Korean Dumplings (Mandu)

One day after I first arrived in Geneva, I was strolling the streets downtown and was ecstatic when I found a Korean Restaurant nearby.  I immediately approached the restaurant to find two disappointing realizations.  1.  The restaurant was only open 12-2pm and 6:30-9pm each day (Switzerland is strange) and 2. The prices were UNBELIEVABLE!  Banchan was not free ($15), a simple meal of tofu soup cost $24, and a small side dish of kimchi cost $6.  Craaazy.

So the last time I was in the states, I decided to bring back dumpling skins so I could make my own mandu.  I finally made some kimchi and mandu today.  Yummmy.  :)


Ingredients

-  1 lb ground beef
-  1/3 lb ground pork
-  1/2 onion (chopped)
-  4 garlic cloves (pressed)
-  6 leaves of boiled napa cabbage (until soft but still firm)
-  1 (300g) package of firm tofu (chopped into small cubes or processed)
-  2-3 tsp beef boullion (or dashida)
-  1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
-  2 tbsp sesame oil
-  3 tbsp rice wine/vinegar
-  3-4 chopped green onions (washed thoroughly and chopped)
-  2 medium sized eggs
-  2 packages circular dumpling skins
- 1 egg white (beaten) kept separately in a small bowl

Directions

FILLING

1.  Place ground pork and ground beef into a large pan on the stovetop with chopped onion.  Brown meat and drain excess fat.

2.  Add boullion to meat mixture with 1/4 cup water.  Cook 5 more minutes on lower heat, drain and place into large bowl.  Add garlic and ginger.

2.  Begin to boil/blanch napa cabbage.  Once soft but still firm, remove and squeeze out excess liquid using a cloth.  Dice cabbage.

3.  Add sesame oil and rice wine and mix thoroughly.  Salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Add cabbage, tofu, green onion, 2 eggs and mix until well combined.

CREATE YOUR MANDU:
*Both of these techniques will take practice!  I'm still a novice :)* 

Fried Mandu:

1.  Place one mandu skin on your left hand and add about a tsp of filling to the middle of the skin.

2.  Dip your right pointer finger in the beaten egg white mixture and run it across the edge of one half of your mandu skin, making a half circle motion.

3.  Close your mandu so one side meets the other (egg moistened) side and press all edges to ensure cohesion.

4.  Now, you want to create folds in your mandu.  Pull a small portion from the right side of your mandu a bit to the left to create a pinched look.  Do this two more times on middle and left sections of the mandu.

5.  Place a fair amount of canola or vegetable oil on a pan (medium heat) and add the mandu and cover.

6.  After a few minutes, open the lid and turn the mandu over to cook evenly for a few more minutes.

7.  Voila!  Yummy fried mandu. :)

Steamed mandu:

1.  Place one mandu skin on your left hand and add about a tsp of filling to the middle of the skin.

2.  Dip your right pointer finger in the beaten egg white mixture and run it across the edge of one half of your mandu skin, making a half circle motion.

3.  Close your mandu so one side meets the other (egg moistened) side and press all edges to ensure cohesion.

4.  Now, you want to make one corner of your mandu meet the other.  Place a small portion of egg white on corner and pull that end of the mandu to the other side and use the egg white as a glue to attach both sides.  Press together as much as needed. 

5.  Steam for 5-8 minutes and serve.

EASY DUMPLING SAUCE

- Equal  parts of  soy sauce + rice wine /vinegar  + a splash of sesame oil

Enjoy! :D

Korean Kimchi (or Kimchee) - fermented cabbage

My mother is Korean and I have inherited a deep love for eating and cooking Korean food.  One staple of Korean food is kimchi, which is the most common type of banchan (small side dishes eaten with a Korean meal) and it is used as a primary ingredient in many main dishes.  Kimchi is also know for its digestive aid effects as the fermentation process creates "good bacteria" in Kimchi to act as a probiotic.  I have to add that Kimchi is certainly an acquired taste but once you enjoy it, you will love it forever. :)

Ingredients

- 2 large heads of napa cabbage
- 1 large asian radish
- 1.5 cups kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sweet rice powder/flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 small onion
- 1 cup of peeled garlic
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 4-6 cups asian hot pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want your kimchi)
- 6 green onions
- 1 pair rubber or disposable plastic gloves

Directions

1.  Cut the cabbages in half (or quartered - up to you), and spread out leaves.

2.  Soak each piece of cabbage in cold water and sprinkle fair amount of salt on the inside of each individual leaf.  The stem should receive more salt than the leave portion of the cabbage.  After rinsing and salting all leaves, cover and leave for 4-5 hours.  After 2 hours, turn cabbage for even salt distribution.

3.  Peel radish and use grater to shred 1.5 cups of radish.  Squeeze with towel to remove excess liquid and keep separately in side dish.  Cut up remaining radish into 1 inch cubes and place into a big bowl and sprinkle with fair amount of salt and toss.  Cover and leave for same amount of time as cabbage and toss after 2 hours for even salt distribution.

4.  After 4-5 hours, rinse the salted cabbage and radishes and SQEEEEZE the water out. 

KIMCHI PASTE


1.  Add 1/2 cup of rice flour/powder with 3. cups of water and bring to a bubble on medium high heat in a skillet on the stovetop.  Pour 1/4 cup of sugar into mixture and stir for one more minute.  Stir constantly until thickened and remove from heat.  When you see some bubbles, pour 1/4 cup of sugar into the porridge and stir one more minute. Then remove from heat and allow to cool down.  When cool, place the cold porridge into a big bowl.

2.  Combine garlic, fish sauce, ginger and onion in a food processor and blend until smooth.

3.  Add garlic mixture to porridge and mix well, slowly adding in hot pepper flakes.

4. Add 6 diagonally-sliced green onions and 1.5 cups of shredded Korean radish and mix all ingredients well.


KIMCHI PASTE + CABBAGE & RADISH

1.  Put on gloves

2.  Spread the kimchi paste onto each leaf of the cabbage in its entirety.  When complete with head, squeeze into an oval and place into air tight or sealed container.  Continue this process with each head of cabbage, placing into a snug position in the container.

3.  Mix leftover paste with radish cubes (kakdugi) and add to the top of the container before sealing.

4.  Leave kimchi in refrigerator for a week before it is fermented enough to eat.

Enjoy! :)

  

Broiled Ginger Salmon

On a starving whim, I picked up salmon from the market and decided to make it ASAP for dinner.  I found a great recipe to prepare the salmon in limited time and it was wonderful. :)  This recipe is very flexible.  Feel free to adjust to the size of your salmon and preferred cooking time.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 clove garlic, pressed
  
• 1pound whole salmon fillet with skin

Directions

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, muscovado sugar, minced ginger, olive oil, and garlic in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic zipper bag. Add the salmon fillet, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days (I marinated for 20 minutes and it was great!).
2. Turn on oven broiler to preheat and prepare foil to enclose salmon and excess liquid.
3. Remove the salmon from the marinade, and shake off excess. Pour remaining marinade on top of salmon. Place the salmon, skin side up, onto foil.
4. Broil until the salmon is opaque but still juicy and slightly browned on top - about 20 minutes.  Make sure to flip salmon once midway through. 

Thai Green Curry with Zucchini

My stomach is feeling better than it has in over a year (thanks to lovely Thi and her herbs) and I am looking forward to cooking more of the foods i love.  I've recently wanted Thai food and decided to give it a go.  The original recipe is with chicken and I'll show you how to add it if you'd like.  This was delicious. :)

- 2 large zucchini
- 1.5 cups coconut milk
- 2-3 tbsp green curry paste
- if you want to add chicken: 3/4 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs cut in big bite-sized pieces
- 1.5 cups chicken broth or water (i did half and half)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- dash of dried (or fresh) basil (optional)

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1-inch chunks; set aside.  In a medium saucepan or heavy skillet, bring 3/4 cup of the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to thicken and becomes fragrant.  Add the curry paste and cook 2-3 minutes, pressing and stirring to dissolve into the coconut milk.  If using chicken, add it now and cook 3 minutes more, tossing to coat with the sauce.

Add the remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk, the chicken broth/water, zucchini, fish sauce, palm sugar, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked and the zucchini is tender but still firm, 9-11 minutes.  Remove from heat and stire in basil, if desired.   Serve hot or warm.