Hoddeok (Korean Sweet Pancake)

Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup lukewarm water
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Filling **

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp walnuts or pecans, chopped
1-2 Tbsp honey

1. Mix lukewarm water, sugar, salt, vegetable oil and yeast and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

2. addflour and mix well.

3. mix ingredients for filling and set aside.

4. cover with plastic wrap and let it rise ( about 1 hour)

5. After 1 hour, the size should have doubled, knead to remove air bubble.

6. cover again and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

7. after 20 minutes, knead dough and divide into 6-8 equal portions.

8. take 1 dough ball portion and flatten in your palm. Fill the center with about 1 Tbsp of filling then seal. do the same with the rest of the dough balls.

9. heat oil in a pan and fry hoddeok for about 30 seconds then turn over and flatten using a spatula . fry until light golden brown . do the same thing with the other side.

** for the filling, you can experiment with whatever filling you want, eg. cheeses or fruit fillings

*** I spray a little bit of Pam non-stick spray on my hand when kneading and forming the dough into a ball to prevent it from sticking into my hands, less messy that way.

Nakji Bokeum (Korean Spicy Octopus)

Ingr:

1 Lb octopus, cut legs into 2 inch strips and head cleaned and cut into strips
1 small onion, sliced thinly
3 scallions, sliced diagonally and into 2 inch length
1 small carrots, julienned
2 green chili pepper, sliced thinly and diagonally
4 shitake mushrooms, sliced

sauce:
3 Tbsp Kochujang ( Korean red chili paste)
2 Tbsp kochukaru ( korean red chili flakes)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

1. mix ingredients for sauce.
2. add the rest of the ingredients, mix well.
3. marinate for 10 minutes.
4. heat pan on medium high heat*** and cook marinated octopus mixture for about 8 minutes or until done.

*** too high a heat would burn the dish
*** too low heat would make the dish soggy

Sam Gye Tang ( Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup)

Sam Gye Tang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)

1 whole chicken, cleaned

2 ginseng

10 pieces dried jujube ( daechu)

4-5 pieced dried chestnuts

4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled

1/4 cups sweet or sticky rice


1. wash and then pat dry your chicken, trim off excess fat ( I usually buy my chicken from the Korean market since it is smaller and leaner)

2. stuff the cavity with sweet rice ( Uncooked) , garlic and chestnuts.

3. place stuffed chicken in a large pan and fill with enough water to cover the chiken.

4. add the chestnuts, garlic, ginseng and jujube.

5. set the stove to medium heat and bring to a boil. After 30 minutes or so, skim the fat off the top and continue boiling.

6. boil for another 20-30 minutes more, check the chicken to make sure it is done ( the flesh falls off the bone easily)

7. serve with salt and pepper.

*** You can buy Sam Gye Tang kit from the korean market.

*** serve with kkakdugi ( Radish Kimchi)

Spicy Tuna Kimbab ( Korean Sushi)

Ingr:

2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
3-4 yellow pickle radish sticks (danmu ji)
3-4 imitation crab stick
1/4 cup julienned carrots
1 can tuna, drained
1 tsp kochukaru ( korean red pepper flakes)
1 tsp korean soy sauce
3-4 laver/ seaweed ( kim)

1. In a bowl, mix rice , rice vinegar and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside

2. heat sesame oil in a pan then saute tuna. Add kochukaru and soy sauce. Mix well . remove from fire.

3. to assemble:

-lay sushi mat in a flat surface. Place laver on top.

- spread rice on the laver, leaving about 1 1/2 inches space on each end.

- place pickle radish, carrots, tuna, and imitation crab

- to roll tightly then slice into 1 inch pieces.

*** make sure to wipe knife with wet paper towel in between slicing the kimbab , makes slicing much easier.

*** you can actually substitute tuna with any meat or filling of your choice.

Gaeran Jjim ( Steamed Eggs)

Ingr:

3 eggs
3/4 cups water
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 thinly sliced shitake mushroom
salt and pepper to taste

1. beat eggs then add water and continue beating.

2. add carrots, scallions, mushroom, salt and pepper

3. cover with plastic wrap

4. steam for about 15 minutes

Gaeran Mari ( Korean Rolled Egg Omelette)

Ingr:

3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cut finely chopped scallion
salt to taste
1 sheet Gim ( roasted seaweed)

1. Combine eggs, onions, carrots, scallions and salt.

2. Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan.

3. Pour in egg mixture and cook over low heat.

4. When almost cooked through, place Gim on top of the omelette.

5. roll omelette tightly by lifting one side using a spatula.

6. Let it cool down a little bit before slicing into 1 inch pieces.

Gul Muchim ( Seasoned Raw Oysters)

1 lb schucked oysters, washed gently and drain well.
3 scallion, thinly sliced
1 red chili pepper, sliced thinly and diagonally
1 green chili pepper, sliced thinly and diagonally
2- 3 Tbsp Kochukaru ( korean crushed red pepper flakes)
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
2 inch sized ginger
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1. In a blender, mix garlic, onion and ginger.chop to make a coarse paste.

2. transfer to a bowl and mix in kochukaru, vinegar and sugar. mix well.

3. add oyster, scallions, sesame seeds and chili peppers. toss gently.

Kong Namul Gook ( Bean Sprout Soup)

Ingr:

1 lb bean sprouts, rinsed and rotten sprouts removed
12- 15 dried anchovies, gut removed
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
salt to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
6 cups water
1 tsp kamjang ( korean soy sauce)

1. Put water and anchovies in a pot and bring to a boil for about 15 mins.

2. fish out anchovies after 15 minutes of boiling.

3. add sprouts, kamjang,onions, garlic and salt ( adjust according to your taste). Boil for 5 minutes.

4. Add green onions and sesame oil. Cook for about a minute then serve.

*** may be topped with ground sesame seeds

Ojinguh bokkeum ( spicy Stir fried squid)

Ingr

1 large ( about 1 Lb) squid
2 Tbsp Kochukaru ( korean crushed red pepper flakes)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp kamjang ( korean soy sauce)
1 carrot , slice thinly and diagonally
3 scallions, cut about 2 inches long
1 korean pepper , slice thinly
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sesame oil

1. clean squid, discard intestines and eyes, slice into thin strips ( including the tentacles)

2. In a bowl, combine sesame oil,kochukaru, kamjang, sugar and garlic. Mix well.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Saute onions, carrots , scallions and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add squid and the kamjang mixture. Mix welland continue stir frying for about 5 minutes or until squid is done . Do not overcook squid because it will become tough.

5. remove from heat and serve

Kimchi Bokumbap ( Kimchi Fried Rice)

Ingr:

2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup thinly sliced pork
1/2 cup kimchi with kimchi juice, chopped
1/2 cup prepared Kong Namul ( Marinated bean sprout)
2 scallions, minced
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
sesame oil
a pinch of salt (sprinkle on the pork)
1 egg, fried


1. Heat oil in a wok, saute garlic and onions then add pork; cook until pork is done.

2. add rice and cook for about 3 minutes.

3. add kong namul, kimchi and kimchi juice, mix well. Cook until all the kimchi juice has evaporated.

4. put in a bowl. Top with fried egg and minced scallions.

Bindaetteok ( Mung Bean Pancake)

2 cups mung beans ( buy the kind that is already split and w/out the skin)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 cup kimchi, sliced thinly
2 cups bean sprouts, chopped
1 cup pork, thinly sliced - may be omitted if you want
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup kosari ( dried fernbrake), soaked for 30 minutes to soften then chopped

1. soak mung beans in cold water overnight

2. after soaking , drain and rinse in cold water then grind in the food processor . ratio should be 2 parts mung beans to 1 part water.

3. mix garlic, scallions, salt, kimchi, bean sprouts, pork, sesame seeds, kosari and sesame oil.

4. add to the mung bean batter and mix well.

5. heat oil in frying pan and fry the pancake until light golden brown or until done.

DIP: combine vinegar, korean soy sauce, finely chopped scallions, finely chopped garlic and a little sugar. Mix well

Dooboo Kimchii ( Sauteed Kimchi with Tofu)

1 Pkg. tofu
2 cups kimchi, roughly chopped
1/2 cups pork , very thinly sliced
1 tsp kochukaru ( korean chili pepper flakes)
1 tsp korean soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1. bring a pot of water to a boil ( pot should be big enough to accomodate a whole block of tofu)

2. Boil tofu for about 5 minutes, remove from heat and drain well. slice into 1/2 inch thickness

3. In a saucepan, heat sesame oil and saute onions then add pork and saute until cooked

4. Add kimchi ( I usually add a little kimchi juice) , soy sauce, kochukaru and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated ( about 5 minutes)

5. Arrange kimchi in the center of a platter and place the sliced tofu around it.

6. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Baechu Kimchi ( Fermented Napa Cabbage)

Ingr:

10 cups of water
2 heads of Napa Cabbage, cut in half
1 cup salt
2 cups Kochukaru ( korean hot pepper flakes)
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 cup radish,julienned
1/2 cup onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup scallions, coarsely chopped

1. Wash cabbage thoroughly and drain

2. Combine water and salt in a large bowl. Add cabbage, making sure that it is completely submerged in salt water and soak for 2-3 hours

3. After soaking, remove cabbage from salt water and rinse in cold water then drain. Squeeze out excess fluid then set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.

5. Coat cabbage with the seasoning, making sure that every leaves is well coated.

6. Pack in an airtight plastic or jar container. Stor in a cool place to allow it to ferment ( 2-3 days). Can also be eaten fresh if you want.

Kong Namul (Marinated Bean Sprouts)

1 lb. bean sprouts
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
salt to taste

1. rinse bean sprouts

2. bring a pot of water to boil and drop the bean sprouts in, leave for a minute or two

3. drain and rinse in cold water. drain well.

4. place in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, mix well.

5. chill for an hour before serving.

*** this is usually served as a Banchan or sidedish.

Dolsot Bibimbap

Ingr:

1/4 lb thinly sliced pork ( cut into thin strips) *i buy mine from the Korean market
1/2 cup bellflower roots ( doraji)
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cucumber, julienned
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
2-3 small shitake mushroon, cut into strips
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 cups of cooked rice ( depending on how much you want)
1 egg
1 Tbsp kochujang or korean chili pepper paste
sesame seeds
sesame oil


1. season pork with a little salt and stir fry until cooked, set aside

2. in a hot pan, add sesame oil and stir fry bellflower roots, remove from heat and set aside... do the same with cucumber, carrots and mushroom, stir frying them separately.

3. for bean sprout: put it in a pot and cover with water, let it boil for about 5 minutes, drain well. then season with a little sesame oil, finely chopped garlic and a little salt.

4. for spinach: put in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil until color turns dark green then cool by adding cold water, drain and squeeze with your hand to remove water . season with sesame oil and finely chopped garlic.

5. put some sesame oil in the dolsot (stone pot) and heat . put rice at the bottom of the pot and cook- you will hear a sizzling sound. cook rice until the bottom is slightly crispy. Add egg to the side so it can slightly cook ( but since I don't like a runny yolk, i fry mine separately)

6. arrange the meat and veggies on top and cook for about 5-10 minutes

7. remove from heat and add kochujang.

8. mix and enjoy

*** You can add as much or as little kochujang as you want depending on how much spiciness you can tolerate

*** the same holds true for veggies, rice and sesame oil... you can add as much or as little ingridients as you want. They are all dependent on each person's preference

*** dolsot refers to the stone pot used in cooking

*** bibimbap literary means mixed rice

bibimbap after mixing the ingredients

Pa-Jeon

Ingr:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups ( cold) water
2 eggs
shredded scallion ( i buy pre-shredded scallions from k-market)
1- 2 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying

1. mix flour, water and egg in large bowl to make a thin pancake batter consistency- you can add more flour or water if needed

2. add scallions, salt and pepper

3. heat oil in skillet over medium heat

4. scoop mixture into the skillet using a ladle... spread as thin as possible to make it crispy... cook until slightly brown, turn over and cook until slightly brown also.

** use paper towel to absorb excess oil

*** you can also use premix korean pancake batter which you can buy from Korean supermarket instead of making your own batter... I sometimes use Dongwon Pre-mix korean Pancake Batter... just add cold water, salt , pepper and sesame oil to the mix.

dipping sauce:

mix 2 Tbsp spicy vinegar ( sinamak), 1 Tbsp korean soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil.

*** if you want, you can add minced scallion, minced garlic and korean dried hot chili pepper

Dwenjang Jjigae

ingr:

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cube

1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch cube

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 chili pepper, cut into 1 inch size

1/2 a package of firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 heaping Tbsp of dwenjang ( fermented soybean paste)

thinly sliced pork ( i buy them from the korean market), sliced 1 inch size


1. put all ingredients (except tofu and dwenjang) in a pot. Add just enough water to cover all ingredients.

2. add the dwenjang on top and cover. when it starts to boil, stir to mix/ dissolve dwenjang.

3. cook until all the ingredients are done ( i'd say no more than 10 minutes).

4. add tofu and cook for another 2 minutes. Add chopped green onion on top and serve with rice