Category Archives: Rice

Yubu Kimbap (Kimbap with Seasoned Deep Fried Tofu Pouches)

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Sue • 15 Comments

Yubu Kimbap in a Lunchbox

The one thing I miss about Korea is convenience. You can get most kinds of food delivered to you at your door very easily without incurring any additional charges. If an item you are looking for is not deliverable, you just come out of your house and ‘walk’ around for about 10 mins (sometimes less) then you can find what you are looking for most of the time. Kimbap is one of those items you can fetch very easily on your command.  But the story is very different here in Australia. If I want Kimbap, then I have to drive to the nearest Korean grocery store for about 10 mins (I consider myself lucky up to this part). However, as Kimbap is a specially delivered item from a different store rather than made by the Korean grocery store itself (like from a rice cake store on this occasion); it doesn’t guarantee that I can get it when I want it. Even then, they only sell one type of Kimbap at a relatively high price (AUD $6.50 for 2 rolls of Kimbap), which has quite an ordinary taste.

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Categories: Rice, Vegetarian
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Omelet Rice (Omurice)

Posted on April 30, 2007 by Sue • 51 Comments

Omelette Rice (Omurice)1

I often feel like cooking something very simple without taking much effort, yet want to pretend that I spent some good time on it. Do you ever feel the same way? Then this omelet rice might come in handy. In fact, I cooked it 4 times in the last week already.

Michael was very intrigued how I cover the rice with the eggs so well. Although dicing vegetables can be a little annoying and the most time consuming part of the process, it is quite simple to make. Would you like to pretend too?

Ingredients – 2 servings

  • 1/2 (50 g) carrot
  • 1/2 (80 g) onion
  • 1/3 (40 g) red capsicum
  • 80 g smoked ham
  • 100 g crab stick
  • 3 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 4 eggs
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 cups steamed rice
  • Some rice bran oil
  • Some tomato sauce

Method

-Stir frying rice (You will need a wok)

Omelette Rice (Omurice)3

  1. Dice carrot, onion, red capsicums, ham and crab stick.
  2. Mix the tomato sauce (3 tbsp) and worcestershire sauce in a bowl.
  3. Pre heat the wok on high heat for 10 seconds and add some oil.
  4. Add all diced ingredients and saute for 1 minute.
  5. Reduce the heat to half.
  6. Add the steamed rice and the mixed sauce. Mix them well for 30 seconds.
  7. Stop the heat.

-Omelet

  1. Beat two eggs in a bowl and add a pinch of salt.
  2. Heat a frying pan and add some oil. Pour the egg in the frying pan.
  3. Quickly spread the egg and make a thin, large, and round omelet.
  4. Repeat step 1 to 4 for the rest of the eggs.

Omelette Rice (Omurice)4

-Shaping (You will need two deep bowls and two plates)

  1. When the omelets are made, place them in deep bowls.
  2. Put the stir fried rice on top of each omelet.
  3. Put the plate on top of the bowls. Turn them up side down and remove the bowl.

-Decoration

  1. Make a cross cut on top of the omelets and add some tomato sauce on top.
  2. Enjoy!

Omelette Rice (Omurice)2

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Categories: Eggs and Poultry, Rice
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Steamed Cabbage Rice Wraps (Yangbaechu Ssambap)

Posted on April 26, 2007 by Sue • 9 Comments

Steamed Cabbage Rice Wraps (Yangbaechu Ssambap)1

It’s Autumn here in Australia. But still in my mind April means spring, with lots of beautiful flower blossoms and also more fresh herbs to make Namul banchan (seasoned vegetables or herbal side dishes) or Ssam (wraps) – in Korea that is.

Are you familiar with Ssam? Ssam means any wrapped food in edible leaves or wet seaweed like kombu. If you had meat in lettuce at a Korean restaurant that is called Ssam as well.

One type of Ssam I love is Ssambap (쌈밥). Ssambap is wrapped rice in edible leaves or some leafy seaweed. It is known as a healthy diet meal, because lettuce (or cabbage) makes you feel satisfied sooner. However, the material that is contained in lettuce, called lactcarium, can make you sleepy after the meal, so we need to watch out for that.

There are also some Korean restaurants specializing in Ssambap. They have a menu called “Ssambap Jeongsik” (consider this as Ssambap combo) which includes various kinds of leaves with dipping sauce, several side dishes, soup or stew and Jeyuk bokkum (stir fried spicy pork). Man, my mouth starts to water thinking of these already.

Steamed Cabbage Rice Wraps - Jeyuk Bokkum

(Homemade Jeyuk Bokkum – January 2007 )

The key point of making delicious Ssambap is making delicious Ssamjang, the dipping sauce. Every restaurant has their own secret recipe for this. Me? I don’t have a secret recipe, I am not a specialist at this. However I found a simple and interesting recipe from the free recipe book that came with a magazine.

The dipping sauce turned out sweet but also a bit spicy. But to be honest, it might go better as a Bibimbap sauce rather than as a dipping sauce. Yet give it a try! You never know how you might feel about it.

Ingredients

-Cabbage wraps (for 2 people)

  • 600g steamed cabbage
  • Steamed plain rice

-Ssamjang (enough to serve 6-8 people)

  • 1 cup of Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
  • 100g beef mince
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 tbsp grated Nashi pear (or Korean pear)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey

-Marinade sauce for beef mince (mix these well)

  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp minced green shallots
  • little ground black pepper

Method

Steamed Cabbage Rice Wraps (Yangbaechu Ssambap)2

  1. Marinade the beef mince with the marinade sauce, leave it for 5 minutes.
  2. Pre heat the wok on high heat for 10-20 seconds then add 1 tbsp of sesame oil in the wok.
  3. Add the marinade beef and stir it fast.
  4. When the meat is nearly cooked add the pear and stir it.
  5. Add the Gochujang and stir it occasionally for about 6-10 minutes on medium heat.
  6. Add the sesame oil, sugar, and honey, then stir.
  7. Turn the heat off.
  8. Serve the Ssamjang (dipping sauce) with steamed cabbage and rice or you can make the roll then serve.

Note : When you serve the Ssamjang, you should scoop out an adequate amount for the size of the meal. You can store the rest of the sauce in a sealed container in the fridge. It should last for at least a month.

Some recipes for Ssambap Jeongsik

-Side dishes

Thinly Sliced Radish Kimchi

Fish Cake Stir Fry (Eomuk-Japchae in Korean)

Simmered Lotus in Soy sauce (Yeon-gn Jorim)

Seasoned Green Bean Sprouts (Sukju Namul Muchim in Korean)

-Soup

Tofu Soybean Paste Stew (Dubu Doenjangjjigae in Korean)

Pork and Kimchi Stew (Dwaejigogi Kimchijjigae in Korean)

-Meat

Marinatied Pork Stir Fry with Gochujang sauce (Jeyuk-bokkeum)

Steamer Ideas

Categories: Food and Culture, Rice
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