Kimchi-guk (Kimchi Soup)

I have made this kimchi soup many times using my homemade kimchi. I love kimchi soup and could finish a whole bowl of this soup, and slurp on every last drop!

Really easy to make, and it is simply delicious!

In a pot, mix 2 cups of chopped kimchi, it's juices and some from the jar, pork pieces, hot pepper paste and sugar, mixing all to combine. Pour in 5 cups of water,  bring to a boil, lower heat and bring soup to a simmer for about 30-40 minutes until pork is tender. Add salt to taste if necessary. Add in tofu pieces, simmer gently for about 10 minutes, add in spring onions which have been cut to 2" sections. Serve hot.  I have added in more hot pepper paste (gochujang), as I like the soup a little more spicy. Use less hot pepper paste for a milder soup, but if you love heat, you would probably add on more, just like I did! 

I found this recipe at this wonderful website, all on Korean food, Maangchi.com.  There are so many mouth-watering recipes that I would love to try! 

Delicious! With just this one dish, you would eat two bowls of rice!

Kimchi Soup
(source from : Maangchi)
2 cups chopped kimchi, (plus its juices, and a tablespoon or two, from the jar)
1/2 pound pork shoulder (or pork belly), cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp hot pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tsp sugar
5 cups water
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1 pc tofu

1. Combine the kimchi, hot pepper paste, kimchi juice, pork, and sugar in a heavy bottomed pot.
2. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 30 minutes. (Add salt to taste if necessary).
3. Add tofu and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Add green onion and remove from the heat.
5. Serve hot with rice and a few more side dishes if desired.

I'm linking this post with Souper Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen

Hungry Gopher's Delicious Kimchi

Do you like Kimchi? I do! Kimchi is one of my favourite! I love kimchi soups, and would usually have it at Korean restaurants. If you like pickles, chances are you are a fan of Kimchi.

I have been meaning to make Kimchi for ages, but could not find "gochugaru" (Korean chilli pepper flakes). When Hungry Gopher contacted me to inform about her Korean cooking blog, complete with videos on how to cook delicious Korean food, I wasted no time in visiting her blog right away! I saw her delicious Kimchi and knew then that I just have to make that! I then enquired about using "gochujang" (Korean Chilli Pepper Paste) instead of "gochugaru", and Hungry Gopher is so kind as to advise me that Kimchi is made using "gochugaru", instead of "gochujang" as the later is a chilli paste that is made with a mixture of ingredients, and it might affect the overall taste of the kimchi. "Gochugaru" is made from sundried Korean dried chilli peppers that has been milled into flakes or powder, and is an important ingredient in making Kimchi and other Korean dishes.

I have been looking for "gochugaru" for quite awhile, and finally found it at Aeon Big. Bought it and a few days later, after buying a large napa cabbage, I finally made my Kimchi!

"Gochugaru" (Korean Chilli Pepper Flakes). It is stated as powder on the pack...

but they are actually chilli flakes, bright red and vibrant! 

The napa cabbage. Did not take any photos on the making of the kimchi, as my hands are smudged with the kimchi paste! I wore a pair of disposable plastic gloves, as the kimchi paste is spicy hot. For the full tutorial on how to make your own kimchi, please do visit Hungry Gopher's delightful video from her blog, with step-by-step instructions and useful tips. She has other delicious Korean recipes, and I have already bookmarked her other recipes to try.

My first batch of kimchi... finished within two weeks, after giving some to my sisters.

My second batch which is fast finishing, am left with a small container. Going to make my third batch soon! Yum! Yum! My sister already made "bookings" for it! 

This Kimchi is really yummy! I have been nibbling pieces of it. Crunchy, spicy, a little sour, salty and just delicious! For the first batch, I left mine to ferment for 48 hours on my kitchen counter, until the sourish taste from the fermentation is to my liking. It was a long wait for me, as I was really eager to eat it! Well, I did taste a small piece on the first day, another piece after that, then one more piece! wink! Once the sourish is to my liking, I keep the kimchi in the refrigerator. You may however refrigerate it as soon as it is made, up to your preference. It will ferment further in the refrigerator, at a slower rate. I like mine a little sour, so I left it on my kitchen counter for two days before I refrigerated the whole container.

For the second batch, I fermented it for only one day, it all depends on the temperature and humidity of the day, how fast the fermentation takes place. As you know, our weather has been really blazing hot for the past few months!

I have been making some dishes using kimchi, and will be sharing those dishes in the coming weeks. And there's more recipes that uses kimchi on my list to try. Waiting for my third batch of kimchi making soon.

I'm only listing the list of ingredients needed for making the kimchi, for the full steps and directions and lots of useful tips, please visit Hungry Gopher and say hi! And if you have used this recipe (do try it, it's delicious!), please link it back to Hungry Gopher.

Kimchi

(source from hungrygopher.com)

1 medium napa cabbage (4-5 inch/10-13cm diameter of head)
coarse sea salt for brine

Starch Mixture :
1 cup water
3 tbsp all-purpose flour or sweet rice flour

Seasoning Mixture :
1-1/2 cups peeled, julienned Daikon radish (substitute with red radish if needed).
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup gochugaru (Korean chilli pepper flakes)
* adjust amount to your preference of spicy level
1/4 medium onion
2-1/2 tbsp minced garlic
2-1/2 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp & 1/4 tsp fish sauce
(skip fish sauce if vegan recipe is required)
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
*use extra 2 tsp coarse sea salt if fish sauce is not used

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi

Kimchi is Korea's national dish and there are different varieties of kimchi, depending on the regions and seasons. Kimchi is one of my favourites. I would never fail to order kimchi soup when we eat out at Korean restaurants. And have always wanted to try my hands at making my own kimchi, the traditional ones using cabbages, but I have yet to do so! When I was browsing thru one of my cookbooks "The Best of Asian Cooking", this recipe, in the Korean section for Vegetables and Salad, caught my attention. I love eating cucumber, which are always great in pickles, and these quick kimchi style pickled cucumbers sounds good to me. 

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi are very easy to make, only thing is, make this about 5-6 hours in advance, keep them pickled in the refrigerator and enjoy them later!

I use only 1 Japanese cucumber as I am eating this alone. This is too spicy for the kids and hubby does not like kimchi! Haha, more for me to enjoy! 

For the cucumber : smoothen cucumbers by rubbing salt all over. Rinse and pat dry. Cut off about 1/2 inch from both ends of cucumber and discard the ends. Cut cucumber to 2-3 inch lengths. Stand cucumber slices cut side up. Make a slit across one side, but do not cut through. Sprinkle with some salt, set aside.

For the kimchi paste ; carrots, onions, ginger, chives and garlic are chopped finely. Mix all paste  ingredients together in a bowl with some fish sauce, chilli powder, stir to combine. 

To stuff : Squeeze gently excess water from cucumber. Fill the cavity with the kimchi paste.

Place in a bowl, and sprinkle the balance paste on the cucumbers. Keep refrigerated for 5-6 hours.

Six hours later. Enjoy!
This is SPICY, crunchy, salty!
I ate two as an appetizer at dinner time. And even great as a pickled filling for a sandwich. I sliced them up and use it for my egg sandwich for lunch. 

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi
(source from "The Best of Asian Cooking")
3 Japanese cucumbers
60gm Kosher or sea salt

Stuffing :
45gm Chinese chives, finely chopped
30gm carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 slices ginger, finely chopped
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 to 2-1/2 tbsps chilli powder

1. Smoothen cucumbers by rubbing with some salt.
2. Cut 1-cm (1/2-in) off each end of cucumbers and discard. Slice cucumbers into 6-8cm (2-3in) lengths.
3. Stand cucumbers on a cut side. Make a cut across one side of cucumbers but to not cut through. Sprinkle remaining salt on cucumbers. Set aside.
4. Combine stuffing ingredients and mix well.
5. Gently squeeze excess water from cucumbers or dry with a clean towel. Fill cavity with stuffing.
6. Refrigerate stuffed cucumbers for 5-6 hours before serving. The stuffed cucumbers can be kept for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #37 : Korean - Feast of Hansik (Nov 2013) hosted by Grace of Life Can Be Simple

I'm sharing this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #6 hosted by Kitchen Flavours