Braised Tofu(두부조림)

I guess it is the only dish in the world that braises tofu with soy sauce. I am living in New Zealand and it is a multi-cultural country. So I could taste a range of cuisines from Thai to Mediterranean but I never encountered this kind of dish at any restraunt in New Zealand. It is very unique dish outside Korea but common there in Korea and I am very prouf of knowing how to make it.

Ingredients

tofu (cut in any size but the thickness should be around 1cm)

onion (cut in halves or quarters)

braising sauce

3 tbsps of soy sauce

1 tsp of salt

3 tbsps of water

1 tsp of sesame oil (optional)

2 tbsps of red chili powder (optional)

2 cloves of garlic crushed (optional)

3 small pieces of chili (optional)

Instruction

Mix all the ingredient for braising sauce and set aside. Make one onion layer on the bottom of a wide pot for keeping tofu from sticking on the pot. Make one Tofu layer and spread brasing sauce enought to cover. Repeat it until Tofu is finished. If you run out of the sauce make more following above. Add three table spoon of water to the bottom of the pot and bring to boil. Once it boils simmer it at low heat around 15 minutes.

Tips

- You can pan fry the tofu before braising if you like it crispy and my family love this way.

- I usually keep soy sauce dip at hand and use it for braising. Just mix 3 tbsps of soy sauce dip and 1 tsp of salt then start braising.

k- LunchBox

My children like rice for their lunch so I often pack their lunch box with rice.

Here are some examples for the lunch box with rice.

Triangle Seaweed Wrap

Rice Balls

seaweed rice rolls

Fried Rice.
Recipes for fried rice.

KellBeing Dairy Free

There are not much dairy involvement in Korean cooking even though Korean people drink milk more nowadays. Even nowadays dairy food such as cheese, butter or cream are counted as treat for Korean people rather than everyday food. My promise as a blogger is that every single dish in this blog is absolutely dairy free.

k-Breakfast

NO cooking for breakfast, please!

I don't usually cook for breakfast because I always have cooked rice and more than 3 ready-to-eat dishes in the fridge so I can set breakfast like below in minutes.

If I feel very cold I make soup for dinner and leave some for breakfast and my family are more than happy to have their breakfast with rice and a bowl of any soup. Here are some examples of soups my family like.

Rice porridge is another kind of my family's breakfast. When we feel like some soup but don't have any I just make it. It is easy and good food to start a day. Here is the recipe for the rice poridge.

KellBeing Gluten Free

Here are some examples of absolute Korean gluten free options from this blog but that's not all I can suggest you to get Korean gluten free. Actually you can try out all dishes in this blog to get Korean gluten free if you can get gluten free sauce and flour. But the problem is how you can get gluten free sauce and flour. Let me explain about it step by step.

- Get gluten free soy sauce for dishes using soy sauce.
I could find out gluten free soy sauce at most big supermarkets in N.Z.

- Get gluten free red chili paste for dishes using red chili paste.
Recently red chili paste made from rice has been introduced at most Korean supermarket and I believe it is much closer to gluten free than red chili paste made from wheat flour.

- Get gluten free soybean paste for dishes using soy bean paste.
I used to make soybean paste in Korea and I believe soybean paste made in a traditional way is totally gluten free as it needs only soybeans, salt and water.

- Get gluten free flour such as rice flour for Korean pan cakes.
Gluten free flour is wildly available at any supermarket.

- Get gluten free noodles such as rice noodles for Korean noodles.

- Try Kimchi with NO fish sauce and try out dishes using Kimchi.

How to Cook Rice

how to cook rice

This is Bap, which means cooked rice in Korean. It is the most important part of Korean food because eating Korean means eating Bap with one more dish. For people who find hard to cook rice let me explain here how to cook rice.


1. Put rice as much as you want in a deep bowl (about 1/2cup per person) and wash the rice under the cold water until you get clean water running.

2. Pour in water. Measure the water regarding the amount of the rice in volume. Two times for white rice/three times for the brown rice). Then stand it at least 15minutes to soften the rice. Bring to boil with the lid on.

3. Once it boils lower the heat to medium and boil it with the lid open until all the water disappears(It will take about 5 minutes). Only white rice needs this step so for the brown rice go to the next step.

4. Close the lid and lower the heat to low and simmer until you get the best tenderness to your taste( about 5 minutes for white rice 20 minutes for the brown rice). Drain the remaining water for the brown rice.

5. Remove the pot from the heat. Leave the cooked rice for 5 minutes to make it softer with the lid on.

6. Trnasfer the cooked rice to another container(not plastic, though) and fluff it gently with a big fork otherwise all the rice get stuck together.

Tips

- I use medium grain rice in N.Z but I think medium grain rice is called short grain rice in U.S.
- If you want you can add other grains such as black beans, kidney beans, barley, etc, and wash them together with rice and soak them in the cold water more than 30 minutes. You'd better to try the other grains with a handful of amount then increase as you feel confident to cook them. Some hard grains such as red beans need to be cooked before cooking with rice.
- Keep the cooked rice in the fridge for use of within a week and in the freezer for later than a week then warm it in the microwave(for about two minutes) just before eating.

Anchovy Stock Icecubes

Omelette(계란말이)

Easy, quick and yummy. It can be a good meal with some cooked rice. My kids love it.

Ingredient
eggs (1 for each person)

chopped carrots, spring onions

salt


Process
Mix egg, salt and chopped vegetables and pour the egg mixture in a frying pan and spread it evenly with spetula. and start rolling when it is half done.

Tips
- Use two spoons or spetulats for rolling.
- You can add seafood such as squid or prawn in the mixture if you want.

Pumpkin Poridge(호박죽)

Cooked pumpkin is mixed with rice flour, salt and sugar to make this my daughter's favourite porridge. She likes it cold in Summer and warm in Winter.

Ingredients

5 cups of peeled and cored pumpkin.
1/2 cup of sticky rice flour(at Korean shop '찹쌀가루')
10 cups of water for boiling the pumpkin
1 cup of water for the rice flour mixture
salt, sugar for seasoning

Instruction
1. Boil the pumpkin and mash it down.
- Put the pumpkin and the water in a deep pot and bring to boil.
- Once it boils set the heat at medium and simmer the pumpkin until smooth (It will take around 10 minutes.).
- Mash down the simmered pumpkin down with the back of any big flat spoon. 

2. Seasoning 
Mix salt and sugar in the pumpkin liquid for your liking.

3. Thickening
- Put the rice flour and the water in a bowl and mix them until you get runny mixture.
- Pour the rice flour mixture in the pot with keep stirring.
- It is done when you see some bubbles popping out on the surface(Be careful not to get the hot bubbles on you because it is burning hot.).
- Keep stirring three more minutes(If it gets too thick put some boiled water and mix until combined.).
- Turn off the heat and open the lid straight away. Otherwise you get water drippings from the lid and it will make the porridge loose the stickiness.

Tips
- If you don't have rice flour you can make it home. Just wash the white rice( need rice about 1/2 cup per each cup of cooked pumpkin) and soak in a cold water for 15minutes. Then blend it with a blender until you get the runny rice mixture.
     

Seasoned Soybean Sprout(콩나물)

Soybean sprouts are the most popular vegetable in Korea. If not at least mine! Whenever I go food shopping I buy Tofu and soybean sprouts and I don't need to worry about  what to eat for the whole week! You can enjoy it with cooked rice as your meal and you can have Bibimbap if you want something special.

Ingredient

1 packet of soybean sprout
salt for seasoning(you can add any seasoning you want such as crushed garlic, red pepper powder, roasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, chopped spring onion)

Instruction
Wash the soybean sprout and drain it. Put the washed soybean sprout In a deep pot and add two tbsp of water and bring to boil with the lid on. Once it boils set the heat at medium and cook another five more minutes. Transfer the cooked soybean sprouts immediately in a mixing bowland season.


Tips
- Keep the lid on all the way through cooking for the better flavour.
- If you like crispy you can wash the cooked rice in the cold water. Tehn drain and season.

Cabbage Kimci

Kimchi is one of the staple food in Korean food alongside with the Bap(cooked rice). Korean people often say Kimchi and one bowl of Bap are enough for a meal.

Do you know your liking saltiness? If you do you can make Kimchi! I have been making Kimchi more than 15 years and I have find that if I can marinate cabbages at my liking saltiness I can make tasty Kimchi as I usually suceed making Kimchi no mather how much seasons I put in it. I believe that with fermentation process most Kimchi developes good flavour regardless how good my skills are. Of course there are chefs who can make masterpiece Kimchi but over all I would say anybody can make it. Two good things about making Kimchi are that we can keep it more than two months in the fridge, which means we have this ready-to-eat dish in the fridge for more than two months and that we can make a wide range of dishes with Kimchi. Here are some examples of dishes you can make with Kimchi.

Ingredients

cabbage

spring onion(about 2 stems per each cabbage),

garlic(about 10 cloves per each cabbage, crushed),

ginger(about 1 thumbnail-sized per each cabbage, crushed),

onions(about 1 per 5 cabbages, cut in thin stripes),

coarse salt for marinatiing

salt, sugar, red chili powder for seasoning,

fish sauce(optional, skip for gluten free)

Instruction

Cut the cabbages into bite sizes and put it in a big bowl. Wash them once in cold water and drain the water. Put one layer of the cabbage in the bowl and sprinkle the coarse salt over it until you finish the cabbages. Stand it around 20 minutes then toss the cabbages gently. Then stand it another ten minutes and wash them in cold water until the water runs clean and drain the water. and set it aside. In the bowl put spring onionm garlic, ginger the marinated cabbage and season with your liking then mix them slowly.

Tips

- Marinating: The crucial factor for making tasty Kimchi is how well the cabbage is marinated. Here are some tips for marinating the cabbage.

Salt amount: Two times more than the amount of the salt you would sprinkle on your fried egg or steak.

Marinating time To get the right saltiness taste it every five minutes after 20 minutes marinating until you get the right saltiness to your taste.

- Keeping the Kimchi: If you like Kimch fresh you'd better keep it in the fridge right after making it. If you like Kimchi a bit fermented flavour you can leave the fresh Kimchi in the room temperature until you get the right flavour and keep it in the fridge. It will keep at least one month in the fridge.

- Fish sauce: Even though fish sauce has a big role on Korean Kimci I am happy to make Kimchi without fish sauce. I just season with salt and sugar. 

Rice Balls(주먹밥)

I make it especially for my son who likes the bite sized rice. The easiest one is that you just season the cooked rice with some salt and make rice balls with you hands.

Ingredients
cooked rice
any seasoning you like: salt,
roasted sesame seeds and baked seaweed crumbs.
any oil, pepper...

Instruction
Mix cooked rice and seasonings in a bowl and mix them well. Make balls by hands.

Tips
- If you want to put other ingredients such as fried egg, fried tuna, in it you'd better chop them finely or the balls breaks easily.
- If you want you can coat the balls anything you like such as baked seaweed crumbs, crushed nuts after making the balls like shown at right.

Triangle Seaweed Wrap(삼각김밥)

I make it especially for my duaghter who likes the seaweed, rice and her luch box tidy. I find it is much easier and faster to make than seaweed rolls.

Ingredients
Triangle seaweed wraps(You can find it at any asian supermatket. You can also buy the triangle mold there)
Seasonings you like such as salt, oil, vinegar, sugar
Cooked rice
For the fillings you can use anything you have if you can sqeeze out some juice of it and chop it. Here are some fillings that my kids love.

Stir-fried Kimchi
Chop some kimchi and sqeeze it to loose the juice and stir fry.

Hot beef mince
Stir fry beef mince and chopped onions(or spring onions) and toss in red chili paste. Recipe

Stir-fried Tuna
Use tuna in spring water and sqeeze out the water and stir fry it with some spring onions.

Stir-fried Chicken
Chop the chicken and stir fry it with some chopped onions or spring onions and add in soy sauce.

 
Instruction
In a bowl mix rice with seasonings to your taste. Take out one seaweed wrap and put the triangle mold on it positioning one edge right in the middle of the wrap. Fill the seasoned rice half of the mold and add the fillings on it and one more rice layer. Then press the rice with the mold lid(It usually has a handle on it to make easier to press the rice). And wrap the rice as instructed on the seaweed wrap packet.

Tips

- If you find hard to bite the wrap just like my son you can make the triangle rice without the wrap and wrap it with baked seaweed crumbs like shown at right.

- You can make the fillings in a big batch to cover the whole week and keep it in the fridge.

Seasoned Spinach(시금치나물)

Soybean sprouts and spinach are the most popular vegetables for salad in Korea. Korean people believe seasoned vegetables are a good way to eat vegetables without losing much nutrition in them as this cooking involves minimum cooking.

Ingredient

1 bunch of spinach
crushed garlic, chopped spring onion, salt, roasted sesame seeds, sesame oil for seasoning

Instruction
Wash the spinach. Pour enough water to cover the spinach in a pot and bring to boil. Once it boils add the spinach and cook until soft(about 2 minutes) then season to your taste. 

Tips

- Be aware that the spinach is softer in Spring than in other seasons so it takes less time to cook than other seasons.

Soy Sauce Dip

I always have this dip in the fridge for dippings of pan cakes, acompany of any noodle soup or sauce of any soy sauce braised dish such as braised Tofu. If I have some baked seaweed and I have them with this dip with rice and it becomes a meal for me.


Ingredients
soy sauce
spring onion, red chilli powder
garlic, chili


Instruction
Mix 1 cup of Soy Sauce, 1/2 cup of chopped spring onion, 2 Tbsps of red chilli powder together. Add in crushed garlic or chopped chili to your taste.

Tips
- Keep them in a jar in the fridge and it will last more than one month.

Baked Seaweed Crumbs

This is my favourite decoration and seasoning in Korean food. I make it about twenty layers of seaweed at once and keep it in an air tight prastic bag or container. Here are some examples of using baked seaweed crumbs.

Instruction

Clean the stove top and grill the seaweed on the stove until crispy( about 3 secons each side). Keep it in an air-tight container in the freezer.

Tip

- I make it about more than 20 layers seaweed at one batch.

- You can use the grill in the oven but need to keep on eye on it not to get burnt.

Roasted Sesame Seeds(볶은깨)

Roast sesame seeds are my favourite decoration and seasonning along with baked seaweed crumbs. Korean people use roasted sesame seeds as we believe it gives more flavour than the raw seeds. It is used in most of Korean Salad and decoration for any food. You can buy it any Korean supermarket. If you can't find it don't worry. It is easy to make.

Instruction
Roast raw sesame seeds until brown on high heat. Once the pan gets burning high lower the heat to medium high and keep stiring the sesame seeds.

Tips
- If you have the raw sesame seeds that have some dirt then you need to wash them and get the dirt out. Then before roasting dry the seeds so that you can save the time.
- You'd better to use a deep frying pan that is too old to use for frying, as it gets quite hot and the bottom of the pan gets a bit burnt.
- Make it in a big batch and keep it in an air tight bottle in the room teperature. It can be kept more than two months that way.

Bibimbap(비빔밥)

This dish is called 'bibimbap' in Korean, which means Bap(cooked rice) mixed with vegetables. You can make it with any vegetables you like stir-fried or raw. I usually put seasoned soybean sprouts, stir-fried carrots, seasoned spinach and fried egg on the top. 

Ingredients
1 packet of soybean sprouts

1 bunch of spinach
carrot
eggs ( one per person)
oil
red chili paste
sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds.

Instruction

Make seasoned soybean sprouts and seasoned spinach. Cut other vegetables in thin stripes and stir fry the striped carrot. Fry eggs and put cooked rice in a bowl with on top with the seasoned vegetables and fried egg. Serve warm with red pepper paste.

Tips
- I also put some fresh lettuce or cucumber if I have some.

Vegetable Fried-Rice(야채볶음밥)

I cook fried rice when I have some cooked rice left and don't know what to cook. I get any vegetable and seafood I have then stir fry them all. My kids love cashew nuts in it. However I cook fried rice less than once a week as I believe eating rice without frying is healthier than with frying.

Ingredients

Anything you have such as egg, potato, onion, carrot, broccoli, beans, squid ring, prawns, cashew nuts, crushed peanuts, pine nuts.

Oil, cooked rice, salt, pepper

Instruction 

Stir fry any vegetable and seafood you like and add in cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in any nut.

Tips

- To make fried egg pieces tear fried egg into pieces using spatulas when the fried egg is nearly half done.

- If potatos get stuck on the frying pan sprinkle some salt on cut potatoes and set aside for two or three minutes. Then  wash and drain it.

Vegetable Pancake(야채부침게)

There is a Korean saying that cook pan cakes when it rains. I am not sure why but I guess when it rains we don't have much thing to do inside so make yummy foods and enjoy together to stay insidde, maybe? Anyway when it rains my kids ask me to cook it.

Ingredients

any vegetable such as potato, onion, carrot, spring onion, courgette( cut in thin stripes)

seafood such as squid, prawn

oil

batter
1 flour,
1 cup of liquid made of any of combination of water,egg and any juice you like
salt to your taste

Instruction

Put the batter ingredient in a mixing bowl and whisk quickly. It should runny like crepe batter. Add any ingredient in. Mix and season with salt if needed. Heat the frying pan on high and add oil. Put some batter on the pan and spread the batter evenly. Tip the batter over when the edge brown. Cook for another minute and serve it immediately.

Tips

- When you make the batter mix it quickly by a wire whisk or it gets lumpy.

- Cook the pancakes on high but not burning hot so you will have to adjust the heat while cooking.

- Korean pancakes tend to be less than 0.5 cm thick so try to make it as thin as you can manage to tip the pan cakes over.

Bulgogi Broth(불고기전골)

This dish is made with Bulgogi and while Bulgogi cna be a great dish for dinner itself I still make this broth when I want to have my family around the table and take enough time to enjoy the meal and the time together. You can prepare any vegetables and noodles you like.

Ingredients
uncooked Bulgogi
any vegetables,
any cooked noddles,
soy sauce, salt, sugar, pepper to your taste
any stock you have(I use just water, though)

Instruction
Set the table as above with all the ingredients. In a bit deep pan(about 5cm deep) pour in enough water to cover the half of the pan and bring to boil. Once it boils add in as much uncooked Bulgogi as you like and keep boiling. When the Bulgogi is half done season the add in soy sauce, salt, sugar, pepper to your taste and lower the heat to low. Add in any ingrdient if anything runs out.

Tip
- Add water and season again when you run out of the stock while eating.
- I like to turn the heat down to as low as possible so that we can have more time to talk.

Bok Choy Kimchi(청경채김치)

 

Once I made Kimci with bok choy and it was as tasty as Kimchi made of cabbage. I find making bok choy Kimch much faster than making cabbage Kimchi as bok choys are much faster to marinate than cabbages. Making Bok Choy Kimchi is all the same as cabbage Kimchi excepting it takes a little less time for marinating. See recipe for cabbage Kimchi.

Turnip Salad(무생채)

 

 

 

This dish is loved by Korean people especially in the beginning of spring as we think it stimulates our appetite after loosing some appetite during long Winter without much fresh vegetables. It is a good side dish for dinner. It also makes Bibimbap special. It is more than enough for me having my meal with it with some cooked rice.

 

Ingredients

turnip

spring onion

garlic, red chili powder for seasoning

 

Instruction

Cut turnip in thin stripes and put them in a bowl and season with salt. Leave it about for 5 minutes to loose some water. Then add in spring onions, garlic. Mix them well.

 

Tips

- You can add some vinegar and sugar if you want.

- Keep in the fridge and it will keep at least one week.

- To garnish it I use spring onions cut in thin stripes.

 

 

Turnip Soup(무국)

Any soup can't get plainer than this dish. When I had had enough of sweet or oil I make it and my tastebud gets refreshed, again!

Instruction
Just cut the turnip in slices and put it in a pot with about three times of the cut turnip and brin to boil. Once it boils season with salt and add in spring onions. Cook another 5 more minutes at medium heat.

Tips
- I like adding some salted prawn(at Korean shop '새우젓') to add some sea flavour. 

Baked Seaweed (구운김)

It is a dish I always keep in the freezer and I set the table with it with some rice and soy sauce dip and a meal served.

Instruction

Clean the stove top and grill the seaweed on the stove until crispy and break them into crumbs by hands. Keep it in an air-tight container in the freezer.

Tips

- I make it about more than 20 layers seaweed at one batch.

- You can use the grill in the oven but need to keep on eye on it not to get burnt.

Mild Rice Cake Sticks(궁중떡볶이)

It is called 'rice cake sticks for a king in Korea'. Let me explain why. The main ingredient of this dish is rice cake sticks(the white things in the photo) and the normal version food made of it is hot rice cake sticks, which is very hot and no meat in it at all. The kings in Korea must have hated this nothing but hot food so they asked the royal cooks to make a mild dish with it. At last the cooks made this dish with some beef and no red chili paste in it and the kings lived happily ever after. My son is happy, too as he doesn't like hot food.

Ingrdients
rice cake sticks ( at Korean shop, '떡볶이')
carrots, spring onions, onions
beef strips ( any part tender)
soy sauce for seasoning

Instruction
Cut the beef in stripes and season with soy sauce and sit if for five minutes. Stir fry vegetables and the seasoned beef. When the beef is half done season with soy sauce then toss in rice cake sticks.

Tips
- You can substitude the beef with chicken or any meat you like.
- When you have frozen rice cake sticks thaw them in a cold water at least 15 minutes and seperate the sticks to each.

Bulgogi(불고기)

It is called Bulgogi in Korea, which means fire beef. The beef is marinated with soy sauce, sugar,pepper and garlic overnight and at the party on the next day it is grilled on the charcoal or stir fried. There is no party in Korea without Bulgoi and it is the most popular Korean food outside Korea, as well.

serves 4

 

Ingredients

1 kg of beef (sliced thinly)

2 onions, 1 carrots

for marinating

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1/4 cup of water

2 tbsp of sugar

5 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tsp of sesame oil

a pinch of black pepper

Instruction

Mix all the marinating ingredients in a bowl and add in the beef. Cover all the beef slice with taking care of the beef slices not to break in pieces and sit overnight in the fridge. Stir fry the vegetables and set aside. Stir fry the marinated beef. When the beef is nealy done adjust the season. Toss in the stir-fried vegetables.

Tips

- The beef for Bulgogi is usually sliced very thinly so I usually buy tehm at any Korean butcher. If you can't find any buy any tender parts such as scothch fillet or sirloin fillet and cut them in stripes. When I came to New Zealand I didn't know where to buy the beef so I just cut the beef in stripes and it was as tasty as the sliced beef.

- Korean people usually add crushed onions, apple or pear for marinating to make the beef tenderer.

- You can buy the marinating sauce at any Korean grocery shop

Kimchi Pancake(김치전)

Korean people can make this dish in 10 minutes as they always have Kimchi in the fridge and flour at the pantry. Some people including my son don't like the Kimchi flavour saying it tastes too strong but the cooked Kimchi tastes totally different from the fresh Kimchi. Especially this dish tastes tender so my son loves it so much that he can finish about 3 whole pan cakes by himself. For the recipe see Vegetable Pancake.

Seaweed Platters(LA김밥)

Set a big plate with any vegetable, seafood meat you like. Prepare lots of seaweed and soy sauce. Wrap all the ingreidents in the seaweed and enjoy with soy sauce and wasabi if you like.

Tips
Cuccumber, carrots, capssicum, pickled turnip(at Korean shop,'단무지'), egg, avocado, salmon, stir-fried chicken are my family's favourite for this platter.

Boiled Pork(보쌈)

Big pork belly chucks are boiled in water for more than 30 minutes to make this healthy pork dish. It is often enjoyed with the salted prawn dip(right in the photo). It is called 'sae-woo-jert' in Korean, which means 'salted prawn'. It is made from baby prawns after heavily seasoned with salt and then it is fermented for a while(more than one month). You can buy it at any Korean shop. I like eating this dish with Kimchi or lettuce with some soybean paste on it.

Ingredients
pork belly chunks(preferably 10X4X4 cm)
Kimchi

salted prawn dip
2 tsp of salted prawn (at Korean shop '새우젓')
5 tsp of water
sesame seeds, red chili powder to garnish

Instruction
Put the pork in a deep pot with enough water to covet it. Bring to boil and once it boils cook it at low medium heat until the meat gets soft (about 30 minutes). Drain it and cut in slices when cooled down. Serve with salted prawn dip Kimchi or any wrap you like.

Tips
- If you serve it later you'd better to boild the drained pork one more time and then cut or heat the cut pork in the microwave if you already cut the pork.
- I put one tsp of coffee granules and one tsp of soybean paste to get rid of the strong taste of the pork meat.

Noodles with Sea Mustard Soup

 

I made this dish with the left-over of sea mustard soup. Just I added some vegetables, noodles, water and salt to the soup.

Rice Cake Balls(경단)

Cooked rice balls are coated with sponge cake crumbs. The brown-ish balls in the middle are coated with a mix of sponge cake crumbs, cocoa powder and a pinch of  cinnamon powder. If you are willing to take 30 half an hour these beautiful-and-taste-is-more-beautiful balls are you and your family's.

serves 4
Ingredients
2 cup of sticky rice flour(at Korean shop '찹쌀가루')
small amount of water only enough to make a dough (about 3 tsps per one cup of flour)
any coating you like here are coatings my kids like
- grounded roasted soy beans
- grounded roasted peanuts
- grounded pinenuts
- sponge cake crumbs

Instruction
Make the sticky rice flour dough and make balls. The balls are added into the the pot of boiling water. When the balls are floated on the surface of the boiling water it means they are cooked. Wash them in the cold water and drain. Coat with any coating you like.

Tips
- Make balls as big as you want. My son even tried big-egg sized balls and it worked dramatically.
- Most sticky rice flour is sold seasoned with salt. If not season with salt to your taste.

Kimchi Casserole with Pork Chunks(김치찜)

The idea of this dish comes from Kimchi stew. Kimchi stew being one of the most popular stew in Korea and this dish is more like a for-special-occasions version of Kimchi stew. It needs exactly the same ingredient as Kimchi stew but it feels rather special than Kimchi stew.

Ingredients
400g of pork (belly part, cut in chunks)
fermented Kimchi


Instruction
Put the pork chunks in a deep pot and layer Kimchi on it. Pour one cup of Kimci juice and add enough water to cover half of the ingredients and bring to boil. Once it boils simmer it at low medium heat for at least 30 minutes or until the pork done.

Tips
- I add some anchovy stock icecubes for deeper flavour. You can add any stock you like.
- I add some whole spring onions to braising to decorate the dish.
- It tastes would be ok with some Kimchi juice you can add some salt if needed.

Rice Porridge(죽)

It is the easiest Korean porridge to make. I can make it in no time and breakfast is served. I make it  when any of my family has a sore stomach.

Instruction
Just  double the water of cooked rice in a deap pot and bring to boil. Once it boils simmer for 10 minutes with opeing the lid sometimes as it overflows while boiling. Then leave it another 10 minutes to make it softer.



 

Tips

- If you have a high-pressure rice pot it is much easier to make. Just put the cooked rice in the pot and double the water. Bring to boil with the lid on. Once it boils take it away from the heat and sit it for at least 10 minutes. Tehn done!

Braised Potato(감자조림)

It is a dish that saves me when I have no idea what to cook. I always keep potatos, onions, red chili paste and soy sacue at my pantry and that's all I need for this beautiful dish.

Ingredients
3 potatos (diced)
2 onions (diced)
1 tbsp of red chili paste
1 tsp of soy sauce

Instruction
Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl excepting one onion. Make one onion-layer on the pot with the left onion and add in the ingredients in a deep pot. Add in two table spoons of water and bring to boil. Once it boils simmer for 5 minutes and toss one time and simmer anothe 5 more minutes.

Tips
 - When braising I always put one onion-layer for keeping from sticking on the bottom of the pot.
- If you like softer potatos you can leave the lid on for 10 more minutes after cooking.

Sea Mustard Wrap(미역쌈)

Whenever I make sea mustard soup I leave some of it and put it on the table. Then my kids put some rice and red chili paste on it and wrap it up into their tastebuds! My son likes eating it with dipping the wrap in the soy sauce.

Instruction

Soak a handful of dried sea mustard(at Korean shop '마른미역') in the cold water until soft(about 30 minutes) then wash them thouroughly and enjoy with any sauce you like such as red chili paste, soy sauce, mustard sauce, wasabi. 

Sea Mustard Soup with Clams(조개미역국)

Whenever I feel like something nutritious, plain and hot I usually make sea mustard soup with beef or seafood like this.

Ingredients
1 handful of dried sea mustard(at Korean shop)
seafood you like such as prawn, clams, mussels. 
garlic (crushed)
salt for seasoning

Instruction
Soak the dried sea mustard in cold water until soft(about 30minutes). Wash the seafood and put them in a deep pot. Pour enough water to cover the seafood and bring to boil. Once the shells all open get all the seafood out and set aside. Pour out the stock to another pot with taking care of leaving any dirt in the pot. Pour in the stock in the pot and pour in enough water to double all the ingredients and bring to boil. Wash the sea mustard and drain. Cut it in bit size. Add in the soaked sea mustard in the stock and bring to boil. Once it boils season with salt and add crushed garlic and the cooked seafood. Cook another 10minutes.

Tips
- Don't worry about the dirt on the shell on the seafood while washing. You can get it off later as the dirt gets on the bottom of the pot after boiled.

Black Bean Paste Rice(짜장밥)

It is originated from China and becomes one of the most popular onedish in Korea. It is usually enjoyed with noodles or rice. You can make if from black bean paste but I just buy the special powder for this dish and cook it in half an hour.

Ingredients
1 packet of black bean paste powder ( at Korean shop)
potato, onion, carrot (chopped)
any seafood such as prawn, squid, scallop, mussel
oil for stir-frying

Instruction
Stir fry the chopped vegetable in a deep frying pan. When it is half done add in the seafood and cook until the seafood nearly done(about 2 minutes). While cooking make the sauce with mixing the powder with enough water to make runny liquid. When the seafood is about 90% done mix the sauce with stirring consistently. When the black bean paste is done( about 2 minutes) serve it with rice or noodles.

Tips
- Cooking of this dish is similar to cooking curry if you can buy the black bean paste powder.
- If you can't buy the powder use the black bean paste sold at any Chinese shop for the sauce. Stir fry the paste with the same amount of oil as the paste for more than 10 minutes.
- If you can't find either the paste or powder why don't we try this dish with just soy sauce. I might try it with squid ink or blended black bean. If I try I will definately post it.

Tofu Stir-fry with vegetables

 

Pan-fried tofu is tossed with stir-fried capsicums, onions and cabbages. Chopped cucumbers are tossed in just before serve.

Tips
- Sprinkle some salt on diced tofu to season it and loose some liquid before cooking.
- Season with salt or soy sauce (I put some bacon in this version and no seasoning was needed.)

Spinach Soybean Paste Soup(시금치된장국)

Spinach and clams are bathed in the soybean paste soup. My kids love clams in the soybean paste soup. What a nutritious start of the day!

Ingredients
1 bunch of spinach
soybean paste

Instruction
Cook the clam and set it aside meats and the stock seperately. Pour the clam stock and enough water in a deep pot and bring to boil. Once it boils add washed spinach and add soybean paste to your taste. Keep boiling and once it boils again simmer 10 minute at low heat. 

Seaweed Rice Rolls(김밥)

It reminds me of Fanta. Let me tell you why. Whenever I have this my memory runs back through the time when I was in primary school. On a school-trip day my mum used to get up as early as the dawn and made these rolls and my two sisters and I were all ready and happy to set off. When we were lucky enough we could even have Fanta each. A sip of Fanta and one roll of it! I still can taste it. 

Ingredients
Here are ingredients I use often for it.

cooked spinach (or silverbeat, chives)
fried egg stripes
stir-fried carrot stripes
cuccumber
capssicum
chicken (stir-fried with soy sauce)
pickled turnip (at Korean shop,'단무지')
surimi ( imitated crab meat)
fish cakes
avocado

season for the rice
1) savoury version
salt, sesame oil and seeds
2) sweet version
salt, sugar, water and vinegar

Instruction
Prepare all the ingredients in stripes and make the rice mixing cooked rice with seasonings. Roll them up on the seaweed.

Tips
- I season each ingredient seperately.
- I usually leave some ingredients for my kids' lunch box for the rest of the week.
- My kids like ham or cheese in it.

Hot Anchovy (멸치볶음)

Anchovies are mixed with the sauce made red chilli paste, corn syrup and soy sauce. After combined sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds are spread over. It lasts more than two weeks in the refrigerator and can be enjoyed as a side dish with dinner or breakfast.

Ingredients
1 cup of dried anchovy ( at Korean shop)
sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds for seasoning

braising sauce
2 tbsps of red chili paste
1 tbsp of corn syrub
1 tsp of soy sauce
1 clove of garlic(optional)

Instruction
Make braising sauce and mix in anchovy. Put in a pot and cook it on medium heat with stirring consistently for about 5 minutes or until the sauce forms caramel. Add a few drops of sesame oil and sesame seeds and cook one more minutes.

Tips
- You can add some chili stripes if you want.

Tofu Kimchi

Sliced Tofu with Fried Kimchi

Stir fried Kimchi is set in the middle of the plate and slices of Tofu that is boiled in the hot water for 5 minutes are accompanied around the fried Kimchi. It is enjoyed with one slice of Tofu and the fried Kimchi on it. 

Beansprout Bibimbap(콩나물비빔밥)

Cooked soybean sprouts are topped on cooked rice and enjoyed with soy sauce or red chili paste. It can be served with sesame oil for your preference.  It is my favourite easy and quick dish and it is nutritious enough for dinner and I usually prepare lots of vegetables for nibbles along with the red chili paste.

Instruction
Cook the soybean sprouts as instructed in seasoned soybean sprout. Put some cooked rice in a bowl and add on the cooked sprouts. Serve with red chili paste, soy sauce dip and sesame oil for your preference.

Korean Beef BBQ

Korean BBQ is one of the most popular Korean meal outside Korea.It is enjoyed for any party or family gathering. About once a month I set the table like this with pork or beef. I really like the way Korean have BBQ. We chat through while the BBQ man(usually daddy) is busy grilling the meat and vegetables. We get one lettuce on our palm and top on grilled beef, any vegetable and some sauce and wrap it up. Then dip some vegetables in red chili paste or soybean paste and munch...munch...munch..Happy hours! I wish it lasts forever!

Here is the traditional Korean BBQ table setting
- the meat : pork or beef are most common meat for Korean BBQ
- vegetables for grilling: onions,mushrooms or capsicums for grilling with meat.
- lettuce for wrapping: 
- sesame oil dip for meat: mix 5 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tsp of and a pinch of black pepper.
- wrapping sauce: mix 5 tbsp of soybean paste, 1 tbsp of red chilli paste, 2 tbsp of corn syrup(or just sugar). After putting rice, meat or vegetables on the wrap top some this sauce on it.
- other: cooked rice, vegetables for nibbles, Kimchi

Hot Noodle Salad(비빔국수)

Whenever I lose my appetitte I make this noodle dish. I prepare as much vegetable as I can get and enough the hot sauce. After having it I get so refreshed that I feel like doing anything I need to do.

Ingredients
somen ( at Asian shop)
vegetables you like

hot sauce
3 tbsp of red chili paste
3 tbsp of water
1 tsp of soy sauce
vinegar, sugar to your taste

Instruction
Mix the sauce and set aside. Cut the vegetables in thin stripes. Cook the noodles as instructed on the package. Wash the noodle under the cold water and drain. Put the noodle in a bowl with vegetables the sauce on it or seperately.

Tips
- The main idea for the sauce is make a runny sauce with the ingredients according to your taste.
- You can make it as much as you want and keep it in the fridge. It will keep more than one month and I use it for any salad.