KOREAN FRIED RICE – BOKKUMBAP

Serve 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes





Much like western casserole, this fast and easy Korean dish is a favorites at home, bringing together leftover rice and whatever bits of meat or vegetables remain in the fridge to create a substantial and flavorful meal.

INGREDIENTS:
200 g pork/beef, minced
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp Korean chili powder
1 tbsp oil
400 g kimchi, chopped
4 cloves garlic,minced
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
400 g cold cooked rice, grains separated

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Combine the pork/beef, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili powder in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until hot. Add the seasoned pork/beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the meat begin to brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the kimchi, garlic, onion and carrot, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the rice to the pan and continue to stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until heated through and well blended. Remove from the heat, transfer to serving platters and serve immediately.

BIBIMBAP – RICE BOWL WITH MIX VEGIES, BEEF AND HOT BEAN PASTE

Serve 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

This highly nutritious Korean meal combines all the major food groups in a single delicious dish. Bibimbap is traditionally served in red-hot stone bowls that allow the ingredients to continue cooking right up until the time they reach the diner’s table, but a bit of stir-frying allow cooks to serve it in standard crockery without compromising on taste.

INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsp oil
300 g tenderloin beef, thinly sliced and marinade in soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
2 tsp soy sauce
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 japanese cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed discarded an cap sliced
150 bean sprouts. Tails trimmed
4 eggs
400 g cooked rice
4 tsp Korean hot bean paste (gochujang)

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the beef, garlic, ginger and soy sauce, and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until the beef is browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Re-heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and stir-fry the carrot, cucumber and mushroom antil tender, 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and fry each egg, sunny-side up, until set, making sure the yolk remain soft (or to taste). Set aside.
4. Divide the rice into 4 serving bowls and top each with a fried egg. Place equal amounts of the stir-fried beef and vegetables around the egg in each bowl, and then top with a tsp of the hot bean paste. Diners should mix the rice, meat, vegetables and paste thoroughly before eating.

SPICY CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES - DAK GALBI

Serve 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes + 30 minutes to marinade
Cooking time : 10 minutes




A piquant marinade not only makes the chicken in this dish succulent and tender but also lends it a bold, peppery flavor that will prove a spice-lover’s delight.

INGREDIENTS:
500 g boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tsp oil
150 g cabbage, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted (optional)

MARINADE:
2 tbsp Korean bean paste (gochujang)
2 tbsp Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sale, or to taste

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Prepare the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a large bowl and mixing well. Add the chicken and mix until well coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. In a wok, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken and marinade and stir-fry until the chicken begins to brown, 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat and serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds (if using). Serve.

STIR – FRIED SHRIMP

Serve 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

This light and healthy stir-fry shows that not every Korean dish has to be fiery hot. Fresh vegetables give it color and substance, while the mild seasonings allow the flavor of the fresh shrimp to shine through.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp sesame oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
500 g fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
100 g bamboo shoot, cut into strips
5 large button mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp salt, or to taste

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Heat the sesame oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant and golden brown, about 30 second.
2. Add the shrimps and stir-fry until pink, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, add the vegetables and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until cooked. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN STEWED WITH RICE AND GINSENG – SAMGYETANG

Serve 4
Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time : 65 minutes




Korean traditionally eat this hearty soup in the scorching days of summer, believing that ginseng helps the body cope with heat and fight off fatigue. In addition to its rumored medicinal properties, the famous root lends a slight bitterness that compliments the sweet red dates and chestnuts, resulting in a dish that’s flavorful as well as healthy.


INGREDIENTS:
1 fresh chicken about 1 ¼ kg
100g uncooked glutinous rice, washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
4 small ginseng roots, or 1 tbsp red ginseng powder
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
4 dried Chinese red dates, pitted
4 dried chestnuts, peeled
2 liters water, or enough water to cover
2 spring onions, finely chopped
6 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp salt or to taste
¼ tsp ground white pepper

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Clean the chicken, removing as much fat as possible, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a bowl, combine the glutinous rice, ginseng roots, garlic,red dates and chestnuts, and mix well. Stuff the mixture into the chicken’s body cavity and then sew up the opening with a needle and thread.
3. Place the chicken in a large pot with the water, it should be completely submerged. Add the spring onions and ginger (as well as the ginseng powder if you’re not using fresh roots), cover and bring to a boil over the heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour until tender, taking care not to remove the lid. Season with the salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Skim off any fat that floats to the surface of the soup and transfer to a large soup tureen.
4. To serve, remove the thread and spoon the cooked rice mixture out into four serving bowls. Using a knife and fork, remove the chicken meat from the bones and divide equally among the four bowls. Ladle the hot broth over and serve hot with kimchi if desired.

NOODLES WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE – JAJANGMYON

Serve 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Though its origins are from China, this rich noodles with black bean sauce (jajangmyon) is so ubiquitous in Korea that the country can now claim the dish as its own. The salty-sweet black bean sauce that give Jajangmyon its name has made it a perrenial of Korean kids.

INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsp Korean jajang or Chinese black bean paste
2 tbsp oil
300 g lean pork/beef, diced
2 onions, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
4 tbsp water
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sugar
250 dried Korean jolmyeon or Chinese wheat noodles (ganmien)
2 eggs, boiled and halved
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Preheat a wok, add the bean paste and oil and stir-fry over high heat for 2-3 minutes until the paste begins to solidify. Reduce the heat to medium, add the pork/beef, onions, potato and stir-fry until the pork/beef is browned and the vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
2. Combine the water, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the wok, mixing well with the pork mixture. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened, then remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Bring half a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and blanch for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat, drain the noodles and rinse in cold water. Divide the noodles equally between 4 serving bowls and top each bowl with some black bean pork/beef, cucumber and an egg halve. Serve immediately.

BEEF RIB SOUP – KALBI TANG

Serve 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

This rich beef rib soup (kalbi tang) forgoes the bold spices in many Korean dishes and has a smooth, almost milky texture, making it the perfect comfort food on a chilly day.

INGREDIENTS:
3 litters water
1 kg beef ribs, cut into bite-sized lengths
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground white pepper
150 g daikon radish, peeled and cubed
2 spring onions, cut into short lengths

HOW TO MAKE:
1. In a stockpot, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the beef ribs and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain all the water from the ribs. Add the same amount of fresh water to the pot and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Combine the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper in a large bowl and mix until well coated.
3. Return the seasoned ribs to the pot and add the radish cubes and spring onion. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a medium and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Serve hot in individual serving bowls.

STIR-FRIED GLASS NOODLE – JAPCHAE

Serve 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

This light and savory noodle dish is often served as an accompaniment to more substantial fare in Korean restaurants. But, as it’s packed with tender beef and fresh vegetables, japchae can serve as a well-balanced meal in its own right.

INGREDIENTS:
150 g dried glass noodles (tangmyon)
1 tbsp oil
3 clove garlic, minced
150 g sirloin beef, cut into very thin strips
2 tbsp soy sauce
150 g spinach leaves, trimmed
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 spring onions, cut into short lengths
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps sliced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt, or to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Bring 1 liter of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the glass noodles and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick wok over high heat and stir-fry the garlic until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef, sesame oil and 1 tbsp of soy sauce, stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until brown. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until tender.
3. Add the glass noodles and toss well to combine, seasoning with the sugar, salt and remaining soy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat. Transfer to serving platters, sprinkle with the black pepper and serve hot.