Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐

Mapo tofu is one of my chinese cooking dishes that is popular among my husband and my parents in law...or shall I say it's a dish that more suit to their Korean taste buds? (合胃口) .  It's my favorite one dish meal that save a lot of preparation/cooking time ;)

 

I try to utilise my duenjang paste (Korean fermented soy bean paste) and gochugaru (hot pepper flakes) in my pantry to create this dish.  Besides cooking duenjang jjigae (Korean fermented soy bean paste stew), you may want to use the duenjang paste to cook mapo tofu, the taste is equally nice by using Chinese doubanjiang (豆瓣酱).

 

 

 

Serving: 2 person

Ingredients:

200g Minced pork

1 pack Japanese pressed tofu (about 400g)

1 & 1/2 tbsp Duenjang (Fermented soy bean paste)

2 tbsp Gochugaru (hot pepper flakes)

1 tbsp cooking Oil

1 tbsp Minced garlic

1 tsp Sugar

250ml Water

1 stalk Spring onion (chopped)

Some chopped Red chilli pepper (optional)

Some chopped Green chilli pepper (optional)

 

Step by step photos:

 

 

 

1.  Prepare a wok/pan, add in cooking oil and garlic, slightly stir until the garlic fragrance came out over medium low heat.
2. Add in minced pork, keep stirring until the meat turn half-cooked.
3. Add in duenjang and gochugaru, stir until well mix.
4. Add in water and let it simmer for about 2 minutes over medium high heat.
5. Cut the tofu in big chunk and add into the meat sauce, slightly stir the tofu gently.
6. Keep simmer until the sauce thickens or you can add corn starch mixture (corn starch + water) to thicken the sauce if you prefer thick gravy.
7. Garnish with spring onion and chopped green/red chilli.
8. Serve warm with rice.

 





Old School Korean Lunch Box (Dosirak)

Bought two old school lunch box container some time ago from Korea but just store them in my kitchen cabinet.  Today while tidying up my cabinet, I saw these containers and thinking it's time to put food in the lunch box instead of storing them...lol...

 

In the old days, lunch box is made from metal box where the metal will allow heat transfer from the stove top heaters and keep the food stay warm until lunch hour.  The dishes for olden days lunch box were simple, usually pack with protein like eggs or sometimes with some meat like sausage and luncheon meat, top up with kimchi.

 

 

 

Serving: 2

Ingredients:

2 bowl of cooked Rice

100g of Luncheon meat (cut into bite size)

1/2 cup of cut Kimchi

Pinch of Sugar

1 tsp Sesame oil

2 Eggs

Some Oil to fry egg

Some crushed/cut seasoned roasted Seaweed

Some sesame seeds for garnish

 

Step by step Photos:

 

 

 

 

 

1. Cut luncheon meat into bite size.
2. Heat up a non-stick pan, add in the cut luncheon meat and fry over medium low heat until both sides turn golden brown.  (You can use some oil to fry the meat.  I do not add any oil to fry the meat as oil will release from the luncheon meat itself).
3. Remove the luncheon meat from pan.  Use the oil from the luncheon meat, add in cut kimchi and stir-fry.
4. Add in sugar and stir-fry for about 3 minutes over medium low heat.
5. Off the heat and drizzle sesame oil over the kimchi.
6. In another pan, add some oil and fry 2 sunny side up eggs and set aside.
7. Scoop cooked rice into the lunch box.
8. Arrange the luncheon meat, fried kimchi, egg and seaweed on top of the rice.
9. Before eat, slightly cut the egg and luncheon meat into smaller pieces using spoon, close the lid and shake a few times until all the side dishes and rice are mix together.
10. Serve warm ^^

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Granola Bar

Today's recipe is not a Korean dish but I would like to write it down in my blog to keep as my future reference because these granola bars is so yummy!  I like the nutty flavour and the crunchiness texture and how it serves as a super easy, fast but high nutritious breakfast/snack in my family.  Can't stop munching~~
I came across this recipe from a homecook group that I join in Facebook.
Recipe adopted from: FB Daily Homecook Meal (Zac Ng) & http://mybakerlady.com

Serving: About 24 bars (1.5 x 3 inch)
Ingredients:
3 & 1/2 Cup Rolled oats
1/4 Cup Canola & Sunflower oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cups Dried fruits & mix nuts (I used chopped walnut, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, chia seed, black sesame, white sesame, dried mix raisins)
1/4 Cup Honey
4 tbsp Brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
Baking tray size: 9 x 13 inch

Step by step photos:

1. Preheat oven 180°C.  Prepare a big bowl, mix rolled oats, salt and oil until well coated.
2. Prepare tray line with aluminium foil, pour the mixture in step 1 and spread them evenly on the tray, bake over 180°C for 8 minute, stir and continue to bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until the oats turn pale gold.
3. Remove the oats and adjust the oven temperature to 150°C.
4. Prepare a bowl, mix in all dried fruits, nuts oats.
5. Prepare a pan, pour in honey and brown sugar.  Keep stirring until the brown sugar dissolves over medium low fire.
6. Off the fire and add in cinnamon powder.  Keep stirring.
7. Add the honey mixture to the dried fruits, nuts and oats.  Stir until well combined.
8. Line a baking sheet in the tray, pour the mixture in step 7 using a non-stick spatula and spread evenly all over the tray.
9. Line another baking sheet on top of the mixture and get another same size tray to press on the mixture so that the mixture will have a tight and even height.  (If you do not have another same size tray, just use the spatula and press tightly).
10. Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes (150°C) or until golden brown.
11. Take out the tray and cool on a wire rack for 10 to 12  minutes and cut them into bars using knife.  Do not cool down too long where the mixture might be harden and hard to cut later.  Place the cut granola bars on wire rack until they are completely cool down.
12. Store in fridge for longer freshness :)

*Adjust the sweetness according to your preference by adjusting the brown sugar volume.