Monday, September 6, 2010

Asian Food: Great Korean Recipes

By Rajiv Kapur

In recent years, scores of individuals in the West have got interested in Korean dishes and recipes. One may taste Korean dishes in a restaurant, or if you like you may try to make it at home in your very own kitchen.

Korean food is generally centred around noodles, meat, rice, veggies and tofu (which is known as "dubu" in Korea). Many meals are offered with a spread of side dishes ("banchane"), as well as soup, steam rice, and kimchi (fermented veggies). Essence is imparted using a variety of seasonings and spices including garlic, ginger, red chili paste ("gochujang"), salt, soy sauce, and fermented soybean paste ("doenjang").

A few popular Korean dishes include:

* Gamjatang - A soup based on pork spine and potatoes. It typically also contains other vegetables, green onions, hot peppers and sesame seeds.

* Kongnamul-guk - Soybean sprout soup.

* Maeuntang - A piquant and spicy fish soup.

* Jeongol - A seafood and vegetable stew.

* Hoe - Thinly slice rawfish, somewhat similar to Japanese sashimi. Often immersed in wasabi or red chili paste ("gochujang"), and offered on cellophane noodles ("dangmyeon").

* Sannakji - A raw, very fresh little octopus, seasoned and diced into portions and served - it may still be moving on your plate!

* Ramyeon - Noodles with meat and veggies, identical to Japanese ramen noodles.

* Kongnamul-bap - Rice with soybean sprouts.

* Japchae - Potato noodles with beef, onions, carrot and spinach.

* Kalguksu - Flat noodles in a broth.

* Yukhoe - Raw beef topped with egg yolk, and seasoned with garlic, green onions and a variety of spices.

* Bulgogi - Meat or seafood cooked on a grill. Common forms include chicken ("dak bulgogi"), pork ("dweji bulgogi"), and squid ("ojingeo bulgogi").

* Dakgalbi - Grilled chicken.

* Galbi - Grilled pork ribs.

* Makchang - Grilled pork intestines (akin to chitterlings).

* Samgyeopsal - Grilled pork abdomen. Slices of meat are placed inside lettuce with cooked rice and a piquant paste ("ssamjang"). A variety of garnishes such as chillies, spring onion salad, or raw garlic immersed in samjang may be eaten with the meal.

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