Korean Side Dish (White Kimchi)

Baek Kimchi 백김치

Baek kimchi (literally "white kimchi") is a variety of kimchi made without the chili pepper powder commonly used for fermenting kimchi in Korean cuisine. Baek kimchi has a mild and clean flavor, which appeals to children and the elderly, to whom the regular kimchi might be too spicy. Baek kimchi consists of salted baechu (cabbage), mu (radish), minari, spring onions, Korean pear, chestnuts, jujube, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, and a little bit of shredded chili pepper as garnish.

Baek kimchi's mild flavor and crunchy texture makes it a good appetizer when people order main dishes based on beef such as galbi or bulgogi at Korean restaurants. It is also used as a wrap for baek kimchi bossam.

Ingredients:

1 large napa cabbage (3 pounds’ worth)
⅓ cup, 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
½ pound Korean radish (or daikon) cut into matchsticks
¼ cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
¾ cup buchu (Asian chives), cut into 1 inch pieces
3 jujubes, seeded, cut into thin strips
2 fresh chestnuts, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons pine nuts
½ of red bell pepper (1/3 cup’s worth), cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
1 medium Korean pear (2 cups’s worth), peeled and cored
4 garlic cloves
½ cup onion
1 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

Salt the cabbage:

1. Cut the cabbage in half, then cut a slit through the core 2 inches above the stem, so the leaves are loosened but still attached.
2. Rinse the halves under running water, or soak them in a basin for a few seconds until all the leaves are wet.
3. Put the halves in a large basin and sprinkle 1/3 cup of salt evenly between the leaves. Let them sit for  1½ to 2 hours, turning them over every 20 minutes.
4. Rinse the cabbage under cold running water a couple of times to get rid of any dirt or salt. Split each half under the running water, to divide the cabbage into quarters. Cut out the remainder of the core. Drain and set aside.

Make the vegetable fillings:

1. Combine radish, carrot, jujubes, chives, chestnuts, and red bell pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

Make seasoning mix for brine:

1. Blend pear, garlic, onion, and ginger in a food processor until creamy. Set aside.

Make brine:

1. Mix 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of salt in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir it well until the salt is thoroughly dissolved.
2. Put the blended seasoning mix into a cotton pouch, or wrap it a couple times in cheesecloth, and put it into the bowl of brine. Press it down with a spoon so the delicious blended flavors seep through. Squeeze it a bit and stir the brine for a while. Remove the pouch.

Make kimchi:

1. Spread the vegetable fillings between each leaf of the cabbage. Fold the stuffed cabbage quarters over and put them into a container, glass jar, or Korean earthenware pot.
2. Pour the brine over the kimchi so it’s submerged.
3. Cover and let sit at room temperature until it starts fermenting, which should be between 1½ to 3 days depending on how warm your room is. A warmer room will ferment faster. Just keep an eye on the kimchi and taste it now and then: when the brine turns sour, it’s fermenting.
4. Move it to the fridge, which will slow down the fermentation process. It will keep for about 1 month. Serve cold.

So easy to do!!~ Try it~ (✿◠‿◠)

Korean Side Dish (Radish Kimchi)

Kkakdugi 깍두기

Kkakdugi is a variety of kimchi in Korean cuisine. Usually, it has all the ingredients of kimchi, but the baechu (hangul: 배추; Napa cabbage) used for kimchi is replaced with Korean white radish (called mu, 무 in Korean). Kkakdugi is a popular banchan (side dish) enjoyed by Koreans and others.

The origin of kkakdugi is mentioned in a cookbook named Joseon yorihak (조선요리학 朝鮮料理學, literally "Korean Gastronomy") written by Hong Seon-pyo (홍선표) in 1940. According to the book, kkakdugi was created by Princess Sukseon (숙선옹주 淑善翁主), a daughter of King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) and the wife of Hong Hyeon-ju (홍현주 洪 顯周), a high-ranking government officer titled as Yeongmyeongwi (영명위 永明慰). When a matter for congratulation happened to the royal court, members of the royal family gathered to have a feast, and the princess presented a new dish made with diced radish to the king. He highly praised it and asked her about the dish's name. She replied that the dish did not have a name because she had accidentally made it, but found that it tasted good, so she brought in the new dish to the court. The king replied that the dish would be named kkakdugi because cutting food into cubes is called ggakduk sseolgi (깍둑썰기) in Korean. At that time, kkakdugi was called gakdokgi (각독기 刻毒氣) and then became spread over commoners.

Kkakdugi consists of radish cut into small cubes. The radish is flavored with salt, red chili powder, spring onions, and ginger.

The radish and the other ingredients are mixed together and then traditionally stored in a jangdok (hangul: 장독) or onggi (hangul: 옹기, hanja: 甕器), both names which refer to a large earthenware pot. Fermentation takes about two weeks in a cool, and dry place.

Kkakdugi is served cold and is usually consumed when the radish is crisp. This is before the radish becomes soft. Kkakdugi, along with other types of kimchi, is a popular dish in Korea and is believed to share many of the health benefits of kimchi, due to the fermentation process.

Ingredients:

Korean radish (or daikon)

salt

sugar

fish sauce

hot pepper flakes

green onions

garlic

ginger

Directions:

1. Peel 4 pounds of Korean radish (or daikon).
2. Rinse in cold water and pat dry.
3. Cut it into ¾ to 1 inch cubes. Put into a large bowl.
4. Add 2 tbs salt, 2 tbs sugar, and mix well.
   *tip: If you like your kkakdugi sweeter, add 1 or more extra tbs of sugar.
5. Set aside for 30 minutes.
6. Drain the juice from the radish into a small bowl.
7. Add 2 tbs minced garlic (about 5-6 cloves garlic), 1 ts minced ginger, 4 stalks of chopped green onions, ¼ cup fish sauce, 2/3 cup hot pepper flakes, and ⅓ cup of the juice from the radish.
   *tip: The amount of hot pepper flakes you use depends on your taste; use ¼ cup hot pepper flakes for a mild version. For a vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with soy sauce.
8. Mix it up well until the seasonings coat the radish cubes evenly, and the radish looks juicy.
9. Put the kkakdugi into a glass jar and press down on the top of it to remove any air from between the radish cubes.
10. You can eat it right away, and then store it in the refrigerator. Or you can let it ferment by keeping it outside of the refrigerator for a few days. When it starts fermenting, little bubbles may appear on top of the kkakdugi and it’ll smell strong & sour. Then put it in the refrigerator.

I'm hungryyy ≧☉_☉≦

Korean Side Dish (Soybean Sprout)

Kongnamul-muchim 콩나물무침

Kongnamul, an example of Korean cuisine, refers to a seasoned banchan (side dish) made from soybean sprouts, as well as being a term for the sprouts themselves in the Korean language. It is one of the most common banchan, as well as a basic ingredient of bibimbap.

The exact origins of kongnamul is unknown, but it is assumed that it has been eaten since the Three Kingdom Period or early Goryeo era. Records ofkongnamul can be found in the document from the Goryeo era, Hyangyak Gugeupbang (hangul: 향약구급방, hanja: 鄕藥救急方) where cultivation of the sprouts are mentioned; when Taejo of Goryeo was founding the country, the soldiers were saved from starving by growing bean sprouts in nearby streams.

In the Joseon era document Sallim gyeongje (hangul: 산림경제, hanja: 山林經濟), cooking methods are mentioned, and in another Joseon era document Seonghosaseol (hangul: 성호사설, hanja: 星湖僿說) it is said that the poor used kongnamul to make juk. Kongnamul is again mentioned in Cheongjanggwanjeonseo (hangul: 청장관전서, hanja: 靑莊館全書) as the main food consumed during famine.

After roots and the bean skin are removed, the sprouts are boiled. Drained sprouts are then seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, minced garlic, and a sprinkle of chili powder.

Ingredients:

1 pound of soybean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, chopped
½ teaspoon of hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fish sauce (or soup soy sauce, or salt)
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Place soybean sprouts in a pot. Add the salt and ½ cup of water and cover. Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Put the cooked soybean sprouts in a mixing bowl. Add garlic, hot pepper flakes, green onion, fish sauce, sesame seeds, and sesame oil and mix by hand.
3. Transfer to a serving plate.
4. Serve as a side dish to rice.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Let's eat!~ 

Korean Steak Tartare

Yukhoe 육회

Yukhoe refers to a variety of hoe (raw dishes in Korean cuisine), which are usually made from raw ground beef seasoned with various spices or sauces. It is basically a Korean steak tartare. Usually the most tender part of beef will be used. The beef is thinly julienned with the fat removed, then mixed with seasoning.

For the seasoning, soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil, spring onion, minced garlic, sesame seeds, black pepper and julienned bae (Korean pear) are used. A raw egg yolk is usually added, either on top of the dish or separately. Pine nuts may be added, as well.

Yukhoe can be also made with other variety meats, such as liver, kidney, heart, cheonyeop, or yang, in which case the dish is called gaphoe (Hangul: 갑회, hanja: 甲膾). The ingredients are thoroughly cleaned and salted, then rinsed and dried to remove unpleasant odors. Gaphoe is usually seasoned with sesame oil, salt and pepper, and is served with a spicy mustard sauce.

Yukhoe is assumed to have been introduced from China into Korea during the Mongol conquests in Goryeo period, and was popularized in the Joseon era. According to the 19th century cookbook Siuijeonseo (Hangul: 시의전서, hanja: 是議全書), thin slices of tender beef are soaked to remove blood before being finely shredded. The shredded beef is then marinated in a mixed sauce of chopped spring onion, minced garlic, pepper, oil, honey, pine nuts, sesame, and salt. Its dipping sauce, chogochujang (Hangul: 초고추장), chili pepper condiment mixed with vinegar and sugar) can be altered to taste, with pepper or honey.

Meat in Korean cuisine has highly detailed classifications regarding freshness, quality, and part differentiation for specific cooking methods. Sinceyukhoe uses raw beef, freshness is the most important criterion, and for this typical dish's beef it is recommended to use no more than one day after defrosting, and traditionally should not be aged more than one day after slaughtering. Regular Korean yukhoe customers often patronize trusted restaurants or butcher's shops which have well-known, high-quality beef distributors.

Since 2004, the Korean Government has run the Beef Traceability System. This system requires ID numbers with the age of the beef animal of origin, supplier, distributor, the beef's grade, and butchering date and originating butchery. Most of the good beef restaurants in Korea list their beef's information on the wall. Also, butcher shops post signs saying, "New beef coming day ( Hangul : 소 들어오는 날 )": These words have become a well-known idiom in Korea. and it means newly butchered beef supplied at the day.

Raw beef can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, with enterohemorrhagic E. coli (O111 or O157:H7) being of particular concern. But only by freshness of beef, the risk can be reduced.

Ingredients:

½ pound of fresh filet minon (tenderloin) or fresh beef flank steak

Korean pear

soy sauce

honey (or sugar)

sesame oil

garlic

ground black pepper

salt

sugar

roasted sesame seeds

pine nuts

Directions:

Steak Preparation:

1. Slice the beef into pieces ⅛ inch thin, and then cut it thinly again to make small match sticks. Keep it in the fridge.
2. Mix 2 cups of cold water with 1 ts sugar in a bowl. Julienne the pear into 1 cup’s worth of matchsticks. Add it to the sugar water to keep the pear from going brown.

Make sauce:

1. Mix 6 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1 tbs of honey, 2 tbs of sesame oil, and ¼ ts of ground black pepper in a bowl.

Put it together:

1. Combine the beef with the seasoning sauce and 2 ts of sesame seeds.
2. Strain the pear and place it on the bottom of a serving plate and add the seasoned beef over top.
3. Sprinkle several pine nuts over top and serve as a side dish with rice or with alcohol.

Doneeeee!!~ ≧◔◡◔≦

Korea's Traditional Rice Cake

Songpyeon 송편

Songpyeon is a traditional Korean food made of glutinous rice. It is a type of tteok, consisting of small rice cakes traditionally eaten during the Korean autumn harvest festival, Chuseok. They have become a popular symbol of traditional Korean culture. Songpyeon are half-moon-shaped rice cakes that contain different kinds of sweet or semi-sweet fillings, such as sesame seeds and honey, sweet red bean paste, and chestnut paste steamed over a layer of pine needles, which gives them the fragrant smell of fresh pine trees. They were made into various shapes with the participation of family members and were often exchanged between neighbors.

The earliest records of songpyeon date from the Goryeo period.

Song means pine tree, and pyon means steamed rice cake. The tteok is used in ancestral rites and celebration.

Ingredients:

Frozen rice flour

salt

water

sesame seeds

sesame oil

dried and skinned mung beans

brown sugar

white sugar

pine needles

mugwort powder (ssook garu in Korean)

strawberry Jell-o powder

Directions:

Make the dough:

1. Prepare a package of rice powder (2 lbs) usually sold frozen at a Korean grocery store. Just before using it, you must thaw it until the powder is at room temperature.
2. Put rice powder through a sifter to make the powder fine.Tip: If your rice powder is very fine, you can skip sifting. If your rice powder is coarse, you may have to grind it with a food processor or coffee grinder before sifting.
3. Prepare 3 stainless bowls and put 1 cup of finely sifted rice powder into the each bowl. (Bowl A, B, and C)
4. Boil 2 cups of water for your rice dough.
5. Bowl A (white songpyeon): add a pinch of salt and 3 tbs of boiling water and mix it with a wooden spoon. (it’ll be too hot if you use your hands at first) Knead the rice dough for about 5 minutes. Put the dough into a plastic bag and set it aside.
6. Bowl B (pink songpyeon): add a pinch of salt, a pinch of strawberry Jell-o powder, and 3 tbs of boiling water. Mix it with a wooden spoon and knead the rice dough for about 5 minutes. Put the dough into a plastic bag and set it aside.
7. Bowl C (green songpyeon): add a pinch of salt, 1 ts of ssookgaru(mugwort power) and 3.5 tbs boiling water. Mix it with a wooden spoon and knead the rice dough for about 5 minutes. Put the dough into a plastic bag and set it aside.Tip: You will need to add 3.5 tbs of water because of  the 1 ts of ssookgaru.

Make the filling:

Roasted sesame seeds powder filling:

1. Grind ¼ cup of roasted sesame seeds using a coffee grinder for 15-20 seconds.
2. Transfer the ground sesame powder into a small bowl and mix it with ¼ cup of brown sugar and a pinch of salt.Tip: if you grind too long, the powder will become sticky from the oil in the seeds.

Mung bean powder filling:

1. Wash and drain ¼ cup of dried and skinned mung beans and put them in a pot with a thick bottom.
2. Add ¼ cup of water and a pinch of salt to the pot and simmer it for 30 minutes.Tip: Be sure not to burn it – simmer over the lowest heat.
3. Open the pot and use your wooden spoon to crush the beans into fine powder.Tip: if you make more than ¼ cup of mung bean powder, you may have to use your grinder or food processor to grind it finely.
4. Transfer the crushed mung bean powder into a small bowl or container and wait until it cools down.
5. Add ¼ cup of white sugar and mix it. That’s it!

Let’s make songpyeon now!

1. Break off a piece of rice dough about 1 inch in diameter and roll it between your palms to make a rice ball. Then press your thumb in the center of the ball to make it shaped like a cup.
2. Fill the cup with either sesame filling or mung bean filling using a small spoon, and seal it using your thumb and index fingers.
3. Place all the raw rice cakes (songpyeon) on a plate.
4. Wash your pine needles thoroughly with a little dish soap. Towel dry them.
5. Put some water (4 cups) into a steamer and boil it. When it starts boiling, place a damp cotton cloth on the bottom of the steamer tray.
6. Make a bed of pine needles on the wet cloth and put the raw songpyeon on top. Put more pine needles on top of the songpyeon, too.Tip: Pine needles stop the songpyeon from sticking together and give them a good flavor. 
7. Steam it for 25 minutes over medium high heat.
8. Prepare some cold water in a large bowl, and drop in a little sesame oil.
9. Dump your steamed songpyeon into to the cold water and quickly remove pine needles. Take them out, put them on a plate to serve.

(>‿◠)✌

Korean Pancake (Kimchi)

Kimchijeon 김치전

Kimchijeon or kimchi jeon is a variety of jeon, or Korean pancake-like dish, primarily made with sliced kimchi, flour batter and sometimes other vegetables. However, meat (ground pork) is also often added. Kimchi, spicy pickled vegetables seasoned with chili pepper and jeotgal, is a staple in Korean cuisine. The dish is good for using up ripened kimchi. Kimchijeon is often recognized in Korean culture as a folk dish of low profile that anyone could make easily at home with no extra budget.

It is usually served as an appetizer, snack or banchan (side dish).

When preparing kimchijeon, brine from kimchi is often added, especially that of baechu kimchi, made from Napa cabbage. The brine lends its red color to the batter but is not spicy itself. Along with kimchi, it is served as anju with alcoholic beverages such as makgeolli or dongdongju.

Ingredients:

Kimchijeon with chopped kimchi:

Kimchi

onion

salt

sugar

flour

vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, place 1 cup of chopped kimchi, 3 tbs of kimchi juice, 2 tbs chopped onion, ½ ts salt, ½ ts sugar, ½ cup flour (all purpose flour), and ¼ cup of water and mix it well with a spoon.
2. Heat up a 12 inch non-stick pan over medium high heat and drizzle about 2 tbs grape seed oil.
3. Place the mixture of kimchi pancake batter on the pan and spread it thinly and evenly with a spoon.
4. Cook it for 1-1 ½ minutes until the bottom gets golden brown and crispy.
5. Turn it over with a spatula or flip it.
6. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 1½ minutes.
7. Turn it over one more time and cook for 30 seconds before transfering it to a serving plate.
   *tip: Serve it right out of the pan or cool it down and cut it into bite size to serve.

Ingredients:

Kimchijeon with whole kimchi leaves:

Kimchi

ground pork

tofu

onion chives (or green onions)

onion

salt

black ground pepper

sesame oil

egg

flour

grape seed oil

Directions:

Prepare kimchi

1. Prepare 6-7 kimchi leaves (6-7 inches long – 16 cm) and ½ cup flour in a plate.
2. Coat both sides of each kimchi leaf  in the flour by hand.

Make meat mixture

1. In a small bowl, add 2 tbs ground pork (or beef),  2 tbs tofu (after gently squeezing out excess water with a paper towel), 1 ts chopped onion chives (or green onion), 1 tbs chopped onion, a pinch of salt and black ground pepper, 1 ts of sesame oil, and mix the mixture well with a spoon.
2. Set aside.

Make the pancakes

1. Place 1 egg in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt. Beat it with a fork.
2. Add some of the meat-tofu mix on one side of a kimchi stem. Add some flour on top of the mixture.
3. Put some of the meat-tofu mix on the rest of kimchi leaves.
4. Heat up a non-stick pan and add some grape seed oil (or vegetable oil).
5. Coat each kimchi leaf with beaten egg mix and place on the heated pan.
   *tip: the meat mixture should be bottom of the pan
6. When the bottom of the kimchi pancake turns golden brown (1 or 1½ minutes), turn it over and cook another minute.
7. Turn it over one more time and cook another 30 seconds before transfering it to a serving plate.
   *tip: you can serve it as it is or cut it into bite size before serving

Yummm!~ ≥Ö‿Ö≤

Korean Pancake (Green Onion)

Pajeon 파전

Pajeon is a variety of jeon with green onions as its prominent ingredient, as pa literally means 'green/spring onion' in Korean. It is a pancake-like Korean dish made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, green onions, and often other additional ingredients depending on the variety. Beef, pork, kimchi, shellfish, and other seafood are mostly used. If one of these ingredients, such as squid, dominates the jeon, the name will reflect that; oh jing uh jeon is 'squid jeon.'

Pajeon is usually recognizable by the highly visible green onions. It is similar to a Chinese green onion pancake in appearance but is less dense in texture and not made from a dough. It is not to be confused with bindaetteok, which is a mung bean pancake.

In Korean, a seafood pajeon is called haemul pajeon (해물파전). Various seafood are used in the batter and toppings, e.g. oysters, shrimp, squid, clams.

Dongnae pajeon is named after Dongnaesung (동래성), a former fortress in the Joseon Dynasty and now a district in the city of Busan. Dongnae was a prominent battleground during the Imjin War and legend says the people of Dongnae threw green onions while defeating the invading Japanese soldiers. Dongnae pajeon was made in honor of the victory. The dish was also presented at the king's table and became popular when the Dongnae market flourished in the Joseon era. Dongnae pajeon is usually made from a batter of rice flour, glutinous rice flour, eggs, and gochujang. Soft spring onions, beef, clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp and other seafood are also added.

Ingredients:

Green onions

flour

water

soybean paste

sugar

vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Clean, wash, and drain a handful of wild green onions (or about 10 stalks of normal green onion).
2. Cut them into 5 inch long pieces.
3. Make batter by mixing ½ cup flour, ½ cup water, 1 ts soybean paste, and ½ ts sugar in a bowl. Mix well until the batter is smooth.
4. Place a non-stick pan on the stove and heat it up.
5. Add about 3 tbs vegetable oil to the heated pan.
6. Put the green onion on the pan parallel to each other, in the shape of a rectangle.
7. Pour the batter over the green onion evenly.
   *tip: If you want some seafood (chopped squid, mussels or  fresh oysters) in your pancake add it on top of the green onion before pouring the batter.
8. While the pancake is being cooked, keep patting it, pressing it slightly, and keeping it in a nice shape with your spatula.
9. A few minutes later, when the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and golden brown, turn it over.
10. Cook a few more minutes until the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and golden brown again, and flip it or turn it over.
11. Cook another minute and transfer it to a serving plate.
12. Serve hot with sauce.

Sauce:

Mix these ingredients in a small bowl:
2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs vinegar

1 ts sugar or honey

chopped onion

chopped green or red chili peppers

1 ts roasted sesame seeds

~~~≧◉◡◉≦~~~