Lightbody Kim - Alphabet Cooking: K is For Korean

K is for Korean ingredients adzuki (aduki) beans are prepared sweet red beans commonly used in Korean desserts Korean pear (bae) are a species of pear native to East Asia chunjang is a Korean black bean paste dangmyeon are glass noodles doenjang is a soybean paste which literally means thick sauce in Korean garaetteok is a cylindrical Korean rice cake gim (kim) is an edible type of Korean seaweed gochujang is a Korean red pepper paste gochugaru are Korean red pepper flakes gosari (dried) are young stems of bracken which are the main wild edible greens eaten in Korea jujube (daechu) are sweet red dates kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables mandu is a type of Korean dumpling, they are similar to pelmeni and pierogi in Slavic cultures. Korean radish (mu) are much larger than the common radish and have a milder flavour and spice (also known as a daikon radish) myeolchi are Korean dried anchovies patbingsu tteok is a soft mini rice cake for patbingsu (shaved ice dessert) perilla leavessee perilla seeds (below) perilla seeds is a herb from the mint family saeujeot is fermented shrimp somen noodles are very thin white Japanese noodles ssamjang sauce is a spicy paste made from made of doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, garlic, onions and sugar (Many Korean ingredients are now available from larger supermarkets which are starting to stock more specific ingredients. However, it is also worth shopping at your nearest Asian supermarket for the harder-to-find ingredients.) ingredients 1 clove garlic, minced 2.5cm (1in) ginger, minced 150g (5oz/1 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 30g (1oz) rice flour 15g (oz) cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp sea salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 bunch (140150g/55oz) spring onions (scallions), sliced in half, then lengthways 170g (6oz) mixed seafood 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp vinegar 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp gochujang tsp caster (superfine) sugar mix Mix the garlic, ginger, flours, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl, before whisking in the eggs and 150ml (5fl oz/ cup) cold water. beat Beat until you have a smooth batter, then add in the spring onions and seafood. heat Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan until very hot, then lower the heat and spoon in half of the batter. whisk Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by whisking together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang and sugar. whisk Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by whisking together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang and sugar.

Serve alongside the hot pancakes.

ingredients 150g (5oz/ cup) sushi rice 4 Tbsp sesame oil 1 red (bell) pepper, sliced into thin strips 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 100g (3oz) spinach 2.5cm (1in) ginger, finely chopped 100g (3oz) minced (ground) beef 1 Tbsp soy sauce salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 sheets gim 1 avocado, peeled and sliced into strips boil Add the rice to a pan of boiling salted water and boil for 1213 minutes before draining it well. Return the drained rice to the pan, cover and allow to steam dry for a further 20 minutes (off the heat). heat Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large frying pan and add the pepper. Fry for 67 minutes over a low heat, stirring frequently, until softened. fry In the same frying pan, heat another tablespoon of sesame oil with half of the chopped garlic. fry In the same frying pan, heat another tablespoon of sesame oil with half of the chopped garlic.

Add the spinach and stir-fry for 12 minutes until just wilted. Season well with salt, and set aside with the pepper. heat Heat another tablespoon of the sesame oil in the same frying pan, and add the remaining half of the garlic and chopped ginger. Add the minced beef, and stir-fry for 56 minutes until broken up and cooked through. Season with the soy sauce and freshly ground pepper and set aside. make To make the gimbap, place a sheet of gim on a sushi rolling mat, shiny side down. make To make the gimbap, place a sheet of gim on a sushi rolling mat, shiny side down.

Spread over half the rice, leaving a 5-cm (2-in) border on one side, and pat it down well with the back of a spoon. In alternate lines, vertical to the border, place lines of the avocado, red pepper, spinach and minced beef. turn Turn the rolling mat so that the 5-cm (2-in) border is furthest away from you. Carefully, roll the seaweed up in the mat to form a cylinder, pressing the rice together through the mat. Finish by rolling the rice log over onto the border to seal. cut Place the rolls on a chopping board, and cut into 23-cm (1-in) slices with a very sharp knife.

Eat immediately, or cover and refrigerate.

ingredients 1 Tbsp gochugaru 1 Tbsp gochujang 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 2.5cm (1in) ginger, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced green chilli, finely chopped 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced 1 tsp sesame seeds 180g (6oz) raw king prawns 1 Tbsp vegetable oil hot rice or lettuce leaves, to serve mix Mix the gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chilli, spring onions and sesame seeds together, and then stir through the prawns. Cover and leave to marinate for 15 minutes. heat Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok, then add the prawns. Stir-fry for 23 minutes until cooked through, then serve immediately.