Category: Vegan

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Seasoned Gochujang

Gochujang, directly translated from Korean, means hot chili pepper paste/sauce. “Gochu” means hot chili pepper. And “jang” means paste or sauce. It is the condiment of choice in Korea. Gochujang can be served with crudités, sashimi, ssam (“wrap”), bibimgooksoo (“mixed noodles”), bibimbap (“mixed rice”), etc. It is also a commonly used ingredient in marinades and soups when preparing Korean dishes.

Traditionally, gochujang was made at home and fermented in an earthen pot. But with the wide availability of commercially produced gochujang, you don’t see much of the homemade stuff anymore. I must say though, my maternal grandmother still makes her own gochujang. AND she make it with chili peppers HARVESTED FROM HER OWN BACKYARD. It’s good stuff. When she gives us a jar of her homemade goods, it’s a real treat. Gotta love my grammy.

There are many ways to prepare gochujang as a dipping sauce/condiment. Splash some vinegar in it and serve it with sashimi. Add some duenjang (“soybean paste”) and serve it with ssam. Add something creamy like mayo or avocado to make it mellow and serve it with chips or crudités. Possibilities are endless. It all depends on your preference. Version below is probably the most basic. You can use it as a dipping sauce/dressing or sauce for bibimbap or bibimgooksoo.

Gochujang is savory, salty, and sweet all at the same time. But it can be very spicy. So tasters beware!

Continue Reading Seasoned Gochujang . . .

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Toasted Sesame Seeds

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Toasted sesame seeds are essential in Korean cooking. You can buy toasted sesame seeds from most markets. But they are not as fragrant and tasty as when they are freshly toasted. And you can easily toast them at home. It’s very quick. It’s very economical. So why would you not give it a try?

In Korean cooking, crushed sesame seeds are called “kkae sogeum”, which directly translates in to “sesame salt”. It’s quite an apt name given the fact that kkae sogeum is commonly used to flavor a great number of Korean dishes. You can use a lot or a little. It all depends on your preference. Korean cooking is very flexible that way. It’s not so precise. It all depends on your taste or tolerance(Korean dishes can get VERY spicy!).

I don’t toast more than about 1 1/2 cup of sesame seeds at a time. The toasting process draws out oil from the seeds. The oil from toasted seeds tend to go rancid quicker than raw seeds. So I make sure I use them up within a month or so. And I always keep them in the fridge.

I rarely have problems using up toasted sesame seeds tho. I use them in most of my Korean dishes as well as Mediterranean dishes. For instance, I use them in hummus, in place of tahini. Tahini is basically sesame butter. So I process the toasted seeds with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil. And voilà! You get the picture. They are very versatile.

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Germinated Brown Rice

So because this is the first week that I’m blogging, I’m starting with the basics of Korean food.  And I begin with the most basics of Korean food – rice – but with a twist.

I started cooking a few years ago to eat healthier. Since then, I’ve cut back on fried foods, sugar, and “white” foods. White rice was the first – and the easiest – thing to cut back. I love the texture and the nutty flavor of brown rice. I get the fiber and other nutritional benefits without feeling deprived at all. So when I learned that germinating brown rice before cooking dramatically improves the health benefits of the already healthy grain, I immediately gave it a try.

Germinated brown rice, AKA GABA rice or GBR (germinated brown rice) for short, is traditionally achieved by soaking the rice for 16-20 hours. Wha?!! 20 hours??? I know it takes time. But it doesn’t take all that much effort. Rinse it. Soak it. And change the water every 5-6 hours. The cool part is, you will know when it’s ready. You will see the grains JUST ABOUT to sprout. You don’t want it to full-on sprout. You are supposed to use warm water. But I use cool water. It’s easier. And more importantly, it works.

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