Korean Recipes
137 recipes found
Tteok Mandu Guk (Rice Cake Soup With Dumplings)
You can eat a bowl of tteok guk, rice cake soup, as South Koreans do on New Year’s Day (by the Gregorian or Lunar calendar) and freeze any leftover broth for multiple soul-soothing meals in the new year. The soup sometimes includes mandu, as it does here, and those dumplings also can be frozen. An aromatic gochugaru oil turns this ordinarily snow-white dish crimson, flavoring the bold, spicy-sweet kimchi dumpling filling and tingeing the final broth with its heat. The tteok, rice cakes, here come in the form of thick, cylindrical pieces rather than soggy coins, and are added at the last moment to maintain their pleasurable chewiness.
Korean Spicy Chicken Stew (Dakdori Tang)
This recipe, from the Brooklyn chef Sohui Kim, is an ideal one-pot weeknight meal, as everything — chicken included — is thrown into the pot. Soy sauce, fiery gochugaru (Korean dried red-pepper flakes), fish sauce and radish kimchi give this stew a deeply funky, satisfying flavor. During the summer, Ms. Kim grills a few of the chicken pieces (see note) and tosses them into the sauce to braise with the sauce. The kimchi called for here is not cabbage kimchi, it is kkakdugi, sometimes listed as cubed radish kimchi or cubed moo radish kimchi, available at Korean grocery stores.
Yangnyeom Sauce
Yangnyeom chicken, a style of Korean fried chicken that’s been glossed with a gochujang-based sauce, is always a good time. Here, you’re getting just the sauce, which can go with just about anything. This crimson concoction delivers on its name — yangnyeom (pronounced YANG-nyum) means “seasoned” in Korean — and tastes especially wonderful with crispy fried things. Ketchup and strawberry jam add necessary sweetness and luster, while savory soy sauce and rice vinegar provide balance.
Gamja Salad With Cucumber, Carrot and Red Onion
Gamja (“potato”) salad is likely to be included among a sea of other banchan at Korean restaurants, and is typically mounded on a plate using an ice cream scoop. It’s similar to mashed potatoes in texture, mayo-laden like many potato salads, and studded with crunchy vegetables and hard-boiled egg. It’s generally a restaurant food, but when home cooks do make it, the salad might be sandwiched between two slices of soft white bread and eaten for lunch. The world is your oyster when it comes to gamja salad: It may include apples, peas, corn kernels, raisins and even nuts, and you can add whatever you like and nix whatever you don’t. But the cucumber is gibon (“standard”), and essential, because it adds a vegetal freshness that pulls this dish back from feeling heavy in any way.
Galbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs)
This dish, known as galbi, is a fine thing to eat in a restaurant, but it also makes for a wonderful and easy meal at home. If you buy English-style short ribs, which are cut along the bone, you must butterfly the meat into a thin, long strip. If the ribs you buy are flanken-style, in which a band saw is used to cut across the ribs, creating half-inch slices of beef dotted with three little bones, rinse them under cold water before seasoning to remove any bone fragments. It’s a good idea to let the ribs marinate for at least two hours to allow the seasoning to penetrate; marinating overnight is even better.
Gungjung Tteokbokki (Korean Royal Court Rice Cakes)
This savory-sweet rice cake dish is similar to the tteokbokki that was served in the Korean royal court during the Joseon Dynasty. Its spicy gochujang-rich younger cousin is better-known, but this milder version was created before the introduction of chile peppers to Korean cuisine. Gungjung tteokbokki has a complex sauce of roasted sesame oil, soy sauce and aromatics. Beef, vegetables and chewy-tender rice cakes, which are sold in the refrigerated section of Korean markets, are simmered with the sauce until it reduces to a velvety glaze. For a vegetarian meal, simply omit the beef. (The mushrooms add plenty of meaty flavor.) Mung bean sprouts add texture, but they can be left out, if you can’t find them.
Vegetable Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes With Vegetables)
Crisp at the edges, soft at the center and filled with scallions and other vegetables, these irresistible, comforting pancakes (adapted from Sohui Kim of Insa and the Good Fork restaurants in Brooklyn) make for a quick dinner that you can throw together on any given weeknight. It’s extremely forgiving, so feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Ms. Kim recommends finely shredded raw vegetables, or even leftover cooked vegetables. And if you don’t have the bandwidth to make a dipping sauce, a drizzle of soy sauce and squirt of Sriracha adds verve without any work. Serve pajeon by itself or topped with a fried egg or two, if you want to add protein.
Any Fish Jorim
Fish jorims, braises such as eundaegu (black cod) and godeungeo (mackerel), are staples of Korean home cooking. This easy variation highlights the aromatic flavor of soy sauce, garlic and ginger, a combination that seeps into bone-in, skin-on fish. Steaks of black cod, mackerel and salmon work best here, as they seem almost to melt into rich silkiness, but you could use whatever fatty fish and cut you like. The whole red radishes in this recipe, replacing the more typical Korean radish slabs, gently boil in the salty-sweet liquid until tender, lending their vegetal sweetness to the velvety broth. A barely steamed, basically raw relish of scallions, red onion and jalapeño adds freshness and crunch.
Korean Cod Jeon Sliders (Pan-Fried Cod Sliders)
Jeon is the Korean name for small savory pancakes made with fish or vegetables, which are sliced, egg battered, then pan-fried until golden. The egg batter creates a delicate, tender coating, rather than a super crispy one. Typically served as a side dish with a soy dipping sauce, these cod pancakes are instead tucked into Hawaiian sweet rolls for kid-friendly fish sliders. They’re great for entertaining, as the jeon can be cooked ahead and enjoyed at room temperature — just assemble the sandwiches right before serving.
Kongguksu (Cold Soy Milk Noodle Soup)
Traditionally enjoyed during the summertime in Korea, this refreshing cold noodle dish requires just five ingredients: cucumbers, dried soybeans, pasta, salt and water. The base of the dish is a nutty and rich homemade soy-milk broth, which is served ice-cold over thin wheat noodles. There’s minimal hands-on work, but overnight soaking time is required, so plan ahead. Once the beans are fully soaked, the meal comes together in just 30 minutes. Adjust the thickness of the broth by adding more or less water, and for extra earthy flavor, try adding 1/4 cup of roasted pine nuts, peanuts or sesame seeds before blending. If you like, you can make the broth ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can also freeze it, but once thawed, whiz it in the blender to restore its smooth texture.
Spring Vegetable Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
Japchae is a savory Korean stir-fry with mixed vegetables, beef and sweet potato noodles. Also known as glass noodles, sweet potato noodles can be found in Asian markets; once cooked, the noodles turn translucent, light and chewy. (They are also wheat-free, so they are a great option for those avoiding gluten.) The noodles are cooked first, then sit in the sauce, absorbing all of the garlicky sesame and soy flavors like a sponge. This springtime japchae celebrates crisp asparagus and snap peas. Japchae can be made a few hours ahead and served at room temperature, making it the perfect dish for potlucks and picnics.
Korean Grilled Beef Lettuce Wraps
This dish is downright addictive. Thinly-sliced strips of beef are marinated in a salty-sweet-spicy marinade then quickly seared on the grill. Then they're rolled up into ssam (Korean-style wraps) by folding a piece of steak or two, some rice, vegetables and herbs inside a crisp, cold lettuce leaf. Be sure to put the meat in the freezer for a bit before slicing the meat; it simplifies a potentially onerous task.
Soy-Braised Vegetable Jjim (Korean Vegetable Stew)
Inspired by Korean kalbi jjim (braised short ribs), this satisfying vegetarian one-pot meal features cremini mushrooms alongside hearty potatoes, squash, carrots and Korean radishes. The vegetables braise and release sweet juices into the pot, creating a deep, savory sauce infused with fragrant garlic and ginger. Since this stew is all about the vegetables, treat them well by cooking it in the oven. It’s gentler on the vegetables, which have a tendency to fall apart when cooked over direct, aggressive heat. Vibrant orange kabocha squash has a rich, firm flesh, but lighter butternut squash is a good alternative. Leftovers can be transformed into a versatile tasty ragù: Simply chop the vegetables, simmer with crushed tomatoes and finish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Kimchi Jjigae With Ribs
The world of bubbling jjigaes, or stews, is vast and varied. The most beloved might be kimchi jjigae, a pot of extra-fermented kimchi boiled in its own juices until mellowed and yielding. Pork belly, Spam and tofu are common protein additions, as are tuna and mackerel pike. In this version, baby back ribs lend both flavor and body to the broth and are fun to eat with your hands. In case your kimchi is less than ripe (it should taste sharp and funky), a couple of seasonings help fortify this jjigae’s flavor: Fish sauce adds savory depth, and maesil cheong (green plum syrup) lends rounded sweetness. And though watercress is not a traditional ingredient in kimchi jjigae, it is a favorite addition to this family recipe.
Chicken and Mushroom Juk With Scallion Sauce
Originally created to soothe an upset stomach, this nourishing Korean porridge has become popular as a satisfying meal no matter how you feel. The simplest juk is made with just rice and broth, but here, the addition of chicken turns the porridge into a hearty one-pot dinner. Start by poaching a whole chicken, which creates a rich chicken stock as well as juicy, tender meat. Simmer rice in the homemade broth until it breaks down, forming a creamy porridge, then add thinly sliced mushrooms for an earthy flavor. Finish with a tangy ginger-scallion sauce, which brings brightness. (You can also prepare juk in a pressure cooker with this recipe, which uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Momofuku’s Bo Ssam
This is a recipe to win the dinner party sweepstakes, and at very low stakes: slow-roasted pork shoulder served with lettuce, rice and a raft of condiments. The chef David Chang serves the dish, known by its Korean name, bo ssam, at his Momofuku restaurant in the East Village and elsewhere. He shared the recipe with The Times in 2012. Mr. Chang is known as a kitchen innovator, but his bo ssam is a remarkably straightforward way to achieve high-level excellence with little more than ingredients and time. Simply cure the pork overnight beneath a shower of salt and some sugar, then roast it in a low oven until it collapses. Apply some brown sugar and a little more salt, then roast the skin a while longer until it takes on the quality of glistening bark. Meanwhile, make condiments – hot sauces and kimchi, rice, some oysters if you wish. Then tear meat off the bone and wrap it in lettuce, and keep at that until everything’s gone.
Hanjan Chicken Wings
Hanjan, on West 26th Street, is a fine place to find Korean soul food, but when it comes to chicken wings, Hooni Kim, the chef, takes a sharp turn away from the hot-oil-blasted treatment that’s in vogue at many Korean restaurants in New York. Instead, he takes wings from chickens that have been killed just hours earlier, and he gives them a gentle grilling so that nothing interferes with the essential flavor of the meat. The marinade? Just four ingredients that quietly mingle like old friends at a cocktail party. “So easy,” Mr. Kim said. Listen to the man.
Grilled Gochujang Pork With Fresh Sesame Kimchi
Pork shoulder is often prepared as a large roast, requiring hours of cooking until it’s tender. But if you slice it thinly and pound it, the meat quickly absorbs this savory gochujang marinade and cooks up in no time. The spicy pork is balanced by a cool and crisp sesame kimchi, eaten fresh like a salad rather than fermented like traditional preparations. Baby bok choy stands in for the usual napa cabbage, and it’s coated in a vibrant sauce of garlic, ginger, gochugaru, fish sauce and nutty sesame oil. Tuck any leftover pork and kimchi into sandwiches the next day, garnished with tomatoes and mayonnaise.
Skirt Steak Bulgogi
Neobiani, a dish of broad, thin slices of beef tenderized with shallow slits from a knife, was a feature of royal court cuisine during the Joseon dynasty in Korea (1392 to 1910) and a predecessor to today’s beloved bulgogi of very thinly sliced marinated grilled meat. This variation borrows from neobani, but doesn’t require knife skills: Well-marbled skirt steak is pounded thin and marinated in a tenderizing sweet purée of Asian pear, onion, soy sauce and maple syrup. Bulgogi, which means “fire meat,” is best with the flame-licked char from a grill, but a hot skillet on the stovetop would work in a pinch.
Doenjang Jjigae
A well-executed doenjang jjigae, or fermented soybean paste stew, can be a quiet but powerful exercise in restraint. This simple recipe allows the umami-rich flavor of the doenjang (DWEN-jahng) and the natural sweetness of onion, zucchini and radish to shine. The oil-packed anchovies here may not be as traditional as dried, but they are an effective substitute that I learned from my friend James Park. You can make this dish vegan by skipping the anchovies and swapping the slightly lily-gilding rib-eye steak for cubed medium-firm tofu.
Kimchijeon (Kimchi Pancake)
At Pyeong Chang Tofu House in Oakland, Calif., Young S. Kim’s golden kimchijeon are a revelation. Tart with pungent kimchi, the pancakes are both satisfyingly chewy and shatteringly crisp. At the Tofu House, where Mrs. Kim turns 1,400 pounds of Napa cabbage into kimchi each month, her homemade kimchi is the secret to her kimchijeon’s unsurpassed flavor. Use the most flavorful traditionally prepared kimchi you can find — it’ll make all the difference in this simple recipe. This version, adapted from Mrs. Kim’s original recipe, comes together quickly: Just combine kimchi and its juice with a few dry ingredients into a simple batter, then fry it in a cast-iron skillet into a mouth-watering pancake. Serve it to a crowd as an appetizer, or eat it on its own as a filling meal.
Napa Cabbage Kimchi With Steamed Pork Belly
During gimjang, the annual Korean kimchi-making gathering, it's customary to set aside a portion of the seasoned cabbage to eat fresh with steamed pork belly, after everything else has been put up for the year. This recipe from Julya Shin and Steve Joo of Oakland's Nokni restaurant yields a savory, pungent kimchi that's delightful to eat immediately and only gets better with age. Make the trip to an Asian grocery to find all of the traditional ingredients -- it's worth it.
Grilled Flank Steak With Kimchi-Style Coleslaw
It is easy enough to take the basic ingredients and flavors of kimchi and create a fast cabbage salad that puts ordinary coleslaw to shame. Use it as a bed for grilled beef – or anything else that has the flavor to stand up to it – and you have a great summer dish. All kimchi packs a punch, thanks to plenty of garlic and chili peppers, and appropriate quantities are listed here. Increase the amounts if you like, though these should be strong enough. If you can get to a Korean market, buy some of the ground chili powder labeled co chu karo, which is hot but also flavorful. Otherwise substitute any good ground chiles or crushed red pepper flakes. Fish sauce is traditional, although you can use soy sauce if you prefer.
Baek Kimchi Jjigae (White Kimchi Stew)
This burbling kimchi jjigae is an everyday comfort, with its deep savoriness and gingery bite. In this variation using baek kimchi (white kimchi), the same warmth of other jjigaes is evoked even without red chiles, and lets you taste the cabbage more fully, especially once it’s cooked down to a tenderness that’s almost spoonable. A hunk of braised pork is always a good idea, especially when braised in the salty, savory and gingery aromas of fermented napa cabbage kimchi. In this stew, the kimchi does most of the heavy lifting, but depending on how flavorful your batch is, you can season to taste at the end with additional fish sauce. Don’t skip the white rice; it’s the soft, familiar foil against the zingy stew.