Sundubu Jjigae 순두부찌개 (soft tofu stew)

Since I have been in Korea, I have only ever had one favourite meal and that is 'sundubu jjigae'.  Back home, I never really ate tofu as I would always have Quorn as my meat alternative.  Actually, the one time I did try tofu (in a Boots Meal Deal) it was rather rank and sloppy with next to no flavour which put me off eating it.  Tofu is a really popular food here in Korea, and not because people are vegetarian....they really aren't....although ham is apparently not meat.  The two main tofu dishes are 'Dubu Kimchi' - tofu with kimchi.  Standard.  And Sundubu Jjigae, which is what I will tell you about now...


Sundubu translates as 'soft tofu' (the silken kind) and jjigae means 'stew'.  It's a really popular meal here and I get my sundubu jiggae fix at least once a week cos it's so damn good.  The local Kimbap restaurant also has a 'cheese' option too.  And by 'cheese' I mean the square cheese in little plastic envelopes.  It's not exactly mature cheddar, but it works really well.  


One of the things I love most about sundubu jjigae is the way it is is still bubbling away for a minute or two when they bring it out to your table.  This is achieved by cooking it in a stone pot and then serving it straight up in the same pot so it retains the heat.  I've made it without the stone pot before, and it is nowhere near as good in a regular bowl.  Therefore, I conclude that the stone pot is essential in your sundubu making experience!  

Sundubu Jjigae Recipe 

This is a recipe using the ready made stock.  I've never gone to the effort of actually making the stock as you can buy ready made pouches that are pretty good.  They're not quite as good as the restaurants, but they are still a great alternative for if you want to make your own.

Ingredients

• 1 pouch of Soft Tofu Stew stock (per person)
• I packet of silken tofu.
• Crushed garlic (the stock already has garlic in it, but if you are a garlic fiend like me then you may want more)
• Various veg - I used courgette, onion and a spring onion.
• You can add a chili if you want, but the sauce is already really spicy.
• Egg
• Cheese square
• The restaurants add clams, but I don't like them so substituted for prawns.  Honestly though, you don't need seafood, I personally think it's better without.
• A STONE POT.  Or a regular pan. 

Sundubu Stock

You will always find a pot of crushed garlic in my fridge 

Method

• Heat up the stone pot (or pan) with a little oil.  Lightly fry the onion and garlic for a minute or two.

• Add the tofu stock to the pot and when it starts boiling add the remaining vegetables, tofu, egg and prawns.  It is best to cut the tofu packet in the middle rather than opening it at the top as it breaks up quite easily.

• Let it bubble up for a few mins until everything is cooked through and it is piping hot.
• Add a slice of cheese.

• Serve up still bubbling with a bowl of rice.
• ENJOY! :) 

Omurice with cute-face rice balls 오무라이스

I have been in Korea for a year and a half (yes, that long already!) and I had never even made an omurice ...until this week!  I'm pretty sure that Omurice originated in Japan, but either way it is still a super popular dish in Korea.  It is basically as it sounds - an omelet filled with fried rice.   Unfortunately for vegetarians however, it is often filled with ham as well as veggies (as things always are here!).  So, just like with the mandu last week, I decided to make my own and share the joy with you lovely people reading this. 


Traditionally, Omurice does not come with cute face rice balls (everybody say ahhhh).  It's just I found this really cool seaweed face stamper in a shop that same day and really wanted to use it!  

Usually ketchup is squirted on the top, but I don't like detest the horrible minging red stuff so I used bbq sauce instead.  To be honest, no sauce is just as good if your filing is yummy.

Ingredients (makes 2):

3 or 4 eggs

Splash of milk

Rice - I can never measure rice correctly so just do what you want!

Onion - I used spring onion and garlic chives, but regular onion is more traditional.

Carrot - chopped finely

Rice seasoning (if you want more flavour - consists of salt, pepper, seaweed pieces and dried veg)

Splash of soy sauce

A teaspoon (or less) of crushed garlic

Chili powder if you want a lil' kick

Butter.
If you eat meat, then either add chicken or ham for best results.

Chopped veg

Directions

• Dice the vegetables 
• Fry the vegetables with some butter until soft (not healthy, but tastes goood!).  Then add the already cooked rice and soy sauce / chili powder and stir fry.  Set aside.
• Mix 3 or 4 eggs together with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
• Add butter a pan and when it is really hot, add the egg.  Make a thin omelet.
• Pile the veg in the to center of the omelet and then fold up each side.   Ideally it should be folded in to a half-moon sort of shape like this.  
• Flip the omurice over on to your plate and squirt on a bit of sauce.  Hey Presto!

            

Stir-fry the rice and veg

Pile the rice in the middle of the omelet before folding

To make the rice balls, just squeeze some cooled down rice in to balls and add seaweed shapes to make a face.  You can buy special seaweed stamps for this purpose if your're not feeling very artistic!

Shrimp and Tofu Mandu with a Soy & Apple Vinegar dip 새우 두부 만두

One thing I love about Korea is mandu.  Mandu are hot steaming (or fried) delicious dumplings which are available almost anywhere.  You can find them on both street-food stalls and in so many restaurants.  The possibilities for mandu fillings are endless, yet there are only usually 2 (maybe more) options available in restaurants; Kimchi Mandu (spicy cabbage/veg) 김치 만두 and Gogi Mandu 고기 만두 (meat).  The Koreans are very traditional with their food and like to stick with what they know works, and for most people these do work, but for people who don't eat meat then there is often a problem!  Like for example, last week.  It was freezing cold.  It was even snowing.  I really wanted some kimchi mandu.  The first mouthful of eating a steamy spicy kimchi filled dumpling of joy on a cold day with a side dip of soy sauce is actually rather amazing  (sorry, a bit OTT!?)  


I was on a mission.  I took out to the cold icy streets and ventured towards a mandu restaurant about 10mins down the road.  I had never tried this restaurant before, but they make them fresh so I assumed they'd be good.  Anyhoo, I ordered my kimchi mandu, and took a huge bite.  Unfortunately for me, it was rammed with carcas meat as well as kimchi.  Bleugh.  Quite often they just use tofu to mix, but on a few occasions there has definitely been meat involved.  So, I didn't get my mandu fix that eve.  


Butttt...this did provoke me to get off my bum to the supermarket and buy some mandu wrappers to make my own.  I also found this nifty little device in my local Daiso store which is actually a super good invention when it comes to  mandu-making....

As much as it looks like a prop from the Saw movies, the leg-breaker mandu-folder-overer-thingy is something that I would very much recommend to anybody interested in making some mandu. 


Kay's Shrimp and Tofu combination Mandu


I decided to make prawn and tofu mandu, partly because they are both such great absorbers of flavour, but mainly just cos I like 'em :-)


If anyone wishes to recreate my yummy mandu, then here is the recipe:


Mandu Ingredients (makes about 25):
Mandu papers/wrappers
About 25 prawns (tails/head off and poo-cord out)
About 250g Tofu
A few chives
Sprinkle of sesame seeds
Crushed garlic (maybe 1/2 tsp)
Small handful of sweet potato noodles (Dangmyeon)
Splash of sesame oil
Splash soy sauce
About a Tbs of Cornflour
Salt / Pepper
Sprinkle of Chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
(Grated ginger - I didn't have any, but imagine it would be a great addition).


Dip Ingredients:
Soy sauce
Apple vinegar
Splash of mirin/mirim (rice wine).
-Mix them together in a dish.  Equal parts soy sauce and apple vinegar with a dash of mirin.

Sweet potato noodles

1. De-poop the prawns if they need it (the black veins along the top and bottom)
2. Cook the Dangmyeon noodles for a few mins until they soften. 
3. Drain the tofu of water and mix all of the above ingredients together and leave for at least an hour to marinate.
4. Blend or chop the ingredients and put a small spoonful of the mixture in each mandu paper (not too much or they will just be messy).
5. The easiest way to fold is to make a half-moon shape and squeeze the ends to make them stick together either by using water or egg.
6. You can then either fry or steam.  I chose to steam mine, but fried are just as good.  It takes about 7 mins.

Put wrapper in the mandu folder and add a bit of filling

Fold

Steam and enjoy! ;-)

PEPERO DAY 11/11/11

Wow, it's been a while since I updated this blog hasn't it!?  I have been meaning to write a post about Pepero Day since Pepero Day, but I have been so busy.... James had family visit, then we adopted a stray kitten, then I had family visit, then we bought another kitten, then we went to Hong Kong and then it was Christmas and now it is already 2012!  Well there's a little update for you all if you were at all interested.

Pepero Day is a magical annual event in South Korea which is pretty much like Valentines Day, but it is for everybody, not just couples.  Strangely enough, this momentous chocolate filled fun day occurs on the 11th of the 11th which is better known for us back home at Armistice Day.  While everyone in England (minus a few) is holding a 2 mins silence at 11am, the people of Korea are exchanging chocolate covered biscuit sticks and getting high on sugar and E-numbers.  I did make sure to hold my 2 mins silence even with the sugar rush!

As mentioned above, Pepero are chocolate filled and/or coated biscuit sticks which come in various flavours.    The story goes that the main company 'Lotte' noticed a rise in sales on the 11th November, so decided to celebrate it and market the day as 'Pepero Day' and hell has it worked!!  In the week or 2 leading up to Pepero Day, the supermarkets and mini-shops are heaving with huge Pepero displays (and more recently other chocolate/teddy's and flowers too).   This year was 2011 (or last year should I say), so I think even more of a big deal was made out of Pepero Day being 11/11/11!  I must say that I took great pleasure in eating a Pepero at 11 minutes past 11 on the 11th month of the 11th year :)

Display made out of numerous boxes of Pepero

Outside a little GS Mart

Soo many Pepero!

Arriving at school on Pepero Day morning was actually more exciting than arriving on the day of the Christmas Party...  The kids were MENTAL!  I'm sure they had already eaten a few boxes for breakfast...  James and I were spoiled rotten by our students.  Here is a picture of the Pepero (with a photobombimg kitten...or maybe I put him there, I can't remember...)  which we received before lunchtime...  more came after lunch!!

In short, I LOVE PEPERO DAY!  We NEED to have something like this in England.  Mr Prime Minister, if you are reading this, then take note and get on it!