Taste of Korea.

This is an awesome opportunity to try out Korean dishes.
And it's FREE
Here is the link to information.
http://hansik.org/en
Also
http://www.facebook.com/TasteofKoreaNYC?ref=ts&sk=app_195775240457717#!/TasteofKoreaNYC?sk=info
On Canal Street

Maangchi's Soon dubu jjigae. ( Soft Tofu Stew )

This dish is hard to explain.  It's a seafood stew with beef.  But the star of this dish is soft silken tofu called Soon Dubu.  So delicious!
This recipe is from Youtube megastar Maangchi.
Here is the full recipe with video.  I've made this recipe twice.
It's delicious and I highly recommend it.

* I made one change.  Instead of shrimp I used clams. 

Click  on the following link.

http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/soondubu-jjigae

Jjajangmyun (blackbean noodles)

Jjajangmyeon is a Korean version of Chinese dish.  It's a very common dish served everywhere in Korea.  It's cheap, fast, easy and delicious.

My version is left-over veggies from the fridge and pantry.  This dish has no meat, but traditionally it always has small strips of pork. You can add any type of vegetables.   Potatoes, frozen peas, broccoli and etc.  I personally like it with lots of raw veggies on top.  The crunch adds really nice texture and freshness to the dish.

 

Recipe:

Noodles– I used Soba noodles 'cause that's all I had.  Any kind is fine–even spaghetti works.

Enough for 2 servings.

Vegetables

1/4 diced red peppers

1/2 julienned red peppers

1 small cucumber julienned

1 small carrot julienned

1/2 small onion diced

1 clove garlic chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 scallion diced

1 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

sauce

5 Tbsp of Jjajangmyun sauce (click here to find out where to get it)

1 cup of water

1 tbsp of corn starch

1 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of canola oil

Directions:

In a large skillet or frying pan heat oil:

Saute all the vegetables that are diced.  About 7 to 8 minutes till soft. ( Julienned vegetable will be added raw when the dish is done) 

Also add red pepper flakes.  (optional)

combine water and cornstarch together, make sure all the cornstarch is dissolved.

Add Jjajangmyun sauce to vegetables, 

Stir in water/cornstarch mixture and stir.

Bring to simmer and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

The sauce should be gravy consistency and shiny.

Meanwhile boil noodles until done.

Move to plate or bowl, top it off with generous amount sauce and garnish with lots of raw fresh julienned vegetables and scallion.

Its delicious with kimchi of course!

Kimchi Fried Rice!!!!!

The ultimate Korean comfort food.  My mom and my grandma used to make this for me after school.

Every Koreans have their own version.  Some use butter, some add some leftover meat, some even use lunch meat,  (Spam is always good)  additional vegetable and etc.  This is very basic version.  Add to it whatever turns you on.

Recipe

1 cup of kimchi with some of the juice.  ( I use Kitchen shears to cut kimchi in to small bite size)

11/2 cup of left over rice.

1 fried egg

1 scallion chopped

1 tbsp of canola oil.  (I prefer canola over olive oil.  less flavor.  Most Korean dishes are finished off with drizzle of sesame oil which has a very strong flavor and aroma.

Splash of soy sauce.  (Its like salt, add to taste.)

drizzle of sesame oil.

Directions

On a non stick frying pan heat canola oil.

Add kimchi and let it fry till kimchi is toasted looking.

About 5 minutes.

Add rice and stir well and cooked thru.  6 to 8 minutes.

Add splash of soy sauce and drizzle of sesame oil.

Garnish with scallion move to plate or bowl.

Finish off with 1 fried egg on top.

Its great with miso soup on the side.

Chickpea salad wrap/taco

This is a truly tasty, healthy, and guilt free dish.
Very easy to make.  Make a big batch and have it as a snack, wraps or as a side dish to your meal.
I used a low carb whole wheat tortilla's from Trader Joe's.  I lightly sauteed the tortilla with olive oil
and added the chickpea salad.

Ingredients.

Main star of this dish is the chickpeas.  After that you can add any kind of
veggies you desire.

Here is the list for mine.  I use these veggies because they don't get too soggy
after couple of days in the fridge.

1 can of chick peas (Garbanzo beans)  rinsed.
1 orange bell pepper
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes (Cherry tomatoes are ideal)
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
1/4 of small red onion chopped
1 chopped garlic clove

Dressing.
1 lemon squeezed
Splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 inch of ginger grated.
1/2 tsp of sugar or honey
Olive oil  (For traditional dressing its 3 parts oil and 1 part vinegar.  I use less oil and add a splash of water)
Salt and pepper to taste.

*Of course use any kind of dressing you like.
Feta cheese is a great topping for this salad.

Mung Bean Pancake/Bin dae Duk

One of popular Korean dishes are savory pancakes.  This one is one of my favorite.  The star of this dish is Mung beans/or Lentils.  So its also very healthy.

This is what Mung Bean/Lentils look like

Recipe.

1 cup of Mung beans soaked in water for at least 2 hours.
1/3 cup of rice flour/or plain flour
1tsp of kosher salt or 1/2 tsp of table salt
4 stalks of scallion chopped
1 small zucchini julienned.
1/2 cup of kimchi chopped
1/4 cup of pork diced.  (This is optional for those who want to keep it healthy)
1/4 cup of water or more for thinner batter.
2 tbsp Canola Oil.

Drain the beans and grind the beans. Grind to paste.
Put into large bowl and add all the ingredients and mix well.
Just like making pancakes add oil to pan on medium heat.
The pancakes are pan fried so more oil to achieve good browning.
cook 7 to 8 minuets on each side. It take time for the pancake to cook through.

dipping sauce.
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of rice vinegar
1 crushed clove of garlic
1tso if sugar
mix well.

*

Kimchi.

Of course I have to do a post on kimchi.  This post is for all Korean's in Korea suffering kimchi shortage.  It is true.  Country is in a turmoil.

Ingredients

2 heads of Napa cabbage (quartered)

1/2 Daikon radish.

1 bunch of green onions.

2 cups of sea salt or kosher salt, enough to coat the cabbage inside and out. 

Water, enough to cover the cabbage while brinning. 

Prepare cabbage.
Coat the cabbage inside and out with salt.
Cover with water and let it sit in cool spot in your kitchen for at least 4 hours.
Rinse well, at least 3 to 4 times squeeze all the water out.

Mean while julienne the radish and chop green onions.

Kimchi paste
1 whole garlic peeled and roughly chopped
2 inch piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped.
Korean pepper flakes. 1 cup. depending on hot spicy you like it.
1 large Korean pear or 2 Bosc pears peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 onion roughly chopped.
2 TBSP of kosher salt.
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of fish sauce (preferably 3 Crabs brand)

Add all the ingredients and puree them in blender or food processor till it
becomes and paste. Should be slightly watery paste. Taste. It should taste like good kimchi.
Add the julienned radish and chopped green onions.

Here is the important part. Use you hands. ( I wear rubber gloves)

Add all the ingredients except for the cabbage and mix well.
in a large bowl coat the cabbage with the kimchi mixture inside and out.
Make sure to add to every layer of the cabbage.
After done rolled the cabbage (liked cradled) with all the sauce put them in a sealed container and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 2 days.
Refrigerate for 1 week.
It should be ready to eat once it is refrigerated.
Gets better as it ages.

*note.  There are many options to making kimchi.  You can add salted shrimp, more chili powder, some traditional recipe's call for making the paste with rice flour.