Korean Tofu & Veggie Curry

Korean curry is similar to Japanese curry, especially when compared to say Indian curries.  However, it is lighter than Japanese curry and a little less oily.  For this recipe we're using Ottogi Curry powder which comes in mild, medium or hot.  Serve the curry with rice either in separate bowls or with the curry ladled over the rice.

  

Korean Tofu & Veggie Curry

두부 야채 카레 

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

2/3 of 18 oz package Firm Tofu**do not use soft tofu

2 small Carrots, chopped

1/2 large Onion, chopped

1 large Bell Pepper, chopped-we're using 1/2 red 1/2 green

1 cup Mushrooms, sliced-we recommend Baby Bella or Button mushrooms

2 medium Potatoes, cubed, optional **reduce tofu to 1/2 of 18 oz package

1 1/4 cup Korean curry powder-we recommend Ottogi Curry powder

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

5 cups water

Preparation:
1. Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes.
2. Chop carrots, onion, bell pepper and potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.
3. Medium slice mushrooms.
4. In a bowl, add 1 cup water and stir in curry powder.  Mix well.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

2. Add bell pepper, onion, carrots and potatoes(optional) and saute for about 5 minutes.

3. Add 4 cups of water.

4. Add mushrooms and cook until water comes to a boil, about 2 minutes.

 5. Gently stir in curry mixture.

6. Cook for 3 minutes.

 7. Carefully stir in tofu cubes and cook another 3 minutes or until tofu cubes are heated through.

8. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

**Tips/Notes/Substitutions:

*Why not soft tofu?  Soft tofu is too...delicate.  After being cubed, stir fried, combined with veggies and mixed with sauce, soft tofu would cease to have any discernible form.   

*Other vegetables like peas, zucchini or corn can be added as well.  However, we wouldn't recommended a vegetable with a strong flavor like broccoli.  

*All the Korean ingredients can be found in your local Korean grocery store like Hmart or some even online. 

Mindeulle Muchim/Korean Style Dandelion Greens

Are dandelions taking over your yard?  Get revenge and eat them!  Dandelion leaves are edible and full of calcium and vitamins A, B, C and D.  Just make sure they haven't been sprayed with pesticides.  If you don't have a weed problem then head to your local farmers market or organic grocery store.

Dandelion leaves can be very bitter so we prepared this dish with a spicy Gochujang(Korean red pepper paste) based sauce but if you would prefer a non-spicy dressing, the Gochujang can be substituted with Doenjang(Soy bean paste).  Also, we used about a pound of dandelion leaves(see pic below), this wasn't a precise measurement so you may want to add the sauce gradually.  And lastly, the leaves can be soaked in a cold water bath for 30 minutes before cooking to reduce some of the bitterness. 

Mindeulle Muchim/Korean-Style Dandelion Greens

민들레 무침

Servings:  4-6

Ingredients: 

1 pound dandelion leaves  

Sauce

3 tablespoons Gochujang(Korean Red Pepper Paste)

3 tablespoons Rice Syrup OR 2 tablespoons Honey or Sugar **no brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced Garlic (2-3 cloves)

1/3 cup finely chopped Green Onion (1-1 1/2 stalks)  

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon Korean Apple Vinegar

*Non-Spicy*Substitute 2 tablespoons puréed Doenjang(Soy Bean Paste) for Gochujang(Korean Red Pepper Paste) 

Garnish

1 tablespoon Sliced Almonds, optional

**See below for further substitutions 

Preparation:
1.  Cut off the roots and wash the leaves very thoroughly to remove all dirt.

2.  Soak leaves in a cold water bath for 30 minutes to reduce bitterness, optional. 

3.  Mince garlic.

4.  Finely chop green onion.   

*Non-Spicy*  Purée doenjang(Soy bean paste) in blender to remove soy bean chunks.

Directions:
1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  

2.  Cook greens until tender, 1-2 minutes. 

3.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
4.  Squeeze out excess water. 

 
5. In a large mixing bowl combine gochujang(Korean red pepper paste) OR doenjang(Soy bean paste), apple vinegar, rice syrup, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and mix. 

6.  Add greens to sauce bowl and mix by hand(plastic gloves recommended).  Evenly coat the greens with sauce.  

 


 

7.  Plate and garnish with sliced almonds, optional.      








8.  Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

** Tips/Notes/Substitutions: 

*Why not brown sugar?  The strong flavor of brown sugar overwhelms this dish.  White sugar, organic sugar or other sugar substitutions are fine. 

*Although Korean apple vinegar(not apple cider vinegar) is more traditional, you can use any vinegar you fancy.

*Doenjang(Soy bean paste) is similar to Japanese miso paste but has a more pungent flavor.  When substituting for the gochujang(Korean red pepper paste), less of it is required since it is substantially saltier than gochujang.   

*"Looks good, tastes good..." so the saying goes.  We're using rice syrup because it gives the greens a nice gloss.  But of course if you aren't so concerned with the aesthetics, sugar is just fine.  Just don't forget to reduce the amount since the rice syrup isn't as sweet as sugar. 

*Are your sesame seeds untoasted?  Place sesame seeds in a pan over medium low heat until lightly browned.

*All the Korean ingredients can be found in your local Korean grocery store like Hmart or some even online.

Dubu Duruchigi / Spicy Tofu & Veggie Stir Fry with Noodles

Dubu-duruchigi/Spicy Tofu & Veggie stir fry is a popular regional dish from our family’s hometown of Daejeon, South Korea.  Warning!  This dish is spicy!  If you love spicy foods and everyone is amazed at your ability to eat spicy foods then we recommend adding the *Super Spicy* ingredients as well.  Dubu-duruchigi is often served on a bed of noodles but if you don’t fancy noodles it can also be served over rice.  

Dubu-duruchigi / Spicy Tofu & Veggie Stir Fry with Noodles

두부 두루치기 

Servings:  3-4

 

Ingredients:

2 cups 1 inch cubed Firm Tofu(18 oz package)  **do not use soft tofu

1 cup sliced your favorite fresh Mushrooms-we’re using King Trumpet Mushrooms

⅔ cup sliced Onions(½ medium Onion)

½ cup sliced carrots(1 medium Carrot)

1 cup sliced Bell Pepper(1 large Bell Pepper)-we’re using ½ yellow and ½ orange

1 cup 1 inch sliced Green Onion(3 medium stalks)

2-3 cups Udon Noodles-Ramen(no flavor packets) or even Pasta noodles are fine but we **don’t recommend thin rice noodles

¼ cup Olive or Vegetable Oil

*Super Spicy* 1 sliced Jalapeño Pepper 

Sauce

4 tablespoons Gochujang(Korean Red Pepper Paste)

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Sugar **do not use brown sugar

2 teaspoons minced Garlic

2 tablespoons Mirin(Sweet Cooking Rice Wine), optional

1 tablespoon Shiitake Mushroom Powder, optional

*Super Spicy* 1 tablespoon Gochugaru(Korean Red Pepper Powder)

Garnish

1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds, optional 

**See below for substitutions

Preparation:

1.  Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes.

2.  Medium slice mushrooms, onion, carrot and bell pepper. 
*Super Spicy* slice jalapeño pepper.

3.  Slice green onion in 1 inch pieces.

4.  Mince garlic.

Directions:

1. Bring pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to directions on package(do not add flavor packets), drain and set aside.

2.  For the sauce, combine gochujang(Korean red pepper paste), soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic and Shiitake mushroom powder.  Mix well and set aside.   

*Super Spicy* add Gochugaru(Korean red pepper powder) to sauce mix.

3.  Heat pan over medium high heat, add half the oil and heat.
 
4.  Add carrot and onion slices and stir fry for 40 seconds.  
*Super Spicy* add jalapeño slices.  

5.  Add bell pepper slices, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and stir fry 30 seconds.


6.  Add green onion slices and stir fry another 10 seconds.

7.  Stir in mushroom slices and take pan off heat.  The veggies should still be a little bit crisp.

8.  Heat a separate pan over medium high heat, add rest of the oil and heat.

9.  Add tofu cubes and stir fry until tofu cubes are just heated through and very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. 

10.  Place the pan with veggies back on medium high heat and stir in tofu cubes.

11.  Gently stir in sauce mixture until tofu and veggies are evenly coated.  Turn off heat. 

 

12.  Spread out the noodles on a large serving dish.

13. Top the bed of noodles with the Spicy Tofu and Veggie stir fry.

14. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, optional.  

15. Enjoy! 

**Tips/Notes/Substitutions:

*Why not soft tofu?  Soft tofu is too...delicate.  After being cubed, stir fried, combined with veggies and mixed with sauce, soft tofu would cease to have any discernible form.    

*Why not thin rice noodles?  Thin rice noodles are also too...delicate for this dish.  

*Other vegetables can be substituted for this dish but the onion and/or green onion is essential.  

*Why not brown sugar?  The strong flavor of brown sugar overwhelms this dish.  White sugar, organic sugar or other sugar substitutions are fine.

*Shiitake mushroom powder aka Oak Mushroom Powder adds extra depth of flavor, especially for vegetarian dishes AND it’s healthy!  If you can't find mushroom powder then you can make your own.  Using a spice grinder, grind dried Shiitake mushrooms into a fine powder.   

*Feeling lazy? Pressed for time?  Instead of stir frying the tofu cubes you can heat it in the microwave, 3 minutes on high.  Normally we wouldn’t recommend using the microwave but in this instance, the objective isn't browning but heating.  So let the microwave heat the tofu while you stir fry the veggies.     

*Gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder/chile flakes) unfortunately is not the same as the chile flakes you get with your pizza.  Standard chili powder is also very different since it often includes salt and other spices.  

*Are your sesame seeds untoasted?  Place sesame seeds in a pan over medium low heat until lightly browned.

*All the Korean ingredients can be found in your local Korean grocery store like Hmart or some even online.

Sangchu Geotjeori/Korean Lettuce Salad

Welcome to Korean Veggie Mama! 

For our very first blog post, we wanted to use the fresh red leaf lettuce from our garden to make Sangchu Geotjeori/Korean Lettuce Salad.  Sangchu Geotjeori is a sweet and vinegary salad.  Although it’s often served as a side to grilled meat in Korean restaurants, for vegetarians and non-vegetarians it’s just as lovely as a side dish with rice or as an appetizer.    

Sangchu Geotjeori/Korean Lettuce Salad

상추겉절이

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

 1 head Red or Green Leaf Lettuce

Sauce 
1 ½ tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 ½ tablespoons Sugar **not brown sugar

1 teaspoon minced Garlic (approx. 2 cloves)

1 tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Powder)

1 teaspoon Shiitake Mushroom Powder, optional

¼ cup finely chopped Green Onion (approx. 2 stalks)

1 tablespoon Korean Apple Vinegar

1 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil

Garnish

1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Seeds, optional

**See below for substitutions  

Preparation: 

1.  Wash and drain lettuce, then tear into bite size pieces in a large bowl.

2.  Fine chop the green onion.

3.  Mince garlic. 

Directions:

1.  In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and sugar until the sugar starts dissolving.

2.  Add minced garlic, gochugaru(Korean red pepper powder), 

     Shiitake mushroom powder(optional), chopped green onion and mix.

3.  Add apple vinegar and mix.

4.  Add sesame seed oil and mix.

5.  Drizzle sauce over lettuce leaves and toss lightly.

6.  Plate the salad.

7.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, optional.

 8.  Enjoy!

**Tips/Notes/Substitutions:

*Red or green leaf lettuce is usually used but you can use romaine lettuce or any sort salad mix.

*Why not brown sugar?  The strong flavor of brown sugar overwhelms this dish.  White sugar, organic sugar or other sugar substitutions are fine. 

*Although Korean apple vinegar(not apple cider vinegar) is more traditional, you can use any vinegar you fancy.  

*Gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder/chile flakes) unfortunately is not the same as the chile flakes you get with your pizza.  Standard chili powder is also very different since it often includes salt and other spices.  

*Shiitake mushroom powder aka Oak Mushroom Powder adds extra depth of flavor, especially for vegetarian dishes AND it’s healthy!  If you can't find mushroom powder then you can make your own.  Using a spice grinder, grind dried Shiitake mushrooms into a fine powder.   

*Are your sesame seeds untoasted?  Place sesame seeds in a pan over medium low heat until lightly browned.

*All the Korean ingredients can be found in your local Korean grocery store like Hmart or some even online.