It's All About Korean Food... Starting with Chapchae...

Tomorrow is Korean Thanksgiving day! If you've read yesterday's post about Chuseok it is one of the biggest Korean holidays. Aside from the custom morning ritual of setting out Songpyeon filled rice cakes and various prepared food from the harvest to give thanks to the ancestors, my Korean friend, Michelle tells me back home she would dress into a Korean traditional dress, Hanbok and goes about celebrating the day with family and friends. In the past, the older generation engaged in Korean folk activities such as wrestling (ssireum), a jumping game similar to see-sawing (neolttwigi) and a circle dance (ganggangsullae), although in the city people don't do this anymore, but they can watch the village performances on TV. If you are Korean or celebrating this day with your partner and family, I wish you a happy one! 

I am not a Korean food expert, but I read a lot about it in cookbooks, watch Korean cooking shows and easily get inspired by the native ingredients while shopping at Korean grocers to really appreciate its breadth and beauty. Here is a popular and delightful noodle dish that is special to serve at occasions like Chuseok, but also simple and casual to eat everyday. And the following a collection of my family favourites- mains and sides that hopefully inspires you to create your own Korean soirée as a nod to this special holiday, or any time you feel like eating Korean!

Chapchae's mung bean or sweet potato noodle base can absorb a lot of flavour and is a tasty simple mixture of soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil with your choice of vegetables and/or meat. Here I've included the more traditional ingredients:

Chapchae
Makes 6 to 8 servings

about 225 g mung bean or sweet potato noodles (might be called cellophane or glass noodles)
2 eggs, beaten
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound baby spinach, stems removed, blanched, drained and water squeezed out
2 carrots, cut into match-sticks or TIP: peeled into strips with a peeler (I find the latter is easier)
1/2 or 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 green onion, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces, reserving some to chop and use for garnish
6 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated if dried in water to cover for two hours, drained and sliced
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
Toasted sesame seeds
120 g sliced beef or pork (optional)*

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Cook eggs into a thin crepe; let cool and slice into thin short strips.

Look at the great range of veggies in this dish! Add napa cabbage if you wish!

In a large wok/skillet heat oil and 1 Tbsp. sesame oil over medium heat. Add onion slices and come garlic; sauté for about 1 minute. Season spinach with a little garlic,and salt and set aside. Add vegetables except for spinach and cook for four to five minutes, until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Turn heat to low and add cooked noodles, meat (if using), soy sauce, sugar, and the remaining 1 Tbsp. sesame oil. Mix to combine and cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat and mix in spinach and egg; garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top.

Gorgeous colourful and healthy Chapchae! A beautiful dish for Chuseok!

BBQ meats and lettuce wraps is a festive gathering in itself and popular for this occasion. Korean BBQ Lettuce Wraps are mouthwatering lettuce packages of grilled seasoned meats- often any kind of well-marbled beef and lean pork belly, a bit of steamed rice, garlic and jalapeno slices, with a helping of savoury tangy onion mixture served with sesame oil, salt and pepper. The most popular leaves to use are red lettuce, but I've also come across other gorgeous assortment of leaves for wrappings. With all the fixings at the table with the condiments for everyone to serve their own, its an instant fun and tasty party at any given day!

So flavourful and delicious!!

Korean-style tofu- great as a side. Medium-firm tofu, sliced, pan-fried on both sides and served with one minced garlic and green onion mixed in soy sauce, a little brown sugar and Korean red pepper flakes, garnished with toasted sesame seeds. This dish is always wiped clean by the twins. 

One of my favourite side (banchan) dishes is seasoned sesame spinach. Seasoned simply with garlic, green onion, soy sauce and sesame oil, this is a refreshingly fragrant and flavourful side that can accompany a Korean or any Asian meal really. My family and I love the intoxicating aroma of sesame oil in it...

Crispy with caramelized bits on the outside, mildly spicy, slightly crunchy and chewy on the inside... It can be served as an appetizer, or an accompaniment to a Korean meal such as BBQ meats and lettuce wraps.

This recipe can easily be made into mini Korean fish omelets. Use cod fish fillets instead of basa, cut into two bite-size pieces and marinate with two beaten eggs, 1/8 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. rice wine and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Follow recipe instructions in link. Serve with soy sauce and vinegar dip on the side with a ratio of 2:1 soy sauce to vinegar.

Enokitake Mini Omelets are so delicious and easy to do with just six ingredients. A perfect side dish for any Korean main!

Zucchini Fritters- Just so darn good!

A fusion seafood pancake concocted with the elements I love from Korean Haemul Jun with its Korean based batter and mixed seafood, and from Japanese Okonomiyaki, with cabbage in the filling and the bevy of toppings! I added zucchini too. A fun meal-in-one!

I love this concept and it's so much fun for the kids! Over-the-top delicious kimchi oyster fried rice mix-up called as such as it is served in individual bowls, and the topping ingredients all mixed up by hand donning a plastic glove; toppings of masago or tobiko (tiny orange fish eggs), nori (seaweed) shreds, thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds. YUMM!

My older boys love ddukbokki which are cylindrical rice cakes bathed in a hot spicy sauce! They even say "ddukbokki" with real passion and gusto! A combination of sweet heat and savoury umami, adjust the spice levels to your taste. Cooked properly, the texture is perfectly chewy and soft. It has become an easy favourite around here.

Samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken) is a celebrated one-of-a kind traditional Korean soup as it originated in royal and upper-class kitchens. Considered a summer dish, it is eaten in restaurants and in the homes during the hottest days to help deal with the heat. It also makes a wonderful meal when you're fighting off a cold or flu. Ginseng (insam) is one of Korea's most famous products with its rejuvenating properties valued as a booster for the immune system.

Clam Porridge is a Korean comfort food. This is truly nourishing if you are coming down with a cold, or just easy to eat and savour when you're looking for something simple to eat.

Although it's sad that summer is coming to an end and the weather is getting cooler, but I can't wait to bust out and make my all-time favourite warming Korean soups such as Gamjatang (spicy pork bone soup) and Soondubuchigae (spicy soft tofu stew). Easy to do at home than you might think. More to come on Korean food so check back often!