Savour the flavours from Korea By Spiritz Desk 22 Mar 2022 in Cover Story New Update One of the essential characteristics of Korean cuisine is many side dishes (banchan) which are served during traditional Korean meals. The number of side dishes can range anywhere from 2 to 12, but everyday Korean meals feature at least a few. When you eat at a Korean restaurant, various side dishes are likely to arrive with your main meal in small bowls and they can range from vegetables to meat to seafood. Korean dishes are all served at the same time, so there are no separate courses like in Western cuisines. Much of Korean dishes are intensely flavoured, savoury & bold. Rice is the backbone of almost every Korean meal though on rare occasions, noodles may replace the rice, but generally people in Korea eat a bowl of rice with their meal. Korean dishes balance fresh flavours of meat and vegetables, along with the sweet spice of chilli paste. However, there is more to Korean cuisine than meat, veggies, rice, and spice. Here I am presenting two appealing dishes from the Korean cuisine. Korean Ramen Noodle Soup Ingredients: Ramen noodles – 2 packets Water- as needed to cook the noodles Oil-1 tsp Sesame oil- 1 tsp Garlic- 1 tsp, chopped Ginger-1 tsp, chopped Onion-1 small, chopped Carrot - 2-3 tbsp, chopped Mushroom - 2-3 nos., sliced Capsicum -1/4th, shredded Salt and pepper to taste Soy sauce- 2 tsp Korean chili sauce- 2 tsp White vinegar - 1 tsp Boiled/cooked chicken/meat- 1 cup Spring onion greens - 2 tbsp, chopped Method: Prepare all the ingredients for the ramen noodles as listed. Heat oil and saute the garlic, ginger, onion for a few seconds; add in the ramen noodles and all veggies as per choice and stir fry for a minute. Add in water/ stock to cook the noodles. Simmer the ramen noodles to cook for 10-12 minutes, adjust the texture of the recipe as desired, add in the sauces and get the desired colour and taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Turn off the flame, add in the boiled chicken cubes, etc. into the serving bowls and pour/spoon over the hot ramen into the bowls. Garnish with spring onion greens, add vinegar/ chili sauce to taste. Korean Bibimbap Bowl: Ingredients: Thin fillets of beef/ lamb/chicken- 200 gm White rice- 2 cups, boiled Spinach-2 cups, blanched Salt and pepper to taste Sesame seeds- 2-3 tsp Soy sauce-2-3 tsp Korean chili sauce- 2-3 tsp Eggs - 2-3 nos. Ginger juliennes- 2-3 tsp White vinegar-2 tsp Assorted veggies - zucchini, carrots, beans, mushrooms, etc. can also be added as per choice. For the marination Oil- 2 tsp Sesame oil- 2 tsp Garlic- 1 tsp, chopped Onion- 1 small, chopped Soy sauce- 2-3 tbsp Red chili paste- 1-2 tsp Method: Prepare all the ingredients for the bibimbap recipe as listed. Cook the rice and keep it hot and ready to be served. Cut the meat pieces into thin slices, apply marination on the meat and keep it aside for 12-15 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and saute it, cook for 4-6 minutes or until just done and keep aside. In the same pan, saute the spinach and all other veggies as well one by one and add a dash of chili sauce and seasonings/ soy sauce, vinegar, ginger juliennes and a little sesame seeds along the way. Place heaps of cooked hot boiled rice in the center of the bibimbap serving bowl, surround it on the sides with the veggies and on one side with the cooked meat pieces. Place a half fried egg on the top and serve. Subscribe to our Newsletter! Be the first to get exclusive offers and the latest news Subscribe Now You May Also like Read the Next Article