Hobak Jeon/Buchim (Korean Pan-Fried Zucchini Fritters)

Jeon (Fritters/pancake) is common to see in Korean meal.  There are many ingredients you can use to make jeon, from vegetables to meat.  Hobak jeon is easy to make, coat zucchini slices with a thin batter of flour and egg and pan-fried both sides until golden brown.  It's a side dish that goes well with other dishes on the dining table :)

 

 

Serving size: 2 - 3 person

Ingredients:

Zucchini (medium size)                        1

Red Chili (thinly sliced)                        1

Egg (Large)                                           1

All purpose flour                                   2-3 tbsp

Salt                                                        pinch

Cooking oil                                            2-3 tbsp

 

Steps by steps photos:

 

 

 

1.  Slice zucchini thinly (about 0.5cm). Slice the red chili thinly too for garnish and added spicyness to the fritters. (* If you don't like spicyness, skip the red chili).

2.  Prepare a clean plastic bag/zipper bag, put all purpose flour and zucchini slices in it.  Close the plastic end by twisting it and shake (include some air inside, like a balloon).  The flour will cover the zucchini slices easily and your hand can stay clean ^^

3.  Crack an egg in a bowl, add a pinch of salt in it and slightly beat the egg.  Set aside.

4.  Prepare a pan, heat it on medium fire.  Drizzle some cooking oil, swirl to cover the whole pan.

5.  Turn the fire to low.  Take a piece of zucchini slice from the plastic bag, dip it inside the egg (cover both sides with egg).

6.  Place it on the heated pan.  Continue steps 5 until the whole pan is full of zucchini fritters~ :)

7.  Place red chili slices on top of each for garnish.

8.  Fry both sides until golden brown.

9.  Serve with dipping sauce.

 

Dipping sauce:

Soy sauce           1 tbsp

Vinegar              1/2 tsp

Water                 1/2 tsp

- Mix well-

 



 

 

 



 

Maeun Galbi Bulgogi (Korean Spicy Pork Rib BBQ)

Korean BBQ dish is my all time favourite.  The marinate sauce is the key in making tasty bulgogi! It's quite an easy dish to make despite the marinating process may take some time.  If you plan to have a bbq party, marinate it overnight and grill them the next day.  The sweet and spicy flavor plus slightly burnt taste is finger licking good!  Today I am making pork rib bbq (spicy version).

 

 

 

 

Serving: 2

Ingredients:

Pork Ribs                                                         600g

 

Marinate Sauce

Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste)                   3 tbsp

Gochugaru (Korean Pepper flakes)                  1 tbsp (add more if you love spicy)

Honey                                                               1&1/2 tbsp

Garlic (finely minced/blended)                        1 tbsp

Soy sauce                                                         1 tbsp

Sesame oil                                                        1 tbsp

Grated ginger                                                   about finger tip

 

 

Steps by steps photos:

 

 

1.  Soak pork ribs in water to get rid of the blood for an hour.

2.  Drain and pour the water away.  Add in marinate sauce, rub and mix the sauce well to the pork ribs.

3.  Cover with cling wrap and marinate in fridge for 2-4 hours.

4.  Prepare a pot (best if use non-stick pot).  Put in the marinated pork ribs.

5.  Pour about a cup of water (250ml) and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes with lid on over low fire.  Check and stir occasionally to prevent the meat stick on the pot.

6.  Open the lid and keep simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.

     ** If you prefer some burnt and chewy texture of meat.  Skip the water part, simmer for 30 minutes on low fire with lid on.  Check and stir frequently too to avoid over-burnt.

7.  Serve and garnish with some chopped spring onion.

 

 



 

 

 

Dolsot Bibimbap (Korean Mixed Rice with Meat and Vegetable in Stone Bowl)

Bibimbap, Korean signature dish! "Bibim" literally means "mix" while "bap" means "rice".  You can use any types of vegetable in this dish.  The common ones are carrot, bean sprouts, spinach and gosari (fernbrakes).  This dish is quite time consuming to make from scratch.  Most Korean households only make bibimbap when there are leftover namul banchan in the fridge.  Instead of making all vegetables dishes from A-Z, they just mix all the left over with rice and top with fried egg and gochujang (Korean chilli paste).  I love to eat my bibimbap with duenjang jigae.  Add the tofu from duenjang jigae and mix together helps add more flavor to the bibimbap.  Try it out today! ^^

 

 

 

Serving: 2-3 person

Ingredients:

Cooked rice                                                                

Minced pork                                                               100g

Soy sauce (to marinate pork)                                      1 tbsp

Sesame oil (to marinate pork)                                     1 tbsp

Carrot (julienned)                                                       1/2 small size (cut into strips)

Shiitake mushroom (julienned)                                  5 piece (cut into strips)

Seasoned soy bean sprouts                                         30g

Spinach side dish                                                        1 bunch

Gosari (fernbrakes) namul                                          30g

Roasted seaweed                                                         1/2 sheets (cut into thin strips)

Egg                                                                              2

Cooking oil                                                                 1 tbsp

Salt                                                                              pinch

 

Bibimbap sauce:

Gochujang (Korean chilli paste)                                 2 tbsp

Honey                                                                          1 tbsp

Sesame oil                                                                   1 tbsp

Vinegar                                                                        1/2 tsp

Minced garlic                                                               1/2 tsp

Toasted sesame seeds                                                  1 tsp

 

 

 

Steps by steps photos:

 



 

 

1.  Marinate minced pork with sesame oil and soy sauce.  Set aside and continue to prepare other ingredients.

2.  Prepare a pan with some cooking oil, add in carrot and a pinch of salt.  Fry for 30 seconds on medium heat.  Remove from pan and set aside.

3.  In the same pan, add some cooking oil and fry shiitake mushroom for 1 minute over medium heat.  Remove from pan and set aside.

4.  Add some cooking oil in the pan, add in the marinated minced pork until cooked.

5.  For soy bean sprouts, spinach and gosari namul, you can check out the link in the ingredients list above.

6.  Prepare a stone bowl (dolsot), coat the stone bowl with sesame oil.  Heat it over low fire for 3 minute.  Place a bed of cooked rice at the bottom of stone bowl and let it cook for another 3 minutes. 

7.  Top all the ingredients and roasted seaweed on the rice bed.

8.  Fry 2 eggs and place it on top of the ingredients (one for each stone bowl).

9.  Serve with bibimbap sauce and sesame oil.  Mix everything up and enjoy!

 



 

Gosari Namul (Sauteed Fernbrake Side Dish)

I have the plan to make bibimbap tomorrow, so I will prepare gosari namul today so that I can eat it as banchan during dinner and save a bit for bibimbap tomorrow.  Gosari is not a must dish in bibimbap but it's frequently use in bibimbap as it adds more flavour and texture to the dish. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Gosari (Fernbrake) - Dried                                               1 pack (80g)

Onion (medium)                                                               1

Garlic (minced)                                                                 3 piece

Soy sauce                                                                          3 tbsp

Salt                                                                                    1 tsp

Sesame oil                                                                         3 - 4 tbsp

 

 

 

Steps by steps photos:

 

 

 

 

1.  Soak dried gosari in water for 6 hours (best if soak overnight).

2.  After soaking and the gosari still hard, boil them in water for another 1 hour or until soft.

3.  Drain the water and rinse thoroughly in water.  Squeese out excess water with hands and set aside.

4.  Prepare a pan, put in 1 tbsp of sesame oil.

5.  Add in gosari and saute for 5 minutes in medium high heat.

6.  Add in sliced onion and minced garlic, and 3 tbsp of soy sauce.  Saute for another 5 - 10 minute in medium high heat.

7.  Off the heat and drizzle some sesame oil.  Serve on plate.  Garnish with some chopped spring onion if you have :)



 

 



 

'Heartshape' Gyeran Mari (Korean Rolled Omelette)

Korean rolled omelette is usually eat as a side dish for any meal.  And, it's a popular dish in doshirak (lunch box) too.  The ingredients are simple and can make at any time as long as you have eggs and some veggies in your fridge :)  Today, I am using 'traffic light' (red, orange, and green) paprika and onion.  All chopped in tiny pieces and mix in beaten eggs.  You can use other ingredients like seaweed, cheese, mushroom and etc.  I will show you how to cut your gyeran mari in heartshape~  Try it today! ^^

 

 

Ingredients:

Eggs (medium size)                                         4

Green paprika (chopped)                                 1 tbsp

Orange paprika (chopped)                               1 tbsp

Red paprika (chopped)                                    1 tbsp

Onion (chopped)                                              1 tbsp

Salt                                                                   sprinkle

Cooking oil                                                      1 tsp

 

 

 

Steps by steps photos:

 

 

 

 

1.  Add eggs in the chopped paprikas and onion, sprinkle a pinch of salt to it.  Beat the egg with a fork, mixing in with the veggies.

2.   Heat a pan, pour some cooking oil on the pan and swirl to cover the whole pan.  Wipe off extra oil with a kitchen paper towel.

3.  Pour a thin layer (about half of the prepared egg mixture) to the pan, swirl to cover the pan.  Let it cook until it's set but still runny over low heat.

4.  Use a spatula and lift and fold in one end of the egg (about 2-3cm) and keep folding in to the middle part of the egg. 

5.  Move the half folded egg to the end side of the pan and pour in the other half egg mixture.  Let it sit for a while to set, and continue folding all the way to the other side.

6.  When all the sides of the rolled egg is golden brown.  Remove it from the pan and let it cool down.

7.  Slice the egg roll into thick and even pieces.  To create the heartshape, cut the egg piece diagonally.  (Refer to the photo shown above) and arrange them on plate.

 

**Step 5 helps to create a thicker and fuller egg roll.  If you would like to make 2 thin egg roll, just skip this step and fold the egg until the end.

*** Tip:  Use low heat all the time while frying the egg.  In case you feel that the egg cook too fast, remove the pan from the fire for a while and put it back again to continue cooking.