While Orchid has been giving you health and beauty tips in May, I figured we could round off her posts with a healthy dish!
Today’s recipe is a very nourishing stew made with Doenjang. Doenjang is fermented soybean and is very similar the Japanese miso. It is said that doenjang is so good for you that having it regularly can help prevent cancer, lower blood pressure, strengthen the liver, aid digestion, keep our skin healthy, and best of all, slow down the aging process. In some sites I’ve browsed, they’ve said that doenjang is also a detoxifying agent (and it’s effective against some snake venom and bee stings!), prevents heart disease and keeps the brain healthy. Wow, this truly is some kind of super food!Well, I don’t know about the snake venom, but I can tell you this - I have been eating doenjang quite often because it is so simple and quick to make and my skin has become more vibrant over time. I rarely use products on my skin so I’m pretty sure this stuff works. ;)Doenjang comes in several varieties ranging from light tan to dark chocolate brown pastes. I usually get the ones that range in the middle. The darker the paste, the stronger the flavour.
Step 1: Ingredients!
Serves 2 people as a side dish, or 1 person as a main dish.
- 1 litre of water (3 ½ cups)
- 3 - 4 heaping tablespoons of doenjang
A selection of your favourite vegetables. In my doenjang, I’ve put in –
- Carrots (cut into bite sized chunks)
- Zucchini (cut into bite sized chunks)
- Onions (thinly sliced)
- Tofu (cut into cubes)
- Shiitake mushrooms (chopped)
Garnish with:
- Chopped scallions
- A drizzle of sesame oil
Step 2: Dissolve the doenjang!
Fill a clay pot or small soup pot with water and incorporate doenjang in water BEFORE turning on the heat. I’ve found it easier this way because with the heat on, it’s a little hot on your hands.
Once the doenjang has completely dissolved in the water, bring the broth to a boil. Do a taste test, you might like to add in more doenjang for a thicker stew.
Step 3: Keep it boiling!
When the doenjang broth is hot and boiling, add in the vegetables and ingredients that take longer to cook first (carrots, zucchini, etc) followed by the ones that take less time to cook (mushrooms). Boil stew until ingredients are just about cooked then turn off the heat. Your stew will continue cooking in the hot broth.
Step 4: Garnish and serve!
If you used a claypot, just add a handful of scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil and serve, still bubbling and boiling in its pot, with a bowl of hot rice. Yum!
A tub of doenjang
Tips: You can try adding clams or shrimp to your doenjang jjigae. And if you like it spicy, add in some gochujang and freshly cut chillies.
Where can I get doenjang?
Check out the foreign section at the supermarket, it’s usually together with the Japanese imports. And if there isn’t any, a trip to the Korean mart is in order.
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Ah, it has been too long since I did a cooking post. Well, I just haven't been cooking much lately with the holiday season in the air. But now that's over, it's back to the stove.
Gochujang - the sweet and spicy bean paste that flavour many of our favourite Korean dishes. Unless we're Korean, not many of us will use it everyday. I find myself reluctantly having to throw out that tub of moldy bean paste I had cast to the recesses of my refrigerator because I just did not know what else to do with it. And then, I stopped buying it altogether.
But cheeky little Gochujang always winks at me when I pass the sauce section at the supermarket, and I'm compelled to take it home with me once again. Darn you, Gochujang!
So what can I do with Gochujang? Here are a few things I've tried.
Storage
Firstly, let's store this sweet and spicy goodness so that it doesn't turn moldy and alive in the back of your fridge. Fill ice cube trays with gochujang and freeze it until your next use. Just pop a cube of gochujang the next time you have a taste for something Korean!
Gochujang out of the freezer with frost crystals on it, not mold.
In a mortar and pestle or food processor combine:- 1tsp soy sauce
- 2 1/2tbsp sesame oil (or any other oil like olive or grape seed oil)
- 1tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1tbsp plain yoghurt
- 1tbsp gochujang
*Always taste your dressing and adjust amounts as you go. What I like to put in it may not necessarily be what you like. ;)
Toss the gochujang dressing in your favourite mix of greens and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds or nuts to finish. I think avocados go well with this dressing because of its rich texture. Mangos would probably do nicely too.
Gochujang in your everyday dishesMalaysians love to put sambal in their cooking to spice things up. Next time why not try gochujang instead of sambal or chili sauce.
Braised tofu and eggplant in gochujang, soy and oyster sauce.Noodle Salad with gochujangI do this when I'm really lazy. Which is... very often. ;p
Chop up your favourite greens and condiments (eg. cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, salad greens, leftover roast chicken, etc.), add a dollop of ghochujang in the middle and...
... toss piping hot pasta or noodles of any kind (penne, spaghetti, soba, egg noodles) with ingredients for an instant meal!
Everyday BibimbapOr you can do what Orchid does and have her gochujang everyday with her everyday bibimbap.Share with us your tips on what to do with gochujang in your everyday meals! We'd love to know.Click here to see what else is cooking in K-popped's Kitchen!
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After weeks of searching, I finally found rice cakes at the supermarket in the fresh noodle section. D’oh. I wonder why it didn’t occur to me to look there before. For my friends back home, check out the Korean mart for rice cakes.
Korean rice cake and the Chinese nian gao (New Year cake) are actually the same thing. However, in Malaysia nian gao is quite different. Malaysian nian gao is brown in colour, extremely sweet and sticky and often served dusted with grated coconut during Chinese New Year.
Uh oh. Looks like the resident beggar showed up.- About 15-20 rice cake sticks
- 1 1/2 tbsp of gochujang
- 6 dried kelp knots soaked in water or a small handful of cleaned dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
- 3 stalks of green onion cut into 5cm strips
- 2 bowls of water
- sugar to taste
Step 2: Make a simple stock!
In a medium sauce pan, bring water to a simmer. Add kelp knots (or anchovies) and simmer for 10-15 minutes.Step 3: All in the pan!
If you’re using anchovies, remove them from the stock then add the gochujang. Mix until gochujang is well dissolved then add rice cakes. Stir while simmering. The sauce will thicken as the rice cakes cook.
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...
Quick and easy, huh? It’s as easy as making instant ramyeon!
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I'm always so delighted when I'm greeted with dozens of mini plates filled with delicious morsels of food at a Korean restaurant! It seems as if I'm getting all this food for free in addition to my order.
Banchan is a must at every Korean meal and it consists of:
- Kimchi: spicy pickled vegetables such as the infamous white cabbage kimchi.
- Namul: marinated steamed or stir-fried vegetables like stir-fried beansprouts.
- Jorim: a simmered dish in a light broth such as simmered tofu in a light soy sauce.
- Jjim: a steamed dish such as steamed egg.
- Jeon: a panfried dish such as pajeon.
Banchan. Working as a dishwasher in a Korean restaurant must be tough.
Yes, sometimes I play with my food.The kitchen can be... a lonely place.- 1/2 a daikon radish (or white carrot), julienned
- 1/2 a carrot, julienned (optional, just for colour)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp gochugaru (or you can use regular crushed pepper flakes which works okay but has a slightly different aroma)
Step 2: Slice, chop, and slice some more!
I learned how to slice my daikon this way from watching Shikgaek!
In a plastic container or bowl with a lid, mix the daikon, carrots, garlic, salt, sugar and gochugaru until everything has been evenly coated. Cover the container and let your daikon sit in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. I left mine in the fridge overnight.Step 4: Serve!
It's so simple! I didn't expect it to turn out so good, but it did. You can always adjust the seasonings to your liking. Try it!More K-popped Kitchen!OmuriceEvery Day BibimbapPajeonJapchae
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Kimchi JjigaeBanchan Pic Credit: Wikipedia
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Omelette rice, a Korean dish of fried rice packaged in an omelette. Wait a sec, it’s Nasi Pattaya!
Omurice from KBS Global online
Fried rice- 1 ½ cups of cooked white rice (preferably leftover rice from the day before)
- white onion, chopped
- 1 large shitake mushroom, diced
- ginger and garlic, chopped
- green bell pepper, diced
- sesame oil for stir-frying
- black pepper and soy sauce for flavour
Omelette layer- Milk/water for thinning
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
Step 2: Fry the rice!
Add sesame oil into wok/pan and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add ginger, onion and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add mushrooms and bell pepper (and if you like, diced meat or seafood of your choice). Stir-fry until mushrooms (or meat) are tender. Add rice, season with soy sauce and pepper. Stir until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Dish up and set aside. Work fast!Step 3: Make the omelette!
Lightly grease frying pan and heat over medium heat. Beat eggs with salt and pepper and thin out a little with milk/water. When pan is heated, pour eggs in and gently swirl pan to create an even layer. When top is set, remove from pan and set aside.
Step 4: Assemble!
In an empty bowl, line bowl with the egg layer, fill with rice and fold egg layer ends to cover rice. Transfer to dish by covering bowl with a plate and turning over. Garnish with chopped scallions or coriander and serve with a side of Kimchi.Step 5: Eat!
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Bibimbap has got to be one of my favourite Korean dishes. 비빔밥 (Bibimbap) literally means "mixed rice" or "mixed meal".
It is simply a bowl of rice that is mixed with various kinds of vegetables, mushrooms, a fried egg, ground meat and red pepper paste (gochujang). There are many variations of the dish and a unique taste can be created depending on the ingredients added. But I have noticed that the signature ingredient would be the gochujang.
A variation of the dish, "dolsot bibimbap" (돌솥 비빔밥) is served in a sizzling hot stone bowl in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the layer of the rice touching the bowl golden brown and crispy. Ah, i remember eating the "dolsot bibimbap" at Saveurs de Corée in Beijing. It was delicious.
There are many stories of the origins of bibimbap, but one that i remember the most clearly is this... Housewives who did not want to waste left-over dishes created this dish by combining everything into one bowl and serving it. Do you know of any other stories?
Staying true to its origins, here's how to make simple "Every day bibimbap". I call it "Every day Bibimbap" because if you are Asian, and eat rice with dishes daily, you could prepare this practically every day!
Gochujang (고추장) is the only special ingredient you need. It is a hot paste made of soy, and is used in many Korean dishes and can be purchased at any Korean mini mart.
Gochujang which i purchased at a Korean mart in Koreatown.
This 500g tub cost RM14.50.
This is what the hot pepper paste looks like
Method:
Add rice and left-over dishes into a large bowl. I used a steel bowl simply because i see it used a lot in Korean dramas. That night, i had stir-fried brinjal with shrimp and meat balls which i added into the bowl. Scoop one full teaspoon of gochujang (more if you want) and add it to the mix.
Brinjal (eggplant), shrimp, meatballs with rice and gochujang
Mix everything together thoroughly and then dig in.
It was yummy. The gochujang was not over-powering but adds some spiciness to the dish. It also binds the rice together and while eating it, i thought of my favourite Korean drama "My Lovely Sam-soon" (MLSS) as i remember Sam-soon eating it late one night. =)
Every day Bibimbap - a simple way to add a
touch of Korean to your every day meal
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Thanks to a reader comment, I clicked to My Korean Kitchen for some recipes on Korean pancakes. Check out the blog! Lots of sumptuous recipes and tantalising pictures.
The hae-mul pajeon Liz and Orchid had looked delish. It didn't look difficult to make, so I decided to try my own. Below is a recipe for a plain vegetarian pajeon. I think I'll try a hae-mul pajeon (seafood pancake) next time because it's so easy!
Let's make 파전!
Step 1: Ingredients!
Pretty straightforward stuff here -
- green onions / scallions
- oyster mushrooms
- daikon radish
- carrot
- an egg (beaten)
- flour mix = 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup rice flour + pinch of salt + sprinkle of black sesame seeds (optional)
Julienne or thinly slice vegetables, toss together with a drizzle of sesame oil.
Dipping sauce - mix 1tbsp light soy sauce + 2tbsp brown sugar + 3tbsp hot water + splash of lemon juice (or any kind of vinegar, but I ran out) + chopped chilli + lemon zest (why not, eh? he he)Step 2: Make the batter!
Combine flour mix and beaten egg in a bowl. Add room temperature water and stir until your batter has a consistency that's smooth and slightly runny.Note: Egg can be replaced with 1 tbsp of corn or potato starch as a binder. And if you don't have rice flour, just use all-purpose all the way. :)
Step 3: Make pajeon!
I've seen many ways to this from websites - some mix the veggie in the batter or cook the filling first then mix it in the batter - I guess whichever suites your mood will do.Lightly grease frying pan with vegetable oil and place pan over a low heat. When the pan is well heated, I placed my veggies in first, then spooned the batter over the vegetables. These were small pajeons so they only took about a minute and a half to cook on each side. Keep your pan evenly heated and well greased to avoid sticky pajeon.Step 4: Eat!
Easy, no? And the best thing is - pajeon recipes are so flexible! Have fun! More K-popped! Kitchen
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I must admit, when Liz, Orchid and I went out for our Korean lunch in Beijing, I snubbed the Japchae. “Japchae? Why, it looks just like Chap Chai (Chinese mixed vegetable dish). I want to try something special!”
In contrast to the Malaysian Chinese Chap Chai (consisting of napa cabbage, fermented beancurd, beancurd sheets, glass noodles and a smattering of other veggies), Japchae has a fresher, less complicated taste. Hmm, I can’t help but wonder if the American Chop Suey is a variation on these dishes. Is it?
I wasn’t able to find Korean glass noodles, which are made from sweet potato flour, but I did find a Chinese glass noodle variety packet which had tomato, spinach, carrot and pumpkin glass noodles!
I couldn’t decide on which to use, so I used a little of everything. Besides, their mild flavours were indistinguishable to me anyway. These noodles are firmer (not chewy) and more opaque than the glass noodle made from mung bean flour. Perhaps these are closer in texture to the Korean glass noodle.
Anyway, less talk, let’s get to the good stuff!
Step 1: Ingredients!
Anything! It seems to me that Japchae is another dish that helps rid your fridge of vegetable odds and ends! The sauce and glass noodles make this dish. This is what I had in mine:-
Oops, glass noodles not pictured.- Glass noodles (about 1cup of cooked noodles)
- Spinach, chopped
- Beansprouts
- Sliced red bell pepper
- Sliced green chillies (fresh jalapenos)
- Carrots julienned
- Mushrooms - pictured here are enoki (or golden needle) mushrooms and sliced oyster mushrooms
- Dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked until softened
- Scallions chopped 1” in length
- Minced ginger and garlic (save some for sauce)
- Firm tofu sliced
SauceIn a small bowl combine 3tbsp light soy sauce, 1tbsp honey, 1tbsp sesame oil, 1tsp cracked black pepper, 2tbsp rice wine, 1tsp minced ginger, 1tsp minced garlic and 3tbsp hot water. Stir and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the noodles!Boil glass noodles in water for 15 minutes (depending on the kind you get. Mung bean noodles take a shorter time to cook). Run cooked noodles through cold water and drain then set aside. I like to toss in some sesame oil to keep the noodles moist while it waits for me.
Step 3: Prepare the tofu!Season with black pepper and a dash of salt. Pan fry with vegetable oil until golden brown. Set aside.
If you prefer meat instead you can use beef (cut into strips). Make a little extra sauce and marinate the meat for 20mins before pan frying. I bet chicken, squid or shrimp would work too.Step 4: Stir fry!On medium-high heat, add sesame oil into a wok or large skillet. When oil is hot, add minced garlic, ginger and oyster mushrooms. Toss for one minute then add the chillies, carrots, bell pepper, wood ear mushroom, spinach, scallions, enoki mushrooms and bean sprouts. Stir fry until vegetables are tender.
Add vegetables in order - hard to soft (e.g. carrots before bean sprouts) -
to avoid overcooked mushy veggies.
If Japchae still seems dry after adding the sauce, add some hot water.
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Digg this!
