Kimchijeon

Kimchijeon (Korean Bapsang)

If you have nicely fermented kimchi and a bag of flour, you can make this popular snack in no time. The flavor-packed sour kimchi is a wonder when it’s fried in a simple batter. Everything else is nice to have, but not necessary. Here, I added sweet rice powder to give a little bit of elastic texture to the pancakes. The juice from the kimchi is a must. It gives the batter the flavor and a nice orange hue. The chewy squid lends a nice textural contrast to the crunchy kimchi. For a spicier kick, add a spoonful of gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste). Enjoy it as a snack, appetizer or light meal ― it will be a delicious treat!

Ingredients:
● 1 cup thinly sliced kimchi (fully fermented)

● 2 scallions, roughly chopped 

● 1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced

● 80 grams squid, cut into small strips

● 1 cup flour (or premade Korean pancake mix)

● 1/4 cup sweet rice powder (or use more pancake mix or flour)

● 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)

● 1/4 cup juice from kimchi 

● 1 lightly beaten egg

● 1 cup ice-cold water (use more water if juice from kimchi is not available)

● Vegetable or canola oil for panfrying

Prepare all the ingredients before making the batter. 

In a large bowl, mix the flour (or pancake mix) with the next five ingredients. Do not over-mix. Mix in all other ingredients. 

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Ladle the mixture into the pan, and spread it evenly into a thin round shape. Cook until the edges turn light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low if the pancake browns too quickly. Turn it over, adding more oil, and press it down with a spatula. Cook until the other side is light golden brown, about 3 minutes. 

Repeat the process until there is no remaining batter. Serve hot with a dipping sauce, if desired. 

Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork)

Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) (Korean Bapsang)

Tangsuyuk is a Chinese sweet and sour pork dish adapted for Korean taste. It can also be made with beef. It is a beloved Korean-Chinese dish that’s often enjoyed along with jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) or jjambbong (spicy noodle soup).

The potato starch used to make the batter is pre-soaked for several hours. This is a traditional method used to create a slightly chewy yet crispy crust. It is important to deep fry the meat twice for extra crispiness. The key to a successful sauce is the balance between sweetness and tartness. This recipe produces a well-balanced sauce, but you can always adjust to your taste. The vegetables add different textures and a colorful touch.

It’s easy to make, but the process goes very quickly. So, have all your kitchen equipment and ingredients ready before starting to cook. The result will be crispy, deep-fried goodness in a delightfully sweet and tangy sauce!

Ingredients:
● 300 grams pork loin or beef (sirloin or rib eye) 

● Salt and pepper

Batter:
● 1 cup potato (or corn) starch, soaked in 1 cup of water for at least 2 to 3 hours

● 1 egg white

● 1 tablespoon canola oil

● Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying 

Vegetables:
● 1/2 small carrot, cut into thin, bite-size slices

● 1/4 small onion, cut into bite-size chunks

● 1/4 small green pepper, cut into bite-size chunks

● A few pineapple pieces

Sauce: 
● 1 cup water

● 1 tablespoon soy sauce

● 1/4 cup sugar

● 1/4 cup rice vinegar

● 1/2 teaspoon salt

● Starch slurry ― 1 tablespoon starch in 2 tablespoons water

At least 2-3 hours before cooking this dish, combine 1 cup of the starch with 1 cup of water and refrigerate until ready to use. The starch and water will separate, and you will need to carefully pour out the water on top to use the soaked starch at the bottom.

Cut the beef (or pork) into bite-size strips. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let it sit until ready to deep fry.

In a pan, add 1 cup of water along with the remaining sauce ingredients except the starch slurry. Boil just until the sugar melts. Remove from the heat. You will finish the sauce when the meat has been deep fried.

Carefully pour out the soaking water from the starch. Use your hands to mix the soaked starch with the egg white and oil. The starch will be very stiff. The addition of oil will help loosen it a little. Coat the meat with the starch batter.

Add oil to a deep fryer or a heavy bottom pan. Heat over high heat to 180°C or until it starts smoking. Using metal tongs or chopsticks, drop the meat in the oil one piece at a time. Fry them in two batches. Overcrowding will drop the oil temperature too quickly. 

Cook until light golden brown, about 1-1/2 minutes, reheating the oil between the batches. Remove them with a wire skimmer or a slotted spoon. Drain on a wire rack or in a large mesh strainer set on a bowl.

Reheat the oil. Deep fry again until golden brown, about a minute. You can do this in one batch for the second frying. 

Bring the sauce to a boil again. Add the carrot and onion pieces, which take longer to cook. When the sauce boils, add the starch slurry, stirring well. Taste the sauce and add a little more sugar or vinegar if desired. Turn the heat off, and then add the green pepper and pineapple pieces. The green vegetables lose their color quickly if boiled in the sauce.

Place the meat on a large serving plate and pour the sauce on top. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce, if desired.

Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce)

Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) (Korean Bapsang)

Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) is a huge part of Korean food culture. Everyone loves it. Deeply embedded in the childhood memories of most Koreans, it is a well-loved dish that parents often treat their children to on special occasions, such as graduation, exam days and birthdays. 

If you have the Korean black bean paste called chunjang, this dish is very easy to make at home. The black bean paste is first fried in oil. This process helps remove the bitter taste of the bean paste. The fried (or roasted) black bean paste is called jjajang. You can buy either one from most Korean markets. A little bit of sugar is important to balance out the bitterness and saltiness of the black bean paste. Pork is the classic option for the meat, but you can substitute it with any meat or seafood. The typical vegetables added are onion, cabbage, zucchini, and potato. I used good chicken stock to give the sauce extra flavor, but water is fine, too.

Ingredients:
● 2-3 servings of jajangmyeon/udon noodles 

● 5 tablespoons Korean black bean paste (chunjang or jjajang)

● 2 tablespoons oil (canola or vegetable oil)

● 1 tablespoon sugar

● 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)

● 100 grams pork loin 

● 1 tablespoon rice wine (or mirim)

● 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)

● Salt and pepper

● 1 large onion

● 100 grams green cabbage

● 1/2 zucchini (about 100 grams)

● 1 tablespoon oil (canola or vegetable oil)

● Cucumber matchsticks or cooked green peas for garnish (optional)

● 1 cup chicken stock (or water)

● 1 tablespoon potato or corn starch, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water

Have a pot of water ready to cook the noodles. Turn the heat on when you start cooking the meat. This way you will have the boiling water ready for cooking the noodles by the time the sauce is done.

Prepare the pork and vegetables by dicing them into about 1.5-centimeter cubes. Marinate the pork with a tablespoon of rice wine (or mirim), ginger, and salt and pepper while preparing the vegetables.

Add the black bean paste to a small saucepan with the oil, sugar and optional oyster sauce. Fry it over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. (If using pre-fried or roasted black bean paste, you can skip this process. Just add the sugar and the optional oyster sauce when stirring in the bean paste.)

Heat a large pan with a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and stir fry until no longer pink. Add the vegetables and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the black bean paste and mix everything together until all the meat and vegetables are coated well with the paste. 

Pour in the stock (or water) and bring it to a boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the dissolved starch and cook briefly until the sauce has thickened. Add more sugar to taste. 

Add the noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to the package instructions and drain. Do not overcook. The noodles should have a firm bite to them.

Place a serving size of noodles in each bowl. Spoon the sauce over the noodles and garnish with optional cucumber matchsticks or cooked green peas.