Tag: Korean

Gochujang smoked tofu stir fry

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Spicy, savoury, tangy, complex and a deeply satisfying rust red in colour.

  • 1 block smoked tofu, cut into mouth-sized pieces
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • Pinch of Chinese five spice powder
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 red pepper, finely sliced
  • Handful of fine green beans, cut into short pieces
  • 5 spring onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp gochujang chilli paste
  • 2 tbsp black vinegar
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  1. In a bowl, mix together the tofu pieces, cornflour, five spice, black pepper and salt
  2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, gochujang, black vinegar, brown sugar and sesame oil
  3. In a wok or deep pan, heat the veg oil and, shaking off the excess cornflour as you pick them up, fry the tofu on both sides until golden. Then remove from the pan and set on one side
  4. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel and heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil over medium/high. Add the spring onion, garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant
  5. Add the red pepper and green beans and stir fry for a couple of mins
  6. Give the sauce a stir and pour it into the pan, stir together and heat through until bubbling
  7. [If you want the sauce to be thicker, mix the cornflour left in the tofu bowl with a small amount of water and add to the pan, stir and cook until glossy and thickened]
  8. Add the cripsy tofu back into the pan, give it a stir together and serve immediately

Serve with coconut rice or thick noodles, sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds

Korean noodle salad

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Excellent quick lunch, when you want something spicy, crunchy and noodly.

  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp gochujang
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 250g soba noodles
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 6 leaves red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 60g kimchi, chopped
  • Handful toasted cashews
  • Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
  1. Mix the first 6 ingredients to create the sauce (tahini, gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, caster sugar, sesame oil)
  2. Cook the noodles, cool and toss with sesame oil
  3. Add all other ingredients and mix together well

Top with a soft boiled egg if you fancy it or just tuck in as is. Hugely flexible to use whatever you’ve got in the fridge

Mayak eggs

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Korean marinated eggs. Silky smooth, savoury, spicy. It’s like Eggs 2.0

  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 birdseye chilli, sliced
  • 1 spring onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  1. Put the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, put the lid on and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat right down and simmer for 6 mins. Remove the eggs, run them under the cold tap for 1 min and then peel the shells off
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients together in a large jar, add the peeled eggs and leave in the fridge for 48 hours to marinate before eating with sticky rice and cucumber salad.

Kimchi fried rice

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

How has it taken me this long to discover kimchi fried rice? It’s SO GOOD. Just make it and pop a fried egg on top. You will not be sorry. Feeds 2

  • 250g cooked rice (either cook it yourself and cool it or use a cooked rice pouch)
  • 100g kimchi, cut into small pieces if it needs it
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1″ piece ginger, minced
  • 1 tbsp gochujang
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp veg oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 spring onion, finely chopped
  • Sesame seeds
  1. Melt the butter in a wok or large frying pan on a medium-low heat
  2. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently for 5 mins until soft
  3. Add the kimchi and a little of its juice, the gochujang and the rice
  4. Toss everything together until the rice is coated (without being over-enthusiastic and ending up with mush)
  5. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir in
  6. In a separate pan, heat a little veg oil and fry the eggs
  7. Serve the rice, topped with your perfectly fried egg and strewn with spring onion and sesame seeds

Korean pork stir fry

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Spicy, savoury, tangy, complex and a deeply satisfying rust red in colour.

  • 1 pork fillet, trimmed and cut into thin slices
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 red pepper, finely sliced
  • 5 spring onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp gochujang chilli paste
  • 2 tbsp shaosing rice wine
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  1. Mix all ingredients except the veg oil, red pepper and spring onion and leave pork to marinade for an hour
  2. In a wok, heat the oil until smoking
  3. Remove the pork from the marinade with a slotted spoon and stir fry for 5 mins until caramelized and brown
  4. Add the peppers and spring onions, and cook for a further 2 mins
  5. Pour leftover marinade over and cook for a minute or so until bubbling and shiny

Serve with coconut rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds