Korean Traditional Noodle Soup

Sujebi 수제비

Sujebi or milgaru ddeudeo guk ([milɡaɾu t͈ɯːdʌɡuk], North Korea) is a Korean traditional soup consisting of dough flakes roughly torn by hand, with various vegetables. The flavor and recipe resemble kalguksu, except that the latter is made with noodles rather than wheat flakes. It is commonly considered a dish to consume on rainy days, along with bindaetteok.

The broth for sujebi is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish, and kelp. In order to obtain a rich, umami flavor, the ingredients should be simmered for many hours. Added to this broth are soft noodles and various vegetables or kimchi, most often zucchini and potatoes.

Korean people began to eat sujebi and guksu (국수 noodles), both dishes made of wheat flour, from the early Goryeo period (935~1392), but the namesujebi (earlier sujeop-eo) dates from the mid Joseon period. Sujeop-eo is a combined hanja word comprising the terms su (hanja: 手; hangul: 수; literally "hand") and jeop (hanja: 摺; hangul: 접어 or 접다; literally "folded" or "folding").

From the Joseon period, people started making various types of sujeobi according to various purposes. Sujebi is today considered a typical commoner's food, but in the past, it was relatively rare and used for special occasions especially janchi (잔치; feast, banquet) such as dol janchi (the celebration of a baby's first birthday).

In North Korea, sujebi is called milgaru ddeudeo guk (밀가루뜨더국), which is the words comprising three words: milgaru (밀가루; literally "wheat flour") + ddeudeo (뜯어; literally "tearing" or "torn") guk (국; literally "soup").

The names of sujebi vary according to regions in Korea.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour
½ teaspoon of  salt
1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
12 large dried anchovies, removed the heads and guts
Dried kelp (about 4 or 5 inches on each side)
1 stalk of green onion, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
½ cup of onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon of fish sauce
1 Tablespoon of soup soy sauce (If it’s not available, replace it with 1-2 teaspoons of salt according to your taste)
1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Water

Directions:

1. Combine  the flour, ¾ cup water, salt, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Knead by hand for 10-15 minutes until the dough gets softer and sticks together firmly.
2. Put the dough into a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator.
   Tip: Using a food processor is very convenient and saves time. If you use a food processor, use the dough blade and knead all the above ingredients for 1 minute until the dough sticks together and gets lumpy.
Let’s make stock:
1. Place 10 cups of water in a large pot. Add  dried kelp and  dried anchovies
2. Bring it to a boil for 20 minutes over medium high heat, then lower the heat to simmer for another 20 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off and take the anchovies and kelp out.
4. Add the potato, onion, and garlic to the pot and boil 10-15 minutes over medium high heat.
5. Cut the cooked kelp into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
6. Open the pot and add fish sauce, soup soy sauce (or salt), and the kelp strips.

Now it’s time to make noodles!

1. Put the dough in your left hand, and pull and stretch it with your right. Get it as thin as you can. Then tear it into bite sized pieces with your right. Drop it into the boiling soup. Repeat this until the dough runs out.
   Tip: If you make more than 4 servings’ worth, tearing the dough may take too long. So all family members should work together.
2. Close the lid and cook for a couple of minutes to let the noodles cook. The noodles will float on the surface when cooked properly.
3. Add the green onion and sesame oil
4. Transfer to a bowl and serve hot with kimchi.

Dae-bak! 대박!