Instant noodles with beef bulgogi and kim chi

Ingredients (serves 2):
150g thinly-sliced beef (sukiyaki beef)
1/4 cup light soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp chilli flakes or chilli powder
2 packets FairPrice Authentic Korean Noodles (Udong flavour)
4 tbsp store-bought kim chi
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:
1. Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, spring onions, sugar, ginger, sesame oil and chilli flakes or chilli powder in a bowl. Whisk well to blend.
2. Place the beef slices in the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a frying or grill pan then fry the beef slices until they are lightly cooked. Remove and set aside.
4. To make the instant noodles, follow the instructions on the packet.
5. Top the instant noodles with the kim chi and beef. Serve hot.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice Authentic Korean Noodles ($3.41) available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (5 Jun 2008)

Korean beef BBQ

Using an electric Stylux 3-in-1 BBQ set.

Ingredients (serves 4):
750g sirloin steak, sliced thinly
250g shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, thickly sliced
8 spring onions, white stems only
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Bulgogi marinade:
2 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 Chinese pear, skinned

Method:
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients, except the pear.
2. Grate the pear into the bowl and mix well.
3. Keep about 3 tbsp of marinade for the vegetables. With the rest, marinate meat for 2 hours. Vegetables can be tossed with the marinate about 30 minutes before the meal.
4. Heat grill and hot stone. Brush both with vegetable oil.
5. Cook mushrooms and vegetables on the grill first. Then, keep them warm in warming pans below the grill.
6. Sear meat briefly on the grill; transfer to the hot stone and let it cook slowly. Serve everything directly from the grill.

Tips:
The hot stone is ideal for stir frying beansprouts or cooking burger patties as these are hard to scrape off a metal grill.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (May 2007)

Kimchi

Ingredients:
A:
2 large napa cabbages
250g spring onion
1/2 cup salt
1 cup radish juice
2-3 tbsp sugar

B:
1/2 cup dried shrimps, rinsed
1 walnut size ginger knob
6 cloves garlic
1/2 - 3/4 cup ground chilli

Method:
1. Cut each napa cabbage into quarter wedges. Rub plenty of salt between leaves. Let stand for 2 hours until soft. Use a heavy pot or bowl to press napa cabbage. Rinse and dry.
2. Clean and rinse spring onions. Cut into almost same lengths as napa cabbage. Lightly crush the thicker (white portion) stalk of spring onions.
3. Ground or pound dried shrimps, ginger and garlic until fine. Mix with sugar, radish juice and ground chilli.
4. Spread chilli mixture between leaves of napa cabbage, putting a few stalks of spring onion between some leaves.
5. Pack tightly into pickle jar or crock pot. Press packed kimchi with a weight (use a heavy plate or bowl depending on size of container; or a thoroughly washed brick, and wrap the pot with cling foil and aluminium foil). Leave it in the refrigerator to pickle for at least 4 days before serving.
6. Cut kimchi crosswise into 3-4cm wide slices. Ladle a few spoonfuls of liquid over it and serve chilled.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Radish and fish soup

Ingredients (serves 4):
300g fresh fish fillet (threadfin, cod, snapper)
200g shredded radish
2 cloves garlic, peel and crush
2 pcs x 4cm long leek, julienne
4-5 stalks chrysanthemum leaves (tang orr), optional
2 fresh green chillies
Flour - corn, potato or tapioca
Sesame oil

A:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
3/4 tsp grated ginger

B:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp soya sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cut fish fillet into 1 cm thick slices. Season with ingredients (A) for at least 10 minutes.
2. Dust fish slices with your choice of flour. Drop in boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and add to simmering soup.
3. Grease a soup pot with sesame oil and heat over moderate heat. Add crushed garlic and shredded radish. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 5 cups of water and bring a a rolling boil. Continue to boil until radish is soft.
5. Add sliced green chillies and blanched fish fillets to radish soup.
6. Add seasoning (B) and sliced leek. Turn of heat.
7. Place some clean chrysanthemum leaves (if using) in each soup bowl. Pour piping hot soup over leaves in bowls. Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Savoury pancake

Ingredients (makes 6 pieces):
1 cup ready-mixed savoury pancake flour (korean)
300g fresh medium prawns
150g fresh white bait
100g spring onions
1 large egg, beaten
Pinch of slivered dried chilli*
Ground pepper
Sesame oil

Dipping sauce:
1/4 cup soya sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp chopped pine nuts, optional

Method:
1. Combine flour and a dash of pepper with 1 cup of water and egg in a medium mixing bowl. Stir and mix gently until batter is smooth, adding more water (not more than 1/4 cup) if necessary.
2. Shell prawns completely and devein. Halve each lengthwise.
3. Trim and rinse spring onions. Cut into 8cm lengths.
4. Divide all ingredients - pancake batter, prawns, white bait and spring onions into 6 portions.
5. Grease a 20cm non-stick skillet with sesame oil and heat until moderately hot. Mix a portion of each ingredient with batter. Spread mixture on skillet and garnish top with a few chilli slivers. Cook covered for 2 minutes.
6. Carefully turn savoury pancake over to cook top side for another 1-2 minutes. Serve as a snack on its own or with a small platter of kimchi and a bowl of radish and fish soup.

Tips:
* Discard seeds of a dried chilli and use scissors to cut into needle-fine strips or into rings.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Fried dried anchovies

Ingredients (makes 2 1/2 cups):
200g good quality dried anchovies (ikan bilis), medium size
3 green chillies, cut diagonally
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
Cooking oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Discard head and bitter belly pouch of dried anchovies. Spread on a tray and sun for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat cooking oil for deep frying. Slide in dried anchovies and deep fry slowly over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
3. Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and saute the sliced green chillies* until crispy.
4. Return the fried crispy anchovies to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and sesame oil over them. Toss and mix. Turn off heat. Serve as an appetizer with drinks or as a side dish with kimchi.

Tips:
* For a sticky version, don't add green chillies. Add sugar and about 1 1/2 tbsp water and stir until bubbles appear. Return fried chillies and anchovies to pan and toss quickly. Flavour with sesame oil.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Kimchi and clam fried rice

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
6 bowls of cooked rice
3/4 cup chopped kimchi
3/4 cup steamed clams
2 green chilli, sliced
1 stalk leek, sliced
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
1 tbsp ground chilli powder
1/3 cup hot bean paste (kochujan)

Method:
1. Heat a large fry pan over moderate heat. Add sesame oil, leek and green chilli. Fry for a few seconds to soften leek and green chilli.
2. Add rice and toss well. Spread rice on pan and make a "well" in the centre. Place shredded kimchi and clams in "well". Cover with rice and toss to mix thoroughly.
3. Season with soya sauce. Add a little salt if necessary.
4. Serve garnished with some toasted black sesame seeds.
5. Add 3 tbsp of water to hot bean paste. Stir well to form a smooth sauce. Serve sauce and ground chilli powder as table condiments.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine