LonelyGirl: International Food

Hello All,

Welcome to my blog!

This blog is going to be my journey with Korean cuisine, few main ingredients and one main unique recipe of theirs.

My Journey - Korean cuisine:

I live in popular country in Europe. Here you can find people from different countries, culture, food etc. I have lots of friends here. Since I love cooking, I discuss lot of cooking with my friends and try them at my home. Korean food attracted me as well. I found fermented pickle which they call Kimchi was one of the main side dishes consumed with any food they eat.

The beneficial power of kimchi comes from the lactic acid bacteria (also found in yogurt and other fermented foods) that helps in digestion and, according to some researchers, boosts immunity. In addition, the vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C and antioxidants, which are believed to protect cells from carcinogens. The high fiber content aids bowel function.

Few main Ingredients:

Before I learnt about their recipes or cooking methods, I did a small research on their ingredients. I learnt with the below few sets of ingredients we can cook many dishes from their cuisine.

Their main spices included Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes), Gochujang (Korean Hot pepper paste), Doenjang (Soybean paste), Roasted Sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, Ganjang (Soy sauce), Rice syrup, fish sauce.

Also, garlic, ginger, green onions, sweet potatoes, Tofu, rice wine, dried fish, kelp, green peppers, dried root vegetables, sea foods, rice, chives, pine nuts played a major role in their cuisine.

Kimchi:

Kimchi (something like sauerkraut/pickles) is the lactic acid fermentation of Napa Cabbage/Radish/Vegetables or using all that mentioned. Kimchi is part of every meal like rice or soup or noodles. According to the region they live in Korea, there are slight variations in the preparation.

Kimchi is mostly prepared in prior to heavy winter, when there will be less availability for vegetables. Kimchi plays a major role in substitute of Vitamins and minerals during this time.

Kimchi Preparation (I have shared a simple and small portion in traditional way)

1. Salting:

- Cut Napa cabbage, big chunks (i used one big size)

- Add 3 tbsp salt.

- Mix and rest for 2 hours. Every 30 minutes give a quick mix. After two hours, wash the cabbage 2-3 times in cold water. Keep aside for 15 minutes and don’t discard the brine.

2. Porridge preparation:

Take 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour and 2 tbsp brown sugar mix with 1/4 cup water and heat in low flame for 3 minutes and keep aside for cooling

3. Vegetables :

Cut 2 cup radish (long thin strips), 1 Cup carrots (Long thin strips), 6 green onions chopped,1 cup Asian chives(optional), and you can add extra veggies of your choice.

4. Mixing:

In a bowl add 6-8 minced garlic, 2 tbsp minced ginger, 1 medium sliced onion, raw squid or shrimps (vegetarians can skip this), ½ cup fish sauce (vegetarians can replace with ¼ cup soy sauce and 1 tbsp salt), ½ cup Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes), ½ tbsp salt and the vegetables we have cut and kept ready.

Give a quick mix to all the above and add the porridge we have prepared earlier with the salted Napa cabbage and the brine. You can use spatula to mix this, but hands are best to mix, so that all the vegetables will be coated well with the spices (you can use gloves if you feel uncomfortable)