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Rice Bowls

Sweet Potato & Bacon Steamed Rice

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Sweet Potato & Bacon Steamed Rice. My mother has been visiting Korea for a month and is currently staying with me. One thing she can not stand is dirty things! My, oh my – she looked at our kitchen and immediately started cleaning. Our precious Cuckoo Rice Cooker caught her eye. It had grease spots all over it and she immediately took it to the sink to scrub it down. But the Cuckoo resisted! So she went the “nuclear” option and took it to the bathroom! There, with an old tooth brush and shower facuet in hand, she closed the door! 10 minutes later, she claimed victory! With achievement in her voice, she said “Now, this is how a rice cooker should look like – you need to be clean and organized to do big things in life […]” Slightly annoyed and thankful at the same time, I plugged the pristine rice cooker back in. Immediately, the rice cooker display showed an error sign, followed by a faint smell of burnt electronics… 🤯(My, oh my … haha!)

Without a rice cooker, we resorted to using a Ttukbaegi pot for morning rice! I was surprised by how fast it cooked rice – it only took 15 minutes and the rice tasted perfect! One morning, I decided to throw in some frozen peas. It tasted great. So the following day, I threw-in sweet-potatoes. Soon enough, I was adding-in bacon and Shiitake mushrooms. And this is how this recipe came about! Funny how things turn out sometimes…

I’ll leave with a few cooking notes:

  • For this recipe, make sure to use short-grain rice (aka sushi rice). You want that stickiness of short-grain rice so that all of the ingredients clump together.
  • You can cook this rice without a Ttukbaegi Pot. Simply use a small thick-bottomed pot with a proper-fitting lid.
  • I purposely didn’t season the rice – but if you want a richer flavor, drop-in a small dab of butter and a drizzle of soy sauce before you eat.
  • It’s important to let the rice steam at the end. After you take it off the heat, don’t open the lid – all of the heat will escape.
  • Feel free to substitute any of the ingredients with your veggie(s) of choice.

Alright, I hope you give this simple breakfast idea a try. It’s versatile and works well as a nutritious breakfast!

If you don’t have a Ttukbaegi pot, consider getting one! Must-have cooking ware if you’re a busy-bee 🐝

-Daniel out! 🕺

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato & Bacon Steamed Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Korean Rice (Short-grain rice)
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1-2 slices Bacon
  • Few slices Sweet Potato
  • 1 Shiitake Mushroom
  • Handful of Frozen Peas
  • Handful of Frozen Green Beans

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • Measure 1 cup of rice. Wash and rinse the rice a few times. Drain it through a strainer and place it aside.
  • Cut the bacon, shiitake mushroom and sweet-potato into thin slices. Then scoop out a small handful of frozen peas and green beans. Set them aside.

Cook Rice

  • Place Ttukbaegi Pot (or a thick-bottomed pot) on medium-high heat. Add-in the bacon. Stir it around until the bacon gets a slight browning on the edges. Then add-in the frozen green beans. Stir-fry everything around for 1 minute. Then important - TURN OFF THE HEAT! (We don't want the Ttukbaegi pot to get too hot - or else it could crack when adding in cold water). Afterwards, add-in the washed rice (1 cup). Then add in warm water (1 cup).
  • Next, add your toppings to the rice: place the thinly sliced sweet potatoes, shiitake mushroom and bacon on top of the rice. Turn the heat back onto a HIGH heat. Put the lid on and wait until it comes up to boil. Once it's boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes.
  • After 3 minutes, reduce the heat to a LOW. Then set a timer for 10 minutes and let it cook.
  • After 10 minutes, take the pot off the heat and place it on a coaster. Give it 2-3 minutes to steam by itself in its residual heat.
  • It's ready to eat. Serve into individual bowls and enjoy! (Optional: You can add a dab of butter and a drizzle of soy sauce if you want to season the rice)

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Korean Shrimp Box for Lunch

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Shrimp Box. This simple dish has been trending in Korean social media! Shrimp Box is a bed of rice topped off with delicious, sauce-covered, stir-fried shrimp. Over the weekend, we tried a few home recipes and were most impressed with Chef Baek Jong Won’s version. In his recipe, the garlic-butter shrimp is sautéed in butter and a drizzle of fish sauce. At first, it didn’t seem like a good match – but when you taste it – you’ll notice the difference. The fish sauce seasons the shrimp while adding a layer of umami! As for the chili shrimp – we build a sauce from scratch using gochugaru, vinegar and ketchup. It’s a fun cooking experience with a delicious meal at the end! Give it a go ☺️

Shrimp Box

One cooking note: Most of the flavor will come from the minced garlic. Add the shrimp in as soon as you add the garlic so they don’t burn. Then give the minced garlic enough time for it turn slightly brown. Once you see slight browning, immediately reduce the heat. Then proceed with the rest of the steps.

As a side note: This recipe has got me reminiscing about Hawaii! I am imagining myself spending an afternoon (trying) to catch a wave… 🏄‍♂️ and then wolfing down a shrimp box with a beer afterwards. Ahhh- Surfs up yall!

Shrimp Box
Print Recipe

Shrimp Box

Ingredients

Garlic-Butter Shrimp Topping

  • 1 Cup Shrimp
  • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 1.5 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon of Butter
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Fish Sauce
  • Few sprinkles Black pepper

Chili Shrimp Topping

  • 1 Cup Shrimp
  • 3 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons of Ketchup
  • 1 Tablespoon of Gochugaru
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons of Water
  • 1 Tablespoon of Butter
  • Few shakes of Black Pepper

Instructions

Butter-Garlic Shrimp

  • Prep your shrimp: De-shell, de-vein and pull of the tail. Also mince the garlic - set aside 1.5 Tablespoons worth.
  • Put frying pan on medium-high heat. Place vegetable oil in (3 Tablespoons). Once the oil is hot, place in the minced garlic (1.5 Tablespoons). Then immediately place in the shrimp as well. Stir-both around until the minced garlic starts to slightly brown. Then turn the heat down to a low (!)
  • Quickly add in the butter (1 Tablespoon). Then add in the fish sauce (1/2 Tablespoon). Along with a few shakes of black pepper. Raise the heat back to a medium-high. Stir-fry for additional 30 seconds.
  • Place it over some rice. Bon Appetit!

Chili-Shrimp Topping

  • Prep your shrimp: De-shell, de-vein and pull of the tail. Mince garlic - set aside 1 Tablespoons worth. Then prep the rest of the ingredients and place it next to your stovetop (We will need to use them quickly).
  • Put frying pan on medium-high heat. Place some vegetable oil in (3 Tablespoons). Once the oil is hot, place in the minced garlic (1 Tablespoon). Immediately, place in the shrimp as well. Stir-both around until the minced garlic starts to slightly brown. Then turn the heat down to a low.
  • Add-in Ketchup (2 Tablespoons), Gochugaru (1 Tablespoon), Sugar (1 Tablespoon), Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Vinegar (1 Tablespoon). Put the heat back up to a medium-high and mix everything together.
  • The sauce will become thick. So dilute it with water (2 Tablespoons). It should now turn into a sauce. Finish it off with butter (1 Tablespoon).
  • Place it over some rice. Bon Appetit!

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Rustic Namul Bibimbap

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Rustic Namul Bibimbap. It’s an incredible dish to try out different varieties of Korean greens (namul). Namul can be made out of any vegetable, herb or green. Typically, the roots, leaves, stems, or sprouts are quickly blanched, squeezed, then seasoned with soy sauce and tossed with perilla oil. Today, we’ll select a few namul and I’ll show you how to prep them for bibimbap. You can use the same method for any type of namul. This recipe makes me reminisce of my parent’s house back in California and the spacious yard to grow greens!

The key taste variable to any bibimbap (mixed rice) is that spicy gochujang sauce. You want it spicy with a bit of sweetness and a hint of tanginess. Luckily for you, we’ve nailed down the ratio! It tastes incredible and you’re going to love it 🙃

If you’re interested in sampling the namul we used in our recipe, you can purchase them from Gochujar:

Also a few cooking notes:

  • Make sure to save some residual rice water (1 cups worth) when washing the rice – we’ll use it to boil the namul in later steps
  • Don’t overseason the namul – its okay if it tastes bland. (So stick to 1 small drizzle of soy sauce).  Remember, we will add the bibimbap sauce at the end
  • I like to throw in 1 Tablespoon of perilla powder when boiling the namul. This step is optional, but if you want to purchase, click here.

Alrighty enjoy ya’ll! I’m curious to see if you like this more… or the regular bibimbap?

Dan-yul out 🕺

Rustic-Namul-Bibimbap
Print Recipe

Rustic Namul Bibimbap

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 100 grams Short Rib Meat (or use any cut you prefer)
  • 2 Button Mushroom (or Shiitake Mushrooms)
  • Handful of Dried Zucchini Rounds Namul
  • Handful of Dried Eggplant Namul
  • Handful of Dried Yuchae Leaves Namul
  • 1 Egg yolk (Or 1 fried egg)
  • 1 cup of Rice (Save the water from washing the rice!)

Beef Marinade

  • 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirim
  • 1/5 whole Pear or Apple
  • Few shakes of Black Pepper

Namul Seasoning

  • 1-2 drizzle of Soup Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Perilla Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Perilla Seed Powder (optional)
  • 1 Cup Rice Water (use to boil namul)

Spicy Gochujang Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons Gochujang
  • 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

Instructions

Pre-Cooking Steps: Soak Namul Overnight

  • Soak your Dried Namul (Zucchini, Eggplant and Yuchae Leaves) in cold water overnight - or at least 6 hours before cooking. Soak each namul in separate bowls. Then, the next day proceed to the following steps.

Make Rice Water

  • We need rice for bibimbap, so get your rice cooking in the background. The first step in cooking rice is washing it. Throw out the water from the initial rinse. But save the residual water left after the second rinse - we need 1 cup. We will use this rice water when cooking the namul in a later step (reference video for more details - skip to 1:35). 

Marinade Beef & Cook

  • Make the meat marinade by mixing the listed ingredients. Then dice your beef into bite-sized pieces and soak them in the marinade for at least 30 minutes.
  • Cut the button mushrooms into thin slices.
  • Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Place some oil in. Then add the marinated meat pieces and the button mushroom slices. Stir-fry together until meat cooks through and you get a slight browning on the edges of the mushroom. Set aside for later.

Cook Namul

  • Now back to the namul veggies - which should have soaked overnight. Empty the water out and give them another wash under cold water. After washing them thoroughly, use your hands and squeeze the water out of the veggies. Take out a mixing bowl. Place the squeezed veggies in. Now add-in a drizzle of Soup Soy sauce and Perilla Oil (1T). Toss them and get them coated - it's better to underseason as we will add that flavorful bibimbap sauce later.
  • Take a frying pan out. Place each namul in separate bundles around the pan. Afterwards, place the pan on a medium-high heat. Now add-in the rice water (1 cup). And season with Perilla Seed Powder (1T) if you like - this is optional. Then wait until the rice water has completely reduced. Turn heat off and set the namul bundles aside for use as topping.

Make Bibimbap Sauce

  • Make Bibimbap sauce by mixing together all of the listed ingredients. If you're making more than one bowl, we recommend using a Tablespoon measurement instead of the listed teaspoon.

Assemble Bowl

  • Take out a bowl. Scoop in some fresh, hot rice. Then add your Galbi and Namul pieces on top. 
  • Top the bowl with a raw egg yolk (or fried egg) and good amount of the bibimbap sauce!
  • Bon Appetit!!

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Gyudon Beef Bowl – Better than Yoshinoya!

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Gyudon Beef Bowl. There aren’t many rice bowls that are as simple and delicious as Gyudon. Gyudon is the iconic Japanese beef bowl. It was one of my favorite budget meals as an exchange student in Tokyo. My favorite shops in Tokyo always had 3 things in common. The first is razor-thin beef slices. The second is a few grates of fresh ginger. And the third is a raw egg yolk. And when these combine, you get magic… 🌈

Gyudon Bowl

In Korean and Japanese markets, it’s easy to find these razor thin cuts of shabu-shabu beef. But if you don’t have one in your area, put a piece of chuck or ribeye in a Ziploc bag and place in the freezer for 1.5 – 2 hours (will vary depending on thickness). The meat should be slightly frozen, making it meat firm enough to slice through with a well-sharpened knife.

Make sure to add 4-5 grates fresh ginger to the soy sauce mixture. It provides a fresh aromatic lift to the earthiness of the soy-sauce. A key flavor variable!

Finally, my favorite – the raw egg yolk. The Japanese love to drop a raw egg yolk into their rice bowls. I also picked up this habit while living in Tokyo. Now I don’t think twice. The creaminess of the yolk blends nicely with the piping hot rice. Give it shot – why not?

This recipe produces 2 servings – save the second bowl for breakfast.

Dan-yul out 🕺

Gyudon Bowl
Print Recipe

Gyudon Beef Bowl

Make the best Gyudon - yes, better than Yoshinoya!
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Bowl Ingredients

  • 300 grams of Thinly Sliced Beef (Chadolbaegi or Shabu-Shabu Cut)
  • 1 whole onion
  • 1/2 cup of Anchovy-Kelp Broth (or use Katsuobushi Dashi Broth)
  • 1-2 stalks of green onion (for garnish)
  • 1 egg yolk (optional, for garnish)
  • Few sprinkles of Shichimi (Japanese 7-spice) (optional, for garnish)
  • 1 bowl of Rice

Soy Sauce Marinade

  • 3 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons of Mirim (rice wine) (or any white cooking wine)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sugar
  • 4-5 grates of Fresh Ginger

Instructions

Make Broth

  • Make anchovy-kelp from scratch (see notes below). Or use an anchovy-kelp broth packet to make the broth quickly. We'll only need 1/2 a cup so save the leftover broth for another Korean soup or stew.

Prep Ingredients & Make Soy Sauce Marinade

  • Cut onion into thin slices. Then finely dice green onion stalk. Now take out a mixing bowl and evenly mix: Soy Sauce (3 Tablespoons), Mirim (2 Tablespoons), Sugar (1 Tablespoon) and Fresh Ginger (4-5 grates). 

Make Gyudon

  • Put a frying pan on medium-high heat. Then add in a drizzle of oil. Add your beef slices in. Once it starts to cook and turn grey on one-side, add in the sliced onions. Stir everything around for 30 seconds.
  • Give your soy sauce mixture another stir and then pour into your frying pan. Then add in the 1/2 cup of broth. 
  • Allow the broth to cook and reduce for about 10 minutes (or until the onions turn soft). You can reduce for longer if you want less broth. Turn off the heat. Use a pair of tongs and grab that succulent meat. Spread it over a bowl of hot rice. 
  • Garnish with green onion, raw egg yolk and few sprinkles of Shichimi. Grab a spoonful of the broth and spread it over the bowl. Bon Appetit. 

Notes

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Kkomak Bibimbap! Trending Dish in Seoul

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Kkomak Bibimbap. This was a trending dish during this winter in Seoul! Many of the department stores featured it as a special menu in their food courts, but the lines are always too long. So this weekend, we decided to give a try in our studio kitchen. The dish is all about fresh cockles. Blood cockles to be precise – also known as Kkomak in Korean.  They’re small, saltwater clams that grow plump and sweet during winters in Korea. By themselves, they taste ok. But if you add gochugaru, soy sauce and maesil, it take the clams to Flavor Town! Better yet, add some rice to the marinade and you got yourself an incredible meal! Allow me to show you how…

Kkomak Bibimbap

This recipe is rated a medium difficulty. There are a few areas where you could make (irreversible) mistakes. I’ll highlight them below so you pay extra close attention to them:

  • The 1st error is not purging the cockles: Remember to take the time to purge your clams before you start cooking. Nobody want’s to bite into sand-y clams 😖
  • The 2nd error is overcooking the cockles: If they’re boiled for too long, they shrivel-up and turn rubbery. To prevent this, bring a pot of water up to a boil first. Then add-in your cockles and set a timer for 3.5 minutes. After 3.5 minutes, most of the clams will have opened their shells – at least a small opening. Take one clam out and taste it to see if it’s fully cooked through.
  • The 3rd error is not saving any cockle broth: A few scoops of the broth adds deep flavor to the Soy Sauce Marinade. Make sure to scoop out a ladle of the broth and set it aside before emptying out the pot of boiled clams.
  • The 4th error is adding too much Soy Sauce Marinade or Gochugaru when seasoning the cockles: I recommend only adding-in about 1/3 of the Soy Sauce Marinade and 1 Tablespoon of Gochugaru. Start there and mix everything together. Then add a little more if you need

I hope I haven’t scared you off with those bolded letters… heh, take it as a challenge!
You’ll be rewarded with an incredible dish… 화이팅!

Dan-yul out🕺

Kkomak Bibimbap
Print Recipe

Kkomak Bibimbap

Course: Medium

Ingredients

Fresh Ingredients

  • 1 Cup De-shelled Cockles (buy 800g of fresh cockles)
  • 1.5 cups Cooked Rice

Soy Sauce Seasoning

  • 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirim
  • 1 Tablespoon Maesil
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Cockle Broth (from boiling)
  • 4-5 Shakes of Sesame Seeds

Marinating the Cockles

  • 5 stalks of Green Onion
  • 2 Whole Cheongyang Chili Peppers (Or use 1 Jalapeno)
  • 1 Tablespoon Gochugaru (Add 2 if you like it spicy)
  • 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

Make Bibimbap

  • A Drizzle of Sesame Oil (to finish marinating the rice)
  • 1 Spoonful of Leftover Soy Sauce Seasoning (from above)

Instructions

Purge the Cockles

  • Fill a mixing bowl with cold water. Mix-in a handful of salt with the water. Add the cockles in. Then cover the bowl with some aluminum foil. Let the clams sit in darkness for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain the water.  Then, give the cockles a thorough rinse and scrub under running water. 

Boil the Cockles

  • Bring a large pot of water up to boil. When it comes to a roaring boil, add in your cockles. (Set a timer for 3.5 minutes.) Use a wooden spoon and stir the cockles in one direction (this helps the meat stick to one side of the shell). After 3.5 minutes, sample one of the clams and see if it is fully cooked through. If it's not, let it boil for just a bit longer. 
    IMPORTANT: If they are fully cooked, don't drain the pot just yet. Use a soup ladle and take out one scoop of the broth. Set it aside for later - we'll use this broth when making the cockle marinade. Now drain the broth and move the cooked cockles to a large mixing bowl.
  • Take the shells off each cockle. I would recommend doing this over a small mixing bowl - that way you can collect some more delicious broth. Note: For shells that don't open easily, use your spoon and pop the back of the shell (reference video). You want enough meat to fill 1 cup. 

Make Soy Sauce Marinade

  • Throughly mix-in Soy Sauce (3T), Mirim (1T), Maesil (1T), Minced Garlic (1/2T), Cockle Broth (2T). Give it a good stir. 
    Then add in 4-5 shakes of Sesame Seeds. Stir everything together

Prep Fresh Greens for Cockle Marinade

  • Dice your green onion (5 stalks) into small pieces. Then dice your 2 chili peppers into small pieces as well. 

Season the Cockles

  • Take out another mixing bowl. Add in 1 cup of cooked cockles. Then add in the chopped green onions and chili peppers. Next, add in the gochugaru (1T). Then add-in 1/3 of the Soy Sauce Marinade you made - don't add everything at once! Give it all a good mix - feel free to add more Soy Sauce Marinade or Gochugaru if you need. 
    Finally, finish it off with 1T of Sesame Oil. Give it a final mix. 

Make Bibimbap

  • Scoop out 2/3 of the seasoned cockles and place it to one-side of your plate. Leave the other 1/3 of the marinated cockles in the mixing bowl. Now, add freshly cooked rice (1.5 cups) into the mixing bowl. Mix until the rice is evenly coated in the marinade. 
    Give the rice a taste. Next, we added 1 additional spoonfuls of the Soy Sauce Marinade into the rice. Feel free to do the same if you'd like. 
    Finally, finish the rice with a drizzle of sesame oil. Give it a final mix!
  • Add the mixed rice (bibimbap) to the other side of the plate. Garnish with a few shakes of sesames seeds and sliced green onions. Bon Appetit!

Notes

See video below for more details

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Korean Eggplant Deopbap – Amazing Rice Bowl!

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Korean Eggplant Deopbap. Who’d have thought of steaming eggplant with rice. It doesn’t sound too appetizing – at all! But the two ingredients pair wonderfully. As the eggplant steams, it releases its natural juices into the rice. It continues to break down in the steam and turns into soft, chewy morsels. Looks alot like mushrooms actually. With a few scoops of flavored soy sauce drizzled over the top, this simple dish transforms into something incredible. Pair eggplant deopbap with a few banchans and you got yourself a healthy, nutritious meal!

EggPlant Deobap

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The key step is the initial stir-fry. It makes the eggplant release its moisture and soak-in the spring onion-flavored oil and soy sauce. Then as it cooks with the rice, the stir-fried eggplant release all of that flavor back into the rice.

Overall, I think this eggplant deopbap is one of the best rice dishes we’ve had. It’s simple, nutritious and tasty. Gah – we’re excited for you to try at home!

Cooking notes: The minced meat is optional. If you’re vegetarian, skip it – tastes good without it. Also, use short-grain rice if you got it. The sticky short-grain rice absorbs the flavor and aroma of the ingredients much better.

Alrighty, ya’ll. Dan-yul out! 😛

This dish is originally from Chef Baek Jong Won.

EggPlant Deobap
Print Recipe

Eggplant Deopbap with Soy Sauce Topping

Make a savory, aromatic rice with eggplant
Course: Easy
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Eggplant Deopbap

  • Short-grain rice - 2 cups
  • Water - 1.75 cups
  • Eggplant - 2 whole
  • Minced pork or beef - 1/2 a cup (optional)
  • Spring onion - one stalk forearm length
  • Soy Sauce - 3 Tablespoons 

Soy Topping Sauce

  • Soy Sauce - 3 Tablespoons
  • Mirim - 1 Tablespoon
  • Gochugaru - 1 Tablespoon
  • Honey - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sesame seeds - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Spring Onion  - 2 Tablespoons optional
  • Asian chives - few stalks optional
  • Chili Pepper - 1/2 a whole optional

Instructions

Prep Ingredients:

  • Rinse your rice (2 cups worth) under running water. 
  • Then take out a mixing bowl. Fill it with cold water and let the rice soak in it for 15 minutes. 
  • In the meanwhile, let's prep: Cut each eggplant in half and dice into half-moon slices. Next, cut your spring onion stalk into thin slices. Finally, measure about 1/2 cup of minced meat. 
  • After 15 minutes, pour the soaking rice through a sieve and empty out the water. Place the hydrated rice into your rice cooker bowl. Measure 1.75 cups of water and place into rice cooker bowl. Set aside. 

Initial Stirfry

  • Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Put a good amount of oil in (~2 Tablespoons)
  • Once the oil is hot, place the spring onion pieces in. Let the spring onion dance in the oil for 1 minute - it will give the oil good flavor.
  • Next, add in the minced meat and stir-fry it until there is no more pink in the meat. (Note: If you're not using meat, skip to next step).
  • Now, add in the chopped eggplant and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add-in your Soy Sauce (3 Tablespoons). Stir-fry everything for 1-2 minutes, or until the eggplant starts to wilt. Turn off the heat.
  • Use a wooden spoon and scoop the stir-fry into your rice bowl. (Note: Don't fill the rice bowl to the top - leave some room as the rice will rise)
  • Press start and get your rice cooking.

Make Sauce & Other Banchans

  • To make the topping sauce, mix together: Soy Sauce (3T), Mirim (1T), Gochugaru (1T), Honey (1/2T), Sesame Oil (1T), Sesame Seeds (1/2T). You can also throw in some chopped spring onions (optional), asian chives or minced chili peppers (1/2 a pepper) to the sauce to add extra flavor. 
  • Next, make some of your favorite banchans. We made Korean Rolled Omelette and Korean Seasoned Spinach. 

Make Bowl

  • When the rice cooker is finished, open it and give the rice a good mix. Make sure to mix the toppings on the top with the rice on the bottom. 
  • Place a few scoops of the mixed rice into individual bowls. Before serving, take a few spoonfuls of the soy topping sauce and drizzle it over the rice 
  • Bon Appetit!

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Winter Special – Korean Abalone Porridge

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Korean Abalone Porridge. Abalone is not too popular in the West. But in Korea, we love it! Especially during the winter, when people are catching colds. This week, we bought a few medium-sized abalones. What does it taste like? The flesh is firm, chewy and slightly briny. When slowly-simmered with rice, the abalone turns into something special. Today, I’ll show you to cook this the Korean way (with the innards) and bring out all of its natural flavors.

Korean-Abalone-Porridge

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The key taste variable here is ironically, the unpleasant-looking green innards. Don’t be an amateur and throw it away! I repeat, don’t toss it. These green innards are very nutritious and tasty. It’ll give the rice a light yet savory flavor. But is it safe to eat? Of course it is! Try it out and thank me later 🙂

A few cooking notes:

  • You can use either uncooked or cooked rice: If you’re using uncooked rice, use 4x as much water (i.e. 1.5 cups of rice -> 6 cups of water). If you’ll use cooked rice, use 2x as much water (1.5 cups of rice -> 3 cups of water)
  • Before eating, drizzle your bowl with a touch of Soup Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil and Sesame Seeds. It’ll make a big difference
  • You can use regular Soy Sauce if you can’t find Soup Soy Sauce.
  • This will make 4-5 large servings.

Alrighty Neighbors. Make sure to rock a scarf during this cold winter! 🧣

Dan-yul out! 🕺

Korean-Abalone-Porridge
Print Recipe

Korean Abalone Porridge

Delicious Korean Porridge made with Abalone!
Course: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • Abalone - 4 medium-sized
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole
  • Shiitake Mushrooms - 2 Button Mushrooms work just fine too
  • Carrot - small piece measure to 2nd crease of your pointer finger
  • Uncooked rice - 1.5 cups
  • Water - 6 cups 
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon 

Porridge Seasoning

  • Soup Soy Sauce - 2 Tablespoons regular Soy Sauce ok
  • Salt - 1/2 Tablespoon

Final Garnish (before eating)

  • Soup Soy Sauce - drizzle regular Soy Sauce ok
  • Sesame Oil - drizzle 
  • Sesame seeds - drizzle

Instructions

Prep steps:

  • Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes. We want to hydrate the rice before cooking.
  • Use an old toothbrush (or any other scrub) to thoroughly scrub the underside of the abalone. Scrub both the middle and the perimeter of the shellfish (Reference video) 
  • Use a spoon and pop out the abalone from its shell. Then, carefully cut away the liver (green section) from the main body. Also remember to cut out the mouth piece from the body (reference vide0). 
  • Wash the abalone. Then cut into thin bite-sized pieces.
  • Dice onion, mushroom and carrot into small bite-sized pieces
  • Put liver pieces into blender. Add few Tablespoons of water. Then mix together. Set aside
  • After 30 minutes, drain the rice. Give one final rinse under running water. Set aside. 

Make Porridge

  • Take out a pot. Place on medium-high heat. Put in Sesame Oil (1T). 
  • Once oil is hot, place onion pieces in. Stir-fry until onions turn translucent. 
  • Then add in carrots, mushrooms and the abalone pieces. Stir-around for 1 minute.
  • Then add in the blended liver mixture. 
  • Immediately, add in the water (6 cups). Then add in the soaked rice (1.5 cups). 
  • Add in Soup Soy Sauce (2 Tablespoons). 
  • Put lid on and bring up to boil. Then reduce heat to a medium heat. Set timer for 20 minutes. Occasionally, lift lid and stir rice around. 
  • After 20 minutes, check on your rice. It should have an oatmeal like consistency. If its runny, let it reduce for another 5-10 minutes. 
  • Finally, add in salt (1/2 Tablespoon). Turn off heat and scoop into individual bowls. 

Seasoning before eating

  • Garnish with a small drizzle of Soup Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil and Sesame Seeds.
  • Bon Appetit! 

Notes

  • If you don't have Soup Soy Sauce, use regular Soy Sauce
  • You can also make with cooked rice -> Use 1.5 cups of cooked rice and 3 cups of water.
  • Make sure to garnish with soup soy sauce, sesame oil and sesames seeds before serving.
  • See video below for more details

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Potato Rice & Korean Chili Bowl

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Potato Rice & Korean Chili Bowl. It reminds me of a loaded baked potato – certainly looks like it. Plus, it has that similar home-y feeling. Today, we’ll make my new, go-to breakfast meal. I’ve been making this “chili” in large batches on the weekends. Then eating it for breakfast after my morning runs.

Potato-&-Rice-Bowl

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When I tasted this dish for the first time, I really enjoyed the texture of potato with rice. Typically, you eat the two ingredients separately. It’s either rice or potatoes. But it was oddly satisfying to chew on both at once (you’ll know what I mean when you try it).

With a few scoops of the savory chili, this simple rice bowl transforms into a feel-good dish. Something that reminds you home. Or a weekend meal. Or perhaps, I’m going to far with this… heh. Either way, you’ll feel some endorphins jumping around 🐬

Note: Sometimes, I like to stir-fry a handful of spinach leaves and add it to the rice bowl. Make it more nutritious. Oh, and don’t forget about the fried egg on the side!

Dan-yul out 🕺

P.s. What’s your go-to breakfast dish? I would love to try some new dishes… feed me ⚡️

Potato-&-Rice-Bowl
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Potato Rice & Korean Chili Bowl

Add potatoes to your price, with a few dollops of chili! 
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Rice - 1.5 cups 
  • Water - 1.5 cups
  • Potato - 2 medium-sized size of your palm
  • Asian Chives - small handful
  • Minced beef - 150 grams 
  • Spring onion - small piece length of your forearm

Beef Chili Marinade

  • Soy Sauce - 2.5 Tablespoons
  • Gochugaru - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame Seeds - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame Oil - 1 teaspoon
  • Black Pepper - few shakes
  • Water - 1/4 cup

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • Measure 1.5 cups of rice into a mixing bowl. Rinse the rice under cold water. Then fill the mixing bowl with cold water and let the rice soak for 30 minutes.
  • Peel and chop the potatoes into small bite-sized chunks. Place the chunks into another mixing bowl, filled with cold water. Let it soak in the water for 10 minutes. Then drain afterwards.
  • Chop asian chives into small pieces. Dice the spring onion stalk into small pieces. 
  • Make beef chili marinade by mixing: Soy Sauce (2.5 Tablespoon), Gochugaru (0.5 Tablespoon), Sesame Seeds (0.5 Tablespoon), Sesame oil (1 teaspoon), Black Pepper (few shakes) and Water (1/4 cup)
  • Now take out a large pot. Place in some oil. When it's hot, place in the chopped spring onions first. Once the spring onion starts to dance in the oil, place in the minced beef. 
  • Stir-fry the beef around until there is very little red left. Then add in the beef chili marinade. Mix everything together and once it comes to boil, let the mixture reduce for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
  • After 3 minutes, take it off the heat. Set aside for now. 

Make Potato Rice

  • After 30 minutes, drain the soaked rice out through a strainer.
  • Place the hydrated rice into a small pot. Then add 1.5 cups of water into the pot (if you're using more or less rice, just keep a 1:1 ratio). 
  • Add the diced potatoes on top of the rice.
  • Place a lid on. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat. (Note: Don't take the lid off from here on out!) 
  • Once it starts to boil, reduce to a medium heat -> and cook for 5 minutes. (Note: The pot may overflow - that's ok, completely normal)
  • After 5 minutes, reduce to a low heat -> and cook for 10 minutes. 
  • After 10 minutes, take it off the heat -> and let it sit for 5 minutes in the residual heat. 
  • After 5 minutes, the rice should be ready.
  • Scoop into a bowl. Sprinkle the diced asian chives over the rice. Then add a few scoops of the beef chili. Bon Appetit!
  • Optional: Fry-up an egg and eat it with your rice. 

Notes

  • You can also use rice cooker for this recipe - simply place rice and potatoes in the rice cooker and press auto button.
  • See video below for more details

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Lunch Special: Chicken Rice Gratin & Lotus Root Tempura

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Chicken Rice Gratin & Lotus Root Tempura. It’s been a while since we put cheese (or butter) into any of our recipes. So, let’s splurge this week! We’ll start with chicken-fried rice, stir-fried in tomato-sauce and topped with a cheesy crust. For our side menu, we will have lotus root tempura. Pair the two and we got ourselves a deeelicious lunch.

Chicken Rice Gratin & Lotus Root Tempura

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Chicken Rice Gratin

Who would’ve thought of combining spaghetti sauce and Worcestershire Sauce! But the combination works. With a touch of butter, that combination turns into a restaurant-quality taste! I also enjoyed this recipe as it was a nice break away from soy sauce based marinades. It works great for lunch and even better for dosirak!

Substitutions: If you can’t find Worcestershire Sauce, use Soy Sauce.

Lotus Root Tempura

Lotus Root is very popular in Korea. And it’s one of my favorite vegetables to throw into stir-fries. What does it taste like? Well, this root vegetable has a signature, crunchy texture – like a raw potato. When deep-fried, the vegetable holds its crunchy bite and doesn’t turn soggy. If you see it in a market somewhere, give it a shot! You’ll love it.

P.s. Next week, I booked a session at K26 (Asia’s deepest diving pool). Excited to practice scuba-diving! I got my license last year but never got a chance to do more dives. Expect a few (fun) shots on our IG. Alrighty, wishing our Neighbors a blessed weekend as well.

Dan-yul out! 🕺

Chicken Rice Gratin & Lotus Root Tempura
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Chicken Rice Gratin & Lotus Root Tempura

Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Chicken Rice Gratin

  • Chicken Breast - 1 piece ~100 gram 
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole 
  • Oyster Mushroom - few substitute with any mushroom 
  • Yellow Bell Pepper - 1/4 a whole
  • Red Bell Pepper - 1/4 a whole
  • Cooked Rice - 1 cup
  • Mozzarella cheese - handful
  • Dried parsley - optional garnish

Rice Sauce

  • Worcestershire Sauce - 1 Tablespoon
  • Spaghetti Sauce - 3 Tablespoons Tomato Sauce
  • Butter - 1 Tablespoon 

Lotus Root Tempura

  • Lotus Root - 1 whole
  • Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon
  • Flour - 1/2 cup

Tempura Batter

  • Flour  - 2 Tablespoons
  • Water - 1/3 cup of water
  • Parsley - few shakes
  • Salt - few shakes
  • Ice Cube - 1

Instructions

Chicken Rice Gratin

  • Cut the chicken breast into small bite-sized chunks. 
  • Next, cut mushroom, onion and bell peppers into similar-sized chunks. Try to get even amounts of all ingredients.
  • Put a large frying pan (or wok) out on medium-hot heat. Place in oil. Once the pan is hot, place in the onion pieces. Stir-fry until onion turns translucent. 
  • Then place in the chicken pieces. Stir-fry until most of the pink is gone. 
  • Now, add in all the other vegetables. Sir-fry everything for 1-2 minutes - until most of the liquid from the veggies has cooked away.
  • Add in Worcestershire Sauce (1T). Stir-fry for 10-seconds. Then add in your Tomato Sauce (3T). Stir around and evenly coat everything.
  • Now add in the Cooked Rice (1 cup). Place in Butter (1T). Stir everything around. Turn off heat. Then add a handful of Cheese into the rice and stir-again. 
  • Put the fried rice into oven-safe bowl(s). 
  • Without guilt, sprinkle-on a layer of cheese on top of the bowls! Give a few shakes of parsley on top for garnish.
  • Place into oven and set on broil. Cook until cheese gets a nice browning! Bon Appetit. 

Lotus Root Tempura

  • Peel the skin-off the lotus root. Cut into bite-sized section (Don't cut them too thin - or else it turn into a potato chip) 
  • Fill a mixing bowl with cold water. Place in vinegar (1T). Then place-in the lotus root pieces. Let them soak for 10 minutes. 
  • While you wait, let's make the tempura batter: Mix flour (2T) with water (1/3 cup). Season with few shakes of salt. Also, add 3-4 good shakes of parsley. Give a thorough stir. 
  • After 10 minutes, drain the water and thoroughly rinse the lotus pieces under the faucet - get the vinegar scent off. Set aside and let it drip-off any excess water.
  • Now, fill a plastic bag with some flour (1/2 cup should be enough). Place the soaked lotus pieces inside. Twist off bag and give it a nice shake. You'll end up with nicely-coated lotus pieces. 
  • Now, take out a large frying pan or wok. Place oil in and place on medium heat.
  • While you wait for the oil to get hot, drop one ice-cube into your tempura mix - to make it extra cold.
  • Then, place each coated lotus root piece into the tempura batter. Carefully place each piece into the hot oil. 
  • Let it fry until you get a slight browning on the pieces. Pick them out and set aside. It's ready to eat. 
  • Optional: Make a soy-sauce dip - mix soy sauce (1T)  with a few drops of vinegar. Add a few shakes of sesame seeds. Bon Appetit!

Notes

  • See video below for more details

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Jjajangbap – My guilty pleasure

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Jjajangbap. After living in Seoul, I’ve now developed a (chronic) jjajangmyeon craving. When I was living in the States, a proper cheeseburger would call my name. But now, I’ve found a new owner – black bean noodles ha! But there’s one drawback with noodles: it always leaves me slightly hungry. It never feel like a proper meal without some rice… (I think it’s also a sign that I am now turning into an ahjussi 🙃). That’s why Jjajangbap is my go-to! It combines black bean sauce and rice in one dish.

Jjajangbap

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Neighbors, I make this dish alot at home. So I’ll add a few cooking notes for your reference.

Few cooking notes to remember:

  • When making Jjajang sauce, remember to fry the chunjang paste. This frying process eliminates the bitter taste in the raw black paste. Fry the paste on a low heat (!)
  • If you’re really hungry and pressed for time, no need to make an omelette. Simply fry an egg sunny-side up. It tastes just as delicious! That’s how I usually eat it 😄
  • When thickening the sauce, add only half of the starch water at first. Then add more if necessary. (Conversely, you can also add some water if the paste gets too chunky)
  • If you like spicy, add a few shakes of gochugaru over the top of your jajang sauce.
  • This sauce will be enough for 2-3 large servings. Save any leftovers in the fridge and just reheat for breakfast.
  • The raw chunjang (black bean) paste should be tied up and stored in the refrigerator after opening. Also, the package usually has enough for 7-8 servings.
Jjajangbap
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Jjajangbap - Black Bean Sauce & Rice

Delicious black bean sauce with a fluffy omelette filled with hot white rice. Sounds delicious no? 
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Pork strips - 200 grams i'm using loin chop
  • Onion - 1 whole medium-sized
  • Potato - 1 whole medium-sized, size of your palm
  • Zucchini - small piece length of your pinky finger
  • Cabbage - few layers
  • Chunjang paste - 4 Tablespoons aka "black bean" paste
  • Water - 1 cup 
  • Sugar - 1 Tablespoon
  • Oyster sauce - 1 Tablespoon
  • Cooked Rice - 1 cup

Pork Seasoning

  • Mirim - 1 Tablespoon optional
  • Salt - few shakes
  • Black pepper - few shakes

Starch Water

  • Water - 3 Tablespoons
  • Corn starch - 3 Tablespoons

Egg Omelette

  • Eggs - 3 whole
  • Spring onion - 1 piece size of your forearm
  • Carrot - small piece

Instructions

Prep ingredients

  • Dice onion, potato, zucchini and cabbage into small pieces. 
  • Cut pork chops into small chunks. Place into a small mixing bowl. Season with mirim (1T), salt and pepper (few shakes). Let it rest for 10 minutes.
  • Take out a large frying pan. Place on medium-high heat. Put in a good amount of cooking oil. Once the pan is hot, place-in the potatoes, onions and pork pieces. Stir it around until the pork pieces loses all the red color on the outside. 
  • Then add-in the zucchini and cabbage pieces. Stir everything around for 2-3 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Turn heat off and empty stir-fry out into a mixing bowl. Set aside for now. Clean frying pan out with a paper towel for next step.

Make JajangSauce

  • Put your frying pan back on a low-heat (!). It will still have residual heat from the previous step. 
  • Then add in 3 Tablespoons of cooking oil. Let it get hot. 
  • Once hot, place the Chunjang paste (4 Tablespoons) into the oil. The paste will gently sizzle in the oil. (Adjust heat if necessary.) Then stir around in the oil for 2 minutes with a wooden spoon. 
  • After 2 minutes, add in the stir-fried veggies into the frying pan. Mix and stir everything together for additional 2 minutes. 
  • Now, add in water (1 cup). Raise the heat to a medium and bring the mixture up to a gentle boil. 
  • Add in sugar (1T) and oyster sauce (1T). 
  • Let the mixture gently boil until the potatoes/zucchini gets soft. Stir occasionally. It should take around 5 minutes. 
  • In the meanwhile, let's make starch water: Mix water (3T) and corn starch (3T)
  • Add in about half of the starch water to thicken the sauce. (Note: When you add the starch water, pour in a circular motion. You don't want it to pour in just one area.) Check the consistency and add more starch water if needed. 
  • Turn off the heat. Grab some rice and place it on a large plate. 

Make Omelette

  • Crack 3 eggs. Stir them together. Then place through a strainer.
  • Dice carrot into small cubes. Cut spring onion into thin slices.
  • Put a small frying pan on medium heat. 
  • Place a good amount of cooking oil in. 
  • Once hot, add the spring onion and carrots in. Let it sizzle in the oil for a few seconds to release its flavor. 
  • Then add in the eggs. Immediately stir the egg mixture around with your chopstick to create curdles. Bring them to the middle of the pan. Once the egg starts to set, don't touch it anymore. Once its 70% fully cooked, use a spatula and lift it out of the pan. Place it over your rice.
  • Spread JajangSauce on the side. Bon Appetit! Enjoy life 🙂

Notes

  • You can replace the pork pieces with beef (or even tofu)
  • See video below for more details

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Korean Vegetable Porridge (Yachae Jook)

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Korean Vegetable Porridge. The weather is cooling down in Seoul. I can feel the cool autumn winds walking up the subway steps.  It’s during this transition from hot-to-cold when people start catching the flu. In Korea, when you fall sick or catch a stomach virus, we eat jook (rice porridge). It’s simple, filling and most importantly very easy on the stomach. The classic recipe is yachae jook – which is made with a few root veggies. Let me show you how:

Korean Vegetable Porridge

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Unlike risotto, jook does not include any butter or cheese. The flavor comes primarily from toasting the minced garlic in the sesame oil, as well as the natural flavors from the root veggies. In comparison to risotto, jook has a very muted flavor. That’s why jook restaurants usually provide a few banchans on the side like pickled veggies or small strips of braised beef (jangjorim). But the point of this dish is not flavor. It’s getting nutrition without the fear of further upsetting your stomach.

However, here are a few taste variables that you can play with:

  • Anchovy-kelp broth: Replace the water with anchovy-kelp broth for a deeper taste. I purposely used water for speed and simplicity. But if you got the time, swap it out!
  • Korean seasoned gim: The salty crispy seaweed blends beautifully with the rice. The more you use, the better it tastes!

Note: There are many different types of jook. We made a egg jook recipe earlier in the year. My other favorite (besides the classic veggie) is abalone juk. That one is so good! I will have to introduce it in the future.

Stay warm and stay funky! Daniel out 🕺

Korean Vegetable Porridge
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Korean Vegetable Porridge (Yachae Jook)

Korea's favorite dish to eat when feeling under-the-weather
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • Cooked Rice - 1 cup
  • Water - 2 cups
  • Carrot - small piece pointer-finger length
  • Zucchini - small piece pointer-finger length
  • Onion - 1/2 a whole
  • Shiitake mushroom - 2 whole

Juk Seasoning

  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Minced garlic - 1 teaspoon !
  • Salt - 1 teaspoon !
  • Gim - 3-4 sheets  garnish
  • Sesame seeds - few shakes garnish

Instructions

  • Chop carrot, zucchini and onion into very small pieces. Cut Shiitake mushroom into small cubes as well.
  • Take out a large pot. Put on medium heat. Place in sesame oil (1 Tablespoon) and minced garlic (1 teaspoon). Once the minced garlic starts to sizzle, turn off the heat to keep it from burning. Use a spatula and mix it around. 
  • Then add in the chopped onions and carrots. Turn the heat back up to a medium. Mix it around until the onions turn translucent.
  • Once onions turns translucent, add in the cooked white rice (1 cup). Stir it around and mix it in evenly.
  • Then pour 1 cup of water. Stir it around occasionally until most of the water has evaporated away. (Don't forget to stir!) 
  • Then add another cup of water. Once it comes back up to boil, add the zucchini and mushroom pieces in. Season with salt (1 teaspoon). Stir it around occasionally until most of the water has evaporated away. 
  • Use a ladle and scoop into a bowl. Garnish the jook with sesame seeds and pieces of gim. Also add a small drizzle of sesame oil as well. Bon Appetit!

Notes

  • Replace water with anchovy-kelp broth for deeper flavor
  • See video below for more detail

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Breakfast Rice Bowls & Sausage Stir-frys

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Breakfast Rice Bowl. It’s my favorite style of breakfast! Today, I want to show you two simple recipes. The first is a simple onion rice bowl. And the second one is a scrambled tofu bowl. We’ll also throw in a sausage stir-fry, one of my favorite childhood dishes. Ya’ll ready for a better breakfast?

Breakfast Bowl

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This Onion Bowl is one of Katie’s favorite breakfast items. This dish is all about combining the natural sweetness of the onion with the saltiness of soy sauce. We will slowly cook down the onions so that they caramelize beautifully. Then, we will spread it gently over a bed of rice. And top it off with a bright, sunny-side-up egg. I mean, what more could you ask for?!

Tofu-Scramble-Bowl

The second bowl is crumbled tofu. This bowl showcases the playfulness of tofu! The tofu first absorbs the rich flavor from the soy sauce and then the kick from the doubanjiang. As it cooks, it clumps-up and mimics minced pork. But with one bite, this ‘meat-imposter’ simply melts aways. It messes with your senses (and expectations). I love it!

Sausage Stirfry

Every child in Korea knows this stir-fry sausage banchan. It’s like the de-facto banchan for children’s dosirak (lunchbox). I still remember a very strong ketchup taste from my childhood days. For our grown-up version, we’ll mix in a spoonful of oyster sauce to the ketchup for a more savory taste.

Pair it with any of the rice bowls above, and you got yourself one mighty breakfast.

Breakfast Rice Bowl
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Onion Rice Bowl, Crumbled Tofu Bowl & Sausage Stir-fry

2 Rice Bowls & 1 Sausage Stir-fry. Sounds like a breakfast party!
Course: Easy
Servings: 1 persons

Ingredients

Onion Rice Bowl

  • Onion - 1 whole
  • Egg - 1 whole
  • Cooked white rice - 1 cup
  • Green onion - small handful garnish

Onion Seasoning

  • Soy Sauce - 2 Tablespoons
  • Honey - 1 Tablespoon
  • Mirim - 1 Tablespoon  or white wine
  • Water - 1 Tablespoon
  • Black pepper - few shakes
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sesame seeds - 1/2 Tablespoon 

Crumbled Tofu Bowl

  • Tofu - 300 grams use medium-firm or firm tofu
  • Spring onion - 1 stalk size of your forearm
  • Egg -  1 whole poached

Tofu Seasoning

  • Soy Sauce - 2 Tablespoons
  • Honey - 1 Tablespoon
  • Mirim - 1 Tablespoon or white wine
  • Ginger powder - 1 pinch or 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
  • Doubanjiang paste - 1 teaspoon or use gochujang
  • Black pepper - few shakes

Sausage Stir-fry Banchan

  • Mini sausages - 200 grams or cut up any sausage you like! 
  • Bell pepper - 1 whole
  • Onion - 1/2 whole
  • Garlic - 3 cloves
  • Sausage seasoning
  • Oyster Sauce - 1 Tablespoon
  • Ketchup - 2 Tablespoons
  • Sugar - 1 teaspoon !
  • Sesame seeds - few shakes

Instructions

Onion Rice Bowl

  • Slice onion into thin strips. Cut green onion into small pieces as well. 
  • Put frying pan on medium heat. Put some oil in it. 
  • Once it's hot, place in the onion slices. Stir-around until onions start to turn translucent.
  • Then add in: Soy Sauce (2T), Honey (1T), Mirim (1T), Water (1T) and Black pepper (few shakes)
  • Stir everything around. Then let it reduce until there is very little liquid left. Turn off the heat. 
  • Add-in sesame oil (1T) and sesame seeds (1/2 T) to the onion mixture.
  • Pour the onion mixture over a bed of rice.
  • Optional: Cook an egg sunny-side-up. Add salt and pepper. Then add on top of the bowl.  
  • Garnish the bowl with green onions. Bon Appetit!

Crumbled Tofu Bowl

  • Take tofu out of the package. Place into a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Then throw out the residual water. Set aside for later. 
  • Cut spring onion into thin slices. 
  • Take out a small bowl and thoroughly mix: Soy Sauce (2T), Honey (1T), Mirim (1T), Ginger Powder (1 pinch). 
  • Put frying pan on medium heat. Place oil in. Once oil is hot, place spring onion pieces in. 
  • Once spring onion pieces start to sizzle, place the tofu block in. Break the tofu block into very small crumbles. (Note: It may take some effort).
  • Then place-in the soy sauce mixture. Stir everything around. Let it simmer and reduce down.
  • Optional: If you like spice, I would highly recommend to add in Doubanjiang paste (1 teaspoon) or Gochujang (1 teaspoon).
  • Once most of the liquid is gone, turn off heat. Add black pepper (few shakes). 
  • Spread your tofu mixture over a bed of hot rice. 
  • Optional: Poach an egg. Season with salt and pepper. Then place on top of the bowl.
  • Garnish the bowl with spring onion slices. Bon Appetit!

Sausage Stir-fry Banchan

  • Make few cuts into the sausage with your knife.
  • Then cut the bell pepper and onion into bite-sized pieces.  Cut garlic cloves into thin slices.
  • Place frying pan on medium-high heat. Place in oil. 
  • Once oil is hot, place garlic slices in. Once the garlic slices get a slight browning on one side, add in the sausages. Stir sausages around until they get a nice crisp. 
  • Then add in the onion and bell pepper pieces. Stir everything around for a minute. Once the onion pieces starts to turn translucent, add in the Oyster Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Ketchup (2 Tablespoons) and Sugar (1 teaspoon).
  • Stir-fry everything around for 10-15 seconds. Turn off heat and plate. 
  • Garnish with sesame seeds. Bon Appetit!

Notes

  • See video for more details

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Korean Temple Cuisine: Gondre Rice & Bellflower Root

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Gondre Rice. Today, we will take a quick peek into the world of Korean temple cuisine. Korean temple cuisine hits all the buzzwords: Slow-food, local, organic, vegan and very seasonal. But rightfully so! It’s healthy, nutritious and has decades of tradition to it. Today, we put a spotlight on Gondre Rice & Seasoned Bellflower Root.

Gondre Rice

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Gondre rice is probably the best-known temple dish among everyday Koreans. In Korea, this dish is called ‘gondre-namul-bap’ (곤드레나물밥). Gondre (aka Korean thistle) grows naturally in the mountainous region of Korea, where Buddhist temples are located. It’s a nutritious wild veggie, filled with β-Carotene, which converts into Vitamin A in your body. But what does it taste like? Well, the stems are tough and rigid. But when they’re soaked and steamed, they turn soft and easy-to-chew. I particularly like gondre because it gives off an herbal tea aroma when its cooked. It awakens your senses.

The second dish is Bellflower Root Namul, also known as ‘doraeji-mamul’ (도라지나물). Bellflower root may look familiar as it’s used in traditional Bibimbap recipes. These roots provide a nice contrasting white color and a super crunchy texture to temple dishes. But how does it taste? The root tastes bitter, similar to ginseng. But when its rubbed in salt, it sweats out that bitter taste. And you’re left with a soft chewy root that adds nice contrast to any (meatless) dish.

Note: In traditional Korean temple cuisine, there are some guidances: First, monks try to avoid five pungent vegetables: onions, garlic, chives, green onions and leeks. Why? They may hinder the monk’s ability to meditate for extended period of time (aka flatulence, upset stomach, etc). In our bellflower root recipe, I used a teaspoon of minced garlic as I think it tastes better. But if you plan to do some extended meditation, skip it! 😁.

Second, Korean Buddhism forbids meat. So there are no animal products in any temple dish – with the exception of dairy.

Alrighty, I’ll stop there so you can get the recipe and cook! But if you want more of these temple banchans, leave a comment.

Enjoy the weekend neighbors! 🙃

Gondre Rice
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Gondre Namul Rice & Bellflower Root Banchan

Gondre Rice is a delicious, aromatic bibimbap using wild thistle. Perfect for light dinners. 
Course: Easy
Servings: 1 people

Ingredients

Gondre Rice

  • Gondre Korean Thistle - 50 grams
  • Rice - 1.5 cups
  • Water - 1.5 cups
  • Perilla oil - 1 Tablespoon or use Sesame oil
  • Soy Sauce - 1 Tablespoon 

Gondre Rice Seasoning

  • Soy Sauce - 3 Tablespoons
  • Minced garlic - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Gochugaru - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame seeds -1 Tablespoon
  • Chopped green onions - 1 stalk

Bellflower Root Namul

  • Bellflower Root - 150 grams
  • Salt - 1 Tablespoon for sweating out the root
  • Minced garlic - 1 teaspoon ! 
  • Salt - few shakes
  • Chopped green onion - few pinches
  • Sesame oil - a drizzle

Instructions

Gondre Rice

  • Soak gondre overnight in a large mixing bowl. (Or at least 5-6 hours if you want to make it on the same day). 
  • Drain the gondre after soaking. Then wash it under running water and give 2-3 thorough washes to get rid of any dirt or debris. Place in strainer. 
  • Then bring a pot of water up to boil. Once its boiling, place the gondre in. Then reduce the heat to a medium. Place the lid on the pot. Let it gently boil for 30 minutes. 
  • While you wait, make your rice: Pour rice (1.5 cups) into a rice bowl. Wash it out 2-3x. Then pour in water (1.5 cups) into the rice bowl. Set aside for later.
  • After 30 minutes, carefully strain the boiled gondre. Rinse gondre under cold water to fully cool it down. Place in strainer. 
  • Then use your hands and squeeze out the water from the boiled gondre.
  • Next, use a knife and cut the gondre lumps into smaller pieces (make rough chops). 
  • Now, place the gondre pieces into a mixing bowl. Season it with Perilla Oil (1T) and Soy Sauce (1T). Mix it with your hands and coat it evenly.
  • Next, use your chopsticks and place the gondre over your rice bowl. Then, I would recommend putting in 2-3 additional dashes of water into the rice bowl (reference video).
  • Place rice bowl into electric rice cooker. Start the machine 🙂
  • Next, make the rice seasoning: Mix all of the listed ingredients under 'Gondre Rice Sesaoning'
  • Once the rice is done cooking, use a rice paddle or wooden spatula and mix the gondre at the top with the rice at the bottom.
  • Place mixed rice into bowl. Serve with a few spoonfuls of the Rice Seasoning. Bon Appetit!

Bellflower Root Namul

  • If you bought the dried roots, soak them overnight (or 8-10 hours). 
  • After soaking, give a quick wash and strain them again. Then throw in salt (1 Tablespoon) and rub over the roots. Set aside for 5-10 minutes so the roots can sweat out the bitter flavor. 
  • Bring pot of water up to boil. Once it's boiling, blanche the roots for 30 seconds. Then strain them and rinse under cold water. 
  • Next, split any large root piece into smaller pieces with your hands. Throw out any rigid, stale pieces. 
  • Then squeeze the water out of the roots (don't forget this step!)
  • Place a frying pan on medium heat. Place oil in. Once its hot, place minced garlic in (1 teaspoon). Once you can smell the garlic, place the roots in. Stir around for 1 minute. Turn the heat off.
  • Then season with a few shakes of salt. And few pinches of green onion. As well as a drizzle of sesame oil. 
  • Plate and enjoy!

Notes

  • See video below for more details

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Garlic Soy Sauce Pork Strips & Doenjang Chili Peppers

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Garlic Soy Sauce Pork. Today, we’ll make one of my favorite comfort dishes. It’s pork strips marinated in a salty, sweet and garlic-infused soy sauce. The leftover braising sauce is just too good. It’ll make you wolf down your rice in minutes, which is both a good and bad thing. For banchan, we will toss chopped green chili in a rich doenjang paste. Pair the two dishes together and you got yourself a mighty fine meal. Oh, and don’t forget the fried egg!

Garlic Soy Pork Strips

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My favorite part of this meat dish is actually the garlic cloves. After braising for some time, the garlic cloves lose most of their potency and turns very soft, almost like mini mashed potatoes. The braised garlic provides a slight, aromatic flavor to balance out the salty-sweet flavor of the soy-sauce. It’s perfect with some white rice.

Today’s chili pepper dish is better known as gochu muchim (고추무침) in Korea. It’s a popular banchan, often served at K-BBQ restaurants, to help customer refresh their palate. So type of peppers should I use? Try to find Poot Gochu (풋고추) if you live near a Korean mart. Another option is a Korean pepper called Oi gochu (오이고추). This one is even milder than Poot Gochu and works well too. However, do not use Cheongyang Chili Peppers (청양고추) for this banchan. It’s much too spicy – one bite will have you looking like you stepped outside of a sauna!

Alright, enjoy this comfort meal! Allow it to help you kick off a fun, relaxing weekend. 🕺

Garlic Soy Sauce Pork
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Garlic Soy Braised Pork Strips + Doenjang Chili Peppers

One of my favorite pork dishes (Easily Top 3!)
Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Garlic Soy Sauce Pork Strips

  • Pork neck - 400 grams pork chops are ok too! 
  • Garlic - a big handful no need to be exact
  • Mirim - 1 Tablespoon or use white wine
  • Ginger powder - 1/2 teaspoon Or use freshly grated ginger
  • Herb Salt - 1/2 Tablespoon Or use regular salt
  • Sesame seeds - few shakes for garnish, optional

Braising Sauce

  • Soy Sauce - 3 Tablespoons
  • Sugar - 1 Tablespoon
  • Honey - 2 Tablespoons
  • Minced garlic - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Oyster sauce - 1 Tablespoon
  • Mirim - 2 Tablespoons
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Water - 1/4 cup

Doenjang Chili Peppers

  • Mild green chili peppers - 6-7
  • Minced garlic - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Honey - 1 Tablespoon
  • Doenjang - 1 Tablespoon
  • Gochujang - 1 teaspoon !
  • Sesame oil - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Sesame seeds - few shakes

Instructions

Garlic Soy Sauce Pork Strips

  • Cut pork into bite-sized strips. Place into a mixing bowl. Then place in Mirim (1 Tablespoon), Ginger Powder (1/2 teaspoon) and herb salt (1/2 Tablespoon). Use your hands and thoroughly coat the meat. Set the meat aside to marinate for at 15 minutes. 
  • Take out another mixing bowl. Whisk together all of the listed ingredients under "Braising Sauce".
  • Cut the stem part off each garlic clove. Look for any impurities as well (if any). 
  • Place oil into a frying pan. Place on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, place garlic cloves in. Mix around until they get a slight browning on one side. 
  • Then place in the marinated meat. Allow the meat to develop a slight browning on one side as well. Then place in the braising sauce. Now, reduce the heat to a low heat!
  • Place a lid on the frying pan. And allow it to gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. 
  • Once the sauce thickens up enough (reference video), plate it and garnish with sesame seeds.
  • Serve with a bowl of hot rice and perhaps a fried egg on top 🙂 

Doenjang Chili Peppers

  • Cut chili peppers into small bite-sized pieces.
  • Take out mixing bowl and thoroughly whisk: Minced garlic (1/2T), Honey (1T), Doenjang (1T), Gochujang (1 teaspoon), Sesame oil (1/2T) and sesame seeds (few shakes).
  • Then mix in the chili peppers and coat each piece evenly. 
  • Bon Appetit! Enjoy the weekend 🙂

Notes

  • Feel free to replace pork with beef
  • See video below for more details

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Doenjang Bibimbap & Dotorimuk (Korean Acorn Jelly)

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Doenjang Bibimbap. This has been our go-to lunch for the last few weeks. It’s a simple meal that is quick, healthy and best of all, light on your stomach. In this recipe, we will simmer doenjang paste in a light broth until it turns chunky. Then toss in fresh tofu and spread it over a bowl of hot rice. Ultimate Korean comfort food!

Doenjang Stew - Simple

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This dish reminds me of lazy summer days in the early 90’s. My mom would leave for work and I would find nothing in the fridge. But there would be a pot of leftover doenjang stew on the stove from the previous night. I would put the leftover stew on high heat and throw-in a spoonful of rice. Then fry up an egg and throw that into the pot as well. Then mix everything together and make a quick-and-dirty bibimbap. With some Kimchi on the side, it’s the very definition of comfort food to me.

The key step in this Doenjang Bibimbap is to give the deonjang stew enough time to simmer and reduce. That’s because we’ve added alot of strong, complex flavors: pungent doenjang, fresh minced garlic and spicy gochujang. If you taste the soup in the beginning, you’ll be like “ahh, what is this?”. But after 10-15 minutes of boiling, you’ll be like “ahh, exactly this!”

(Note: In Korea, the proper name for this dish is gang-doenjang-bibimbap (강된장비빔밥).  The gang (강) means “strong”)

Alrighty, enjoy ya’ll! Dan-yul out 🕺

Doenjang Bibimbap
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Doenjang Bibimbap & Dotorimuk Banchan

A simple, hearty bibimbap that brings out the flavors of fresh doenjang. 
Course: Easy
Servings: 1 people

Ingredients

Doenjang Bibimbap

  • Tofu - 1/2 block 150 grams
  • Zucchini - 1/3 length of your pointer finger
  • Onion - 1/2 
  • Shiitake Mushrooms - 2
  • Spring onion - 1 stalk length of your forearm
  • Cheongyang chili pepper - 2 peppers or use 1 Jalapeno

Doenjang Seasoning

  • Doenjang - 2 Tablespoons
  • Gochujang - 1/2 Tablespoon
  • Minced garlic - 4 teaspoons not Tablespoon!
  • Anchovy-Kelp Broth - 1 cup

Dotorimuk Banchan

  • Dotorimuk acorn jelly - 400 grams 
  • Soy sauce - 2 Tablespoons
  • Vinegar - 2 Tablespoons
  • Sugar - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
  • Sesame seeds - 1 Tablespoon
  • Seaweed sheets - 5-8 

Instructions

Prep Bibimbap:

  • You'll want to eat with rice, so get some rice started.
  • Now for prep: Cube tofu piece into small blocks. Then cube the zucchini, onion and shiitake mushrooms into small pieces. Next, cut the chili peppers and spring onion into thin slices as well.
  • Place a pot on medium heat. Then place in the zucchini, onion, and Shiitake mushrooms pieces. Stir around and sweat the vegetables for 1 minute. 
  • Then add-in the Doenjang (2 Tablespoon), Gochujang (1/2 Tablespoon), Minced Garlic (4 teaspoon). Mix it all around in the pot. 
  • Then add in the anchovy-kelp broth (1 cup)
  • Raise the heat to a medium-high and let the stew simmer and reduce for at least 10 minutes. Stir the pot once in a while as it reduces.
  • Once lot of the liquid has reduced (you'll see larger bubbles), add in the tofu cubes and chili peppers slices. Let it reduce for 3 more minutes. 
  • Once the soup turns chunky, it's finished. Get a ladle and scoop over a bed of hot rice. Bon Appetit!

Make Dotorimuk

  • Put water into a pot and bring up to boil. Blanche the dotorimuk for 1 minute. Then slice into bite-sized squares.
  • Use your hands and shred-up the seaweed sheets.
  • Make dressing by mixing: Soy Sauce (2T), Vinegar (2T), Sugar (1T), Sesame Oil (1T), Sesame Seeds (1T) and Seaweed Sheets (5-8 sheets). Thoroughly mix everything together.
  • Use your chopsticks to place some of the seaweed sheets over the dotorimuk. Then drizzle the dressing over all the pieces. Bon Appetit!

Notes

  • Feel free to add some beef or seafood into the stew
  • If stew tastes too salty, add some water or broth. If it tastes too bland, add more doenjang paste.
  • See video below for more details

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