You're probably going to hate me for this, but I have a recipe without measurements for you. Another reason I haven't updated this blog as much is because it's SUCH a pain to 'measure' ingredients when you're a person who isn't used to measuring. =/ Even when cooking non-Korean foods, I hardly ever bust out the measuring utensils. I'm a taste as you go type of person.
Anyhow, I had a little free time today so I decided to make some cucumber kimchi. My husband loves all types of cucmber based banchans, so I have an arsenal of cucumber recipes to keep him happy.
First Cut a bunch of pickling cucumbers in half and then quarter them ALMOST all the way to the bottom. Let it sit in some salt water for a couple of hours like so. I forgot to take pictures of a few steps, but after about 3-4 hours, rinse all the cucumbers under cool water.
Meanwhile, prepare the *sok* - the insides were made with the following: (this is the closest you'll be getting to real measurements...sorry!)
- 1 julienne carrot (I use my Japanese brand mandolin for this - it's the best!)
- 2 cups of julienne moo
- 1 bunch of buchoo cut into 1-inch sections
- 1/2 cup of sliced green onions
- 1 red pepper sliced thinly
- 1/4 onions slice thinly (you don't really have to do this, I just used leftover onions from the ddukbokki I made today)
- 1/2 cup of red pepper powder
- 2 TB minced garlic
- 3-4 TB of cooking wine
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 TB honey powder
- dash of ginger powder and pepper and salt
- 2 TB sesame seeds
- 1 TB shrimp jut or just use fish sauce
- a splash of sesame oil
After you have each and every cucumber stuffed, leave it out for a night before placing inside the fridge. You can start eating this about 3-4 days later.
Enjoy! The MR said it turned out great and he devoured the last batch within a week. In case I don't get back in time, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! I truly hope you and yours have a wonderful, fabtabulistic, awesome, dreamy NEW YEAR! Hug and kiss the ones you love and cherish every moment you have. =)
Thank you very much for your blog. I'm also a Korean-American wife and mom who loves to cook. I can cook a variety of dishes but I never really learn how to cook Korean food. The only two dishes I can do "perfectly" are bulgogi and daeng chang chi gae. Growing up, my grandma always cooked for us because my mother was not a good cook. As a child, I only helped out my grandma in the kitchen whenever she made kimchee. As an adult, I'll call my grandma to ask how to make a particular a banchan but it's hard for me because, just like your MIL, she doesn't use exact measurements. I tried to follow different recipes from different Korean cookbooks but they were just too complicated. I am really happy I found your blog. I have tried many of your recipes and not only were they easy to follow, they tasted almost like how grandma used to make it. I look forward to your updates and I am happy to this particular recipe because this is my favorite kimchee along with ggak ddoogi.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. :D
One of my favorite banchan! So glad you're feeling better these days. You're amazing!
ReplyDeletelooks delicious. happy holidays to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteYum!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a version that used carrots. My grandma(s) and mom uses only buchoos. I want to make this so bad but I can't get the right cucumbers around me.
Well, I cant, but H-Mart is so far away.
I totally cook like you do, a dash of this some of that a blob of some of something else, so reading how you do your recipies makes total sense to me. I think it helps to have an idea how Korean food tastes, but like someone else said following regular recipies is hard, they get complicated. So yay thank you for doing this, I reference this blog a lot!
ReplyDeleteMMmm this looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt's been so long since I have visited your site. Boy did I miss it! I found a Korean grocer near me and I was so happy. My husband just kept laughing at me. I hope you are well and hugs to your boy!
Wow. Very appetizing, i wish to taste that as in right now. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, one of my favorites!!!
ReplyDelete