To Cook
Heat oil in frying pan and stir-fry the eggs until cooked. Remove and set aside.
Fry the nasi goreng paste in heated sesame oil until fragrant.
Add rice and stir-fry thoroughly until every grain is coated. Add carrots, peas and the eggs. Mix well and set aside on a serving plate.
Stir-fry sambal oeleck in heated sesame oil for 1 min.
Brown onion, add beef and stir-fry for 2 mins. Remove and place at the side of fried rice.
Sprinkle sesame oil. Garnish fried rice with cucumber, cherry tomato and coriander. Serve hot.
Vegetables
Hot and Sour Soup (Suan La Tang)
To Prep
Mix ¼ cup cornstarch with an equal amount of water and use a spoon to stir until completely dissolved.
Cut the dried chilli peppers in half discard the seeds. Mince them up and set aside. Keep the seeds if you want to increase the broth’s spiciness.
Slice the pork into small strips and place into a bowl with the last teaspoon of corn starch and ½ teaspoon of oil. Stir it all together.
Soak the dried lily flower, wood ears, and mushrooms for an hour or two until hydrated. Once they’re ready, slice the mushrooms and give the wood ears a rough chop. Trim the tough ends off the lily flowers and cut them in half.
Cut the spiced tofu and the firm tofu into 2in long and ¼in thick pieces.
Slice the winter bamboo shoots into the same shape.
Wash and chop the scallion and set aside.
Beat the two eggs in a bowl.
To Cook
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a wok or pot and add the pork. Stir to ensure the slices are not clumped together. Skim off any foam that floats to the top.
Add the chilli pepper, white pepper and both soy sauces, and check the soup for salt. Add the lily flowers, wood ears, mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the two kinds of tofu, sesame oil, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar and stir. Stir until the broth thickens.
Use a spoon to mix your corn starch in the bowl so it’s all combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Use a soup ladle to stir the soup at the center of the wok in a steady circular motion to make a whirlpool while slowly pouring the corn starch slurry in a thin stream. This prevents the corn starch from clumping. Stop when you are about ¾ of the way done with your slurry to check the consistency of the soup. It should be thick enough to coat your spoon or ladle. Add the rest if needed.
Keep the soup simmering and use the same technique with the beaten eggs and again, make sure the motion is fast enough or you will end up with egg clumps instead of the beautiful swirls or egg “flowers” (which is what the Chinese call it).
Garnish with the chopped scallions and serve.
Classic Pork Gyoza
To Make Filling
Add the cabbage and salt to a large bowl and thoroughly mix together. Let the cabbage sit at room temperature for 15 mins.
Transfer the cabbage to a clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth. Roll up the cloth and wring out the liquid in the cabbage, like you’re wringing a wet towel. This is a key step so that the gyoza doesn’t become watery. Wring out as much as possible. Do this in batches if it’s easier.
Add the wrung out cabbage, chives, garlic, ginger, pork, soy sauce, 2 tbsp of the sesame oil, black pepper, salt, sugar, and potato starch to a large bowl.
Use your hands to mix the ingredients together for about 2 mins. Mash and mush the ingredients together, squeezing it through your fingers so it turns into a sticky filling that will hold together when you spoon it into a dumpling skin.
To Make Gyoza
Prepare a tray by lightly dusting it with potato starch. Place a gyoza skin in the palm of one hand with the floured side down. (The skins are sold with one side floured.)
Dip a finger in the potato starch solution and wet the entire edge of the skin. This water starch mixture is the “glue” that will hold the skin closed.
Add about 1-2 tbsp of the filling to the center of the skin. Use the index fingers and thumbs of both hands to fold the skin and pinch it together. Place the completed gyoza on the tray, fold side up. Repeat until you’ve used up all the fillings.
To Make Dipping Sauce
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and rayu. Adjust to your own taste.
Pour the dipping sauce into individual small bowls and set aside.
To Cook
Heat a non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat for about 5 mins. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tbsp of the sesame oil, making sure the entire surface is coated.
Begin adding the gyoza one at a time, in neat rows, the seam up. A 12-inch skillet will hold about 20 gyoza. Once all the gyoza are added, fry them for about 10 secs. Now quickly pour in the water over the gyoza and cover the skillet tightly.
Cook over high heat for about 4 mins. Uncover the skillet, there should be little or no water remaining. Cook for another 1 min. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp sesame oil over the gyoza and cook for an additional 1 min. The gyoza should look glossy with the skins cooked through.
Turn off the heat and use spatula to transfer the gyoza to a serving plate, this time with the seam side down (you want to show off the beautifully crispy, browned bottoms of the dumplings). Serve the dumplings steaming hot, with the dipping sauce on the side. Dip in the sauce to eat.
Variation
You can substitute the salt and soy sauce in the gyoza filling with 2 tbsp of red miso, for a savoury twist.
Winged Beans in Homemade Chilli Oil
To Cook
Bring water to boil over high heat and blanch the winged beans.
Remove winged beans from pot, drain and pat dry. Cut winged beans into 3cm length.
Heat wok on medium and fry Homemade Chilli Oil until aromatic.
Add winged beans and toss until they are evenly coated with chilli oil.
Remove from heat and serve hot.
Korean Stir Fried Soy Pork
To Prep
Combine the pork with the Marinade ingredients and mix well.
To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a large fry pan or wok, saute the onions until caramelized.
Add the pork and fry for 5 mins until browned.
Add the peppers, cabbage and spring onions, cook for 5-10 mins until the vegetables have softened and the pork is cooked through.
Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve.
Ehime Hotchpotch (Imotaki)
To Prep
Gently clean the kombu with a damp cloth, but don’t scrub off its layer of white powdery coating. This coating will contribute to the umami flavour of the broth.
In a medium pot, put the kombu and water in, and heat up the pot slowly on medium low heat for about 20-25 mins.
Just before the dashi starts boiling, remove kombu.
Line the sieve with paper towels (or cheese cloth) and set over a large bowl. Strain the dashi through the sieve.
To Cook
Add konnyaku pieces in water and bring it to boil. Continue cooking for a minute, then drain and set aside. This helps the konnyaku absorb more flavours and improves its texture.
In a large pot, bring dashi, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and salt to boil.
When soup boils, add in the rest of the ingredients and bring the konnyaku to boil.
Then set heat to low to keep content in pot warm. Scoop out cooked ingredients from the pot and serve. This dish is also perfect to be enjoyed at the table. Place pot on a portable stove at the dining table to keep the imotaki warm and have your guests help themselves to its contents.
Miso Pork and Vegetable Stew (Satsuma Jiru)
To Prep
In a large pot, add the pork bones and enough water to cover them. Turn on the stove and heat over a medium-high heat until the broth begins to boil.
Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for at least 30 mins
while skimming off anything that floats to the surface. When the broth has done cooking, remove it from the heat, strain and set aside.
While the broth simmers, in a pot, add in the diced pork along with 180ml of water and bring to a boil before continue to cook for 10 mins.
Similarly, in another pot, boil enough water to cook the konnyaku. Cook and set aside.
Steam the shiitake mushrooms for approx 4 mins before transferring to a cutting board, removing the stalks and slicing the cap in to thin strips.
If you are using fresh burdock root for this dish, shave the root in to strips using a knife.
To Cook
In a large pot, combine the pork, broth and konnyaku and bring to a boil over a low heat before adding in the daikon and carrots.
Return the mixture to a boil before adding in the sweet potato and mushrooms.
Continue to cook the stew while skimming off any foam or scum that rises to the surface. After approx 5 mins, add the miso paste in to the stew (use a strainer and a ladle to ensure that the paste is fully dissolved within the stew).
When the paste has fully dissolved, add in the burdock root and continue to cook for 5 mins before removing from the heat and begin to plate.
To Serve
Transfer the soup in to 1 large serving bowl, or multiple individual servings bowls before sprinkling with sliced spring onions and adding Ichimi Togarashi to taste.
Knife Cut Noodle Soup (Kalguksu)
To Make Stock
Place Stock ingredients and water into a pot, bring to boil. Skim off any impurities. Simmer for about 15 mins. Strain out vegetables and anchovies, discard. Set stock aside.
To Make Noodle Soup
Bring the stock to a boil again and add zucchini, carrot, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
Add in the noodles and vongoles (optional). Cook until the noodles are cooked and the shells of vongoles have opened. Add spring onions towards the end of cooking time.
Serve noodles in individual bowls with seasoned soy sauce.
Tips
You can use chicken stock instead of making the anchovies stock.
You can add precooked noodles to stock to have a clearer soup.
Korean Spicy Baby Octopus
To Cook
Add 1 tbsp oil to a heated pan, sauté carrots, zucchini and onions over high heat briefly, about 1 min. Set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan and sauté the garlic gently for about 15 secs, then add the chilli powder. Cook over low heat, taking care not to burn, for about 20 secs.
Turn heat to high and add baby octopus, stir fry for about 3 mins or until just cooked. Add soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, season with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables and spring onions, immediatelt cook over high heat until the ingredients are well mixed. Remove from heat, garnish with spring onions and serve.
Korean Seafood Noodle Soup (Kalgaksu)
To Cook
In a stockpot, add the dried large anchovies, garlic, onion, whole spring onions and 10-12 cups of water. Bring to boil and skim off any impurities. Simmer for about 15 mins. Strain and discard ingredients, set stock aside.
Bring the stock to a boil again and add the soy sauce, fish sauce, zucchini and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the noodles and seafood, cook until done. Add spring onions towards the end of cooking time.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with spring onions. Serve with seasoning sauce.
Korean Spicy Squid (Ojinga Bokkum)
To Cook
Add 1 tbsp oil to a heated pan, sauté carrots, zucchini and onions over high heat briefly, about 1 min. Set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan and sauté garlic gently for about 15 secs, then add the chilli powder. Cook over low heat, taking care not to burn, for about 20 secs. Turn heat to high and add the calamari rings. Stir fry calamari for about 3 mins or until just cooked. Add the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables and green onions to the calamari and immediately cook over high heat until the ingredients are well mixed. Remove from heat, garnish with spring onions and serve.
Korean Mixed Kimbap
To Cook
Mix rice with 2 tbsp sesame oil and ½-1 tsp salt in a bowl and set aside.
Pour ½ -1 tbsp oil to a heated pan and pour in eggs and make a thin omelette over medium heat. The omelette should be pale in colour. Cut into thin strips when cooled and set aside.
Pour ½-1 tbsp oil to a heated pan and quickly sauté carrots for about 30 secs and season with salt and set aside.
Saute the zucchini with ¼ cloves of garlic and ½ tbsp sesame oil, set aside.
Squeeze excess water out of spinach, mix with ½ tbsp sesame oil, ¼ cloves of garlic and 2 pinches of salt in a bowl and set aside.
Place sushi mat on a board and a nori sheet on top. Spread ⅓-½ cups of rice on nori sheet, covering about ⅔ of the sheet. Place all the ingredients on top of the rice, lining them up horizontally and close together. Roll the nori sheet using your mat until you have a cylinder shape. Squeeze the roll inside the mat gently so that the kimbap is not too loose.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have a desired number of kimbap rolls. Cut kimbap into bite sized pieces, usually 8-10.