Dried anchovies are sold in plastic bags or boxes, sorted by size. Smaller anchovies (mareun janmyeolchi 마른 잔멸치) are used in stir-fries and toasted whole with soy sauce and chili paste to serve, bones and all, as a side dish with rice or as a snack. Large anchovies (gukmulyong mareunmyeolchi 국물용 마른멸치), around 3½ inches […]
These noodles are made from sweet potato starch and are nearly transparent after they’ve been cooked. They’re essential for making japchae. In a pinch you can substitute with cellophane noodles (a.k.a. “glass noodles”) or Chinese vermicelli, which are similar but made with mung bean starch. Look for them in Korean grocery stores. Seal the package […]
Sundubu-jjigae is a spicy, seasoned stew made with silky soft tofu called sundubu. Served bubbling hot at the table in its traditional earthenware bowl, it’s impossible to resist! This seafood version is my all-time favorite sundubu.
Kongjang (or kongjorim) is made with dried soybeans and Koreans eat it as a side dish for any meal. It’s sweet, chewy and sticky. Ingredients 1 cup dried soy beans ½ cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic ⅓ cup of sugar 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds. Directions Rinse the soy beans in […]
Whenever I go to a Korean grocery store, if I find a bunch of good quality chives, I always pick them up. What makes good quality chives? They should be dark green, fresh and not dried out, and without bruises! I have many recipes on my website that use chives: in mandu (dumplings), kimchi, and […]
Cucumber kimchi (oi-sobagi or oi kimchi) is made by turning a cucumber into a pocket and stuffing it with vegetables and kimchi paste. It’s delicious and refreshing and it’s a great quick cucumber kimchi recipe to make when cucumbers are in season and you don’t feel like waiting for your kimchi to ferment. You can […]
Today’s recipe is bibimbap, a super-popular Korean dish you might have heard about already! It’s a Korean rice bowl made with sautéed and seasoned vegetables (namul: 나물), a bit of hot pepper paste (gochujang: 고추장), and usually a bit of seasoned raw beef, too (yukhoe: 육회). Bibim (비빔) translates as “mixed,” and bap (밥) means […]
Miyeokguk is a soup made of edible seaweed and is traditionally eaten on birthdays or after giving birth, although you can eat anytime you like. Miyeok is rich in iodine, iron, and calcium and many people eat it to lower their cholesterol. This version of the soup is made with beef, which is the most […]
Kimchi stew is one of Koreans’ most-loved stews. It’s warm, hearty, spicy, savory, delicious, and easy to make. As long as they can handle spicy food, I never met a person who didn’t like kimchi-jjigae!
Smoky, spicy, meaty and rich, with healthy chunks of been and plenty of vegetables, all in a savory broth. Perfectly prepared, it’s better than anything in any restaurant.
A bowl of soup that features ginseng, garlic, jujubes, and a whole small chicken!? Koreans traditionally eat this on the hottest days of summer as a way to keep up their energy and to balance their body heat with the hot weather.
Sigeumchi-namul is a Korean side dish (banchan) made of blanched spinach seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and toasted sesame oil. The spinach is only slightly cooked, leaving it a little crispy, but still soft and tasty. Because it’s so easy to make and so delicious, it’s a very popular and common side dish among Koreans. […]
This simple, crispy, fresh-tasting and delicious vegan pancake is quick to make and impossible not to like. Make a small one for a snack, or a big one for a meal.
Jjajangmyeon is everybody’s favorite food. The almost caramel taste of the savory black bean sauce over the thick, chewy wheat flour noodles makes for a really unique taste and texture.
Which to get? Both are best sellers and either one is a good choice if you want to learn Korean home cooking. Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking has all the recipes for all the essential Korean pastes and sauces, but my second book Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking has more recipes, more photos, and more variety.
