kimchi

The gloves can now come off. 

Leave it out at room temperature for a full day or two, depending on how fast you want your kimchi to ripen. Then, store in the fridge.

Although you can start eating it any time, kimchi needs about two weeks in the fridge to fully develop the flavors. It maintains great flavor and texture for several weeks. 

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       72 notes
  food  hansik  kimchi  lee sung min  pickles  super junior  korean food  

I was never one to urge people to try out food or recipes, because I know first hand that it can be very annoying. But that’s about to change right now. You absolutely have to try this dish at least once in your life, be it homemade or in your nearest Korean restaurant. I was skeptical at first because it contained a ridiculous amount of beansprouts (which I hate - I’ve always thought that they have a bitter taste), but I was a goner from the first bite. I made this to continue my Hansik post for the 10 Super Junior members and this is for the Cho Kyuhyun & Kim Ryeowook stans out there (I can almost hear the fangirls purging their Tumblr after what Wook tweeted [promptly ignore this part if you don’t know what I’m talking about]).

I know their Hansik was the bibimbap, but since there’s no gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) here and it involves making a myriad of banchans, I decided to make its simpler and more humble “cousin. Serve it with a sunny-side up and don’t be bashful with the yangnyumjang sauce. Oh, and make sure you mix the rice, sauce and egg thoroughly before digging in!

Other Hansik Series (5 members down, 5 more to go):

Choi Siwon’s Pajeon (Scallion Pancakes)

Lee (Eunhyuk) Hyukjae’s Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef & Vegetables)

Kim (Yesung) Jongwoon’s Dak Kang Jung (Crispy Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce)

KONGNAMUL BAP:

[ 3/4 cup rice + 3/4 cup water + 1 3/4 cup beansprouts + 1/2 cup ground beef (substitute with shiitake mushrooms to make a vegetarian version) + 1 teaspoon sesame oil + 1 teaspoon soy sauce + ground black pepper to taste ]

Season the minced beef with sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper. Mix and set aside.

Wash and rinse the beansprouts. Pick out the brown and wilted ones.

Wash and rinse the rice until the water becomes clear.

Put in a heavy-based saucepan with the water. Leave to sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the Yangnyumjang sauce:

YANGNYUMJANG SAUCE:

[ 1/3 cup soy sauce + 2 cloves of garlic, minced + 1-2 stalks of green onion, chopped + 2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (or to taste - go easy on the pepper if you’re still a novice spice eater)  + 1 teaspoon honey + 1 teaspoon sesame oil + 1/2 of an onion, chopped + 1-2 green chili pepper, chopped + 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds ]

Put everything in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

After the time has passed, put the beansprouts on top of the soaked rice. Spread the seasoned meat on top of the bean sprouts.

Close the lid and bring to a boil over medium high heat for 10 minutes. After boiling, turn it over with a rice scoop and mix all the ingredients well.

Lower the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes with the lid closed.

Serve hot with a sunny side up and the yangnyumjang sauce. Have some sesame oil on the side so people can adjust it to their taste.

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       156 notes
  kongnamulbap  bean sprouts  rice  korean  cho kyuhyun  kim ryeowook  hansik  super junior  korean food  

This is probably one of the easiest and fuss-free food (aside from the kimchi, but that doesn’t really count because there isn’t really any cooking involved) in the list of Hansiks. Dak Kang Jung, or spicy candied fried chicken, is almost like the Korean version of buffalo wings, sans the hot sauce and bleu cheese accompaniment. I traded the wings for pieces of chicken breast because those were the ones I had on hand. I also halved the recipe and then further halved (therefore quartered) the amount of honey used because I was apprehensive that it might turn out a bit too sweet for my liking. So here it is, with just a tiny bit of trepidation, Super Junior member Kim Jong-Woon (Yesung)’s Hansik - fried pieces of chicken coated in sweet and spicy glaze/sauce.

Dak Kang Jung (original recipe from Maangchi) = Chicken Tenders + Sweet & Spicy Glaze

Chicken Tenders:

[1/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch + 1 large egg + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 teaspoon ground red chili pepper + 4 chicken breasts, cut into strips or pieces + canola oil for frying]

In a large bowl, mix the  spices into the chicken until evenly coated. Add in the flour and cornflour and coat all pieces. 

Add in the egg and mix into the chicken pieces until they’re all coated in the batter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken pieces in batches.

**The original recipe called for frying the pieces twice - 15 minutes for the first fry and about 10 minutes for the second.

Drain the pieces well and set aside.

Sweet & Spicy Glaze:

[1/2 cup water + a 7 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced + 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce + 1/2 cup packed brown sugar + 3 tablespoons rice vinegar + 1/4 cup light corn syrup or honey]

In a large pot or wok, bring to a boil the water, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and corn or rice syrup.

Let cook until the mixture becomes syrupy and thick, and starts to foam. It should be about as thick as honey.

Assembly:

[fried chicken pieces + sweet & spicy glaze + 2 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds + 1/3 cup roasted peanuts] OPTIONAL: 1/2 tablespoon red chili flakes.

Keep the sauce on medium-low until it’s time to toss in the chicken pieces.

Stir in the cooked chicken, peanuts, sesame seeds, and chili flakes (if using), and toss until completely coated.

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       175 notes
  dakkangjung  chicken  korean  food  hansik  yesung  kim jongwoon  food photography  food blog  korean food  

The current time is 3:30AM and I’m still very much awake. These bouts of insomnia are pretty hard to shake off so I thought I might as well do something productive with the time, and so here comes the second post of Hansik week - ambassador Lee Hyukjae (“Eunhyuk”)’s favourite Korean food, Japchae.

Having been done at 12:14AM, the post exemplifies all the reasons as to why I’ve always avoided doing a post after the sun has gone down. Sunlight really does make all the difference, especially when you don’t own professional tools to compensate for it’s absence. But let’s get back to the food. The noodles used in japchae are called “dangmyeon”; it’s made from sweet potato starch and turns translucent when cooked rather than white as in the case of rice noodles and as you scroll further down, you’ll notice that I used the latter - the main reason being I couldn’t find the dangmyeon. I’m fully aware that I can no longer call this Japchae, but I’m going ask you to pretend that dangmyeon was used in this and just go with it, pretty please?

Japchae = Noodles + Stir-fried vegetables and meat.

Japchae:

- Noodles:
[ 5 oz dangmyeon (Korean potato starch noodles)  + 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus more for drizzling + 5 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoons sesame seeds ]

- Stir fried Vegetables & Meat:

[1/4 lb sirloin beef tips or rib eye steak +  1/2 lb Korean spinach + 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 small onion + 1 large carrot (or 2 smaller ones)  + 6 dried shiitake, reconstituted in water]

Peel and cut the vegetables into matchsticks. Cut the meat into strips and set aside.

Cook the sweet-potato noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions, 4 to 6 minutes.

Immediately drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water and put into a bowl.

**Be sure not to overcook the noodles, or they will lose their chewy texture.

** If you like, cut the noodles with scissors into 6- to 7-inch lengths for easier eating.

Add in the sesame oil and soy sauce and toss together until evenly coated.

Blanch the spinach in boiling water.

Rinse immediately under cold water, squeeze the water from the leaves and form into a ball and chop the spinach roughly. Set aside.

Heat some oil in a skillet or frying pan and sautee the carrots. Set aside.

Do the same to the onion slices until it turns translucent. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the beef, 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and transfer to a plate.

Assembly:

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the noodles, beef mixture, spinach, vegetables.

Add soy sauce and sesame oil and some sugar, if you like, to your taste. 

Serve warm, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       32 notes
  dangmyeon  food  japchae  korean  noodles  eunhyuk  lee hyukjae  hansik  super junior  food photography  food blog  korean food  

In translation, ”jeon” (pronounced jun) is the actual batter and “pa” means scallions in Korean. Originally, this dish is made up of only scallions along with flour and eggs but variations can exist by simply adding other ingredients such as seafood or kimchi, thus giving rise to the different names that it goes by. Along with the basic recipe, I’m also including a step-by-step for seafood or Hae-Mul Pajeon. Pa-jeon is usually eaten on a rainy day, accompanied by a bottle of maekgoli (rice wine) - it is exceptionally popular amongst students and businessmen, for apparent and obvious reasons. I made this as a prelude to “Hansik Week” in honour of the current Hansik ambassadors, Korean band Super Junior, for their recent album reaching #6 in the United World Chart. In any case, this is member Choi Si-Won’s “hansik” - 10 members ; 1 down, 9 more (hopefully) to go!

Basic Pa-Jeon (recipe from TheKitchn, I halved the recipe and it made 3 medium sized pancakes): 

[1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 cup cold water + 1 egg + A bunch of scallions + vegetable oil]

Prep Work:

Clean and cut your scallions.

 **To get different textures, I halved my scallions, chopped half finely and cut the other as long spindles. This step is not required but will somewhat add to the aesthetics, I guess.

Making the batter:

 In a large bowl, mix the flour and water together, then beat in the egg. The batter should have the same consistency as pancake batter.

 Add in half of the chopped scallions and stir. Season with salt, pepper (I used white pepper) and chilli powder, if you like.

Heat a griddle, skillet, or frying pan over medium high heat and add a thin layer of oil to the bottom.

Pour about 3 ladles of batter into the skillet in a circle 

Sprinkle over a few of the set aside scallions and let cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned.

Flip and brown the other side, pressing down with a spatula to make sure all surfaces contact the skillet.

Remove the pancake to a plate.

Wipe the skillet with the oily paper towel and repeat with the rest of the batter, laying the pancakes on top of each other as they finish and holding them warm.

 Hae-Mul Pa-Jeon:

[Basic Pa-Jeon recipe + 1 1/2 cup mixed fresh seafood of your choice]

Follow the basic pa-jeon recipe and Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of chopped squid, shrimp or other seafood over the batter as you make each pancake.

Flip and brown the other side, pressing down with a spatula to make sure all surfaces contact the skillet.

Remove the pancake to a plate.

Wipe the skillet with the oily paper towel and repeat with the rest of the batter, laying the pancakes on top of each other as they finish and holding them warm.

To serve:

Cut all pancakes into 8-piece wedges and serve with the dipping sauce (recipe below).

Dipping Sauce:

[¼ cup soy sauce + ½ tablespoon white vinegar  + 1 stalk scallion, minced + 1 clove garlic, minced + ½ teaspoon sugar + 1 teaspoon sesame oil] OPTIONAL: ½ tsp Korean dried hot chili pepper flakes.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with pancakes.

Enjoy!

  1 year ago       114 notes
  choi siwon  food  haemul pajeon  hansik  korean  pajeon  scallion  scallion pancake  siwon  super junior  food photography  food blog  korean food