Simply Healthy Korean Recipes
I’m sure some of you have never heard of Kongnamul bap. Although it may not be a household name here, it’s actually a very popular rice dish in Korea. Along with bibimbap and kimchi fried rice, Kongnamul bap makes up the troika of Korea’s most popular and classic rice dishes. Although I enjoy all three, I prefer kongnamul bap over the others during the colder seasons. It’s usually served piping hot, and it’s so comforting. Oh, and it’s unbelievably quick and easy to make.
Hobak Namul is a popular Korean side dish (banchan). It is also very easy to make and requires very little time, 10-15 MINUTES MAX.
Usually, Chosun Hobak (Korean Zucchini) is used for this dish. They are rounder and fatter than the thin zucchinis available in most American grocers. And the flesh is slightly sweeter. I’ve been pretty spoiled; because my maternal grandmother grows them in her backyard. Most years, she has an abundance during harvest season. She has enough to share them with her friends and neighbors. Needless to say, she’s a very popular woman. And she has enough leftover to store them for later use after the season is over.
Continue Reading Hobak Namul (Korean Stir-Fried Zucchini) . . .
Sautéed Green Beans with Spicy Korean Chili Pepper Sauce (alternatively, Sautéed Green Beans with Gochujang Sauce) add a kick of flavor to any meal. And although I can make a meal out of these beans (along with some brown rice), I usually serve them with some pan-fried tofu for the sake of protein.
Continue Reading Sautéed Green Beans with Spicy Korean Chili Pepper Sauce . . .
I always need at least one spicy side dish when eating dinner. It’s usually kimchi. It doesn’t matter what type as long as it has a spicy kick. I’ve been making oi sobagi almost on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, we finished the oi sobagi within 3 days of it fermenting. But fortunately, the oi sobagi was so good we couldn’t stop eating it. In either case, we were flat out of kimchi.
So I needed something quick, spicy, and tasty. I decided to try something different and make maewoon sukju namul, which translates directly to “spicy seasoned mung bean sprouts.” It’s not the most traditionally Korean way of eating the sprouts, but seemed the perfect solution to my problem. The dish was so easy and quick to prepare. And it had that spicy kick that I wanted.
Continue Reading Spicy Mung Bean Sprouts Salad – Maewoon Sukju Namul . . .
Beosut/Busut Bokkeum and Danggeun Bokkeum are two simple banchan(side dishes) that are also used as ingredients in other dishes. For those who are vegans or vegetarians, Beosut Bokkeum can replace the marinated meat in many basic Korean dishes. I’m not a vegan, but I make the substitution often – in Bibimbap(mixed rice), Kimbap(rolled rice in laver), Japchae (stir-fried or mixed noodles), and even Ddeokbokki (spicy, stir-fried Korean rice cakes). You can make this with Shiitake, Portobello, or Button mushrooms. Taste does vary depending on the type of mushroom used – Shiitake tasting most meat-like among the three. I decided to use Button mushrooms this time. They sear very quickly, and they absorb & seal in flavor very well.
The end result? Sweet and savory goodness.
Danggeun Bokkeum (sautéed carrots) is a very easy banchan to prepare. However, Danggeun Bokkem is more often used as an ingredient in a main dish than as a side dish. Danggeun Bokkeum is almost always used in Kimbap and Japchae. And it is often used in Bibimbap and Bibimguksu (mixed noodles). Don’t let that fool you tho. Danggeun Bokkeum has lots of flavor, and it’s quite tasty on its own. It is sweet and slightly salty with the savory flavor of sautéed garlic.