Mak Kimchi

I got this authentic mak kimchi from a Korean friend’s mom and I love it because it only takes about two hours to make and it lasts for at least 4 months! You can have it plain with rice, make soups, and my favourite of all, Kimchi Fried Rice. It’s always a good standby when guests drop by unexpectedly for dinner and it’s too late to prepare an extra dish. Kimchi will even transform your instant ramen noodles into an appetizing, spicy meal.

Authentic homemade mak kimchi ferments naturally on its own thus giving a smooth, spicy and sour taste unlike the sometimes overwhelmingly sharp tasting ones you get from the grocery stores. When the kimchi is new, it is crunchy and sweet. Its taste changes over time to a pungent and appetising  sour pickle,

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 head wong buk [napa cabbage) – quartered lenghtwise, discard the core and cut into 2” pieces

1 daikon radish – julienned

1 carrot – julienned

2 leeks – sliced

2 scallions – chopped

10 chives – cut into 1 1/2” length

1/4 cup salt

 

Sauce ingredients:

10 cloves garlic – peeled

2” ginger – peeled

1 1/2 to 2 cups kimchi pepper flakes

1 cup fish sauce ( I use nam pla )

1 large white onion

1 1/2 cup sweet kimchi paste (recipe below)

 

Sweet kimchi paste:

2 cups water

1/3 cup glutinous rice flour

5 tablespoons sugar.

Mix all ingredients well in a mixing bowl, making sure that there are no lumps and transfer to a saucepot.

Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, keep stirring for 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and and shiny.

Leave to cool.

 

METHOD:

1). Soak wong bok in water mixed with 1/4 cup salt. Mix and turn the wong buk every 30 minutes. Soak for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2). Rinse wong buk under running water to wash away the salt solution.

3). Drain and gently squeeze out excess water from wong buk.

4). Blitz all the sauce ingredients in a food processor and transfer to a big mixing bowl.

5). Mix in all the vegetables and make sure that all the veggies are evenly coated with the kimchi sauce.

6). Pack the kimchi into a clean container and press make sure there are no air bubbles trapped inside the kimchi.

7). Cover and leave in a cool dark place for 36 hours and then store in the fridge.

8). The kimchi will be ready to be eaten after 4 days.

 

Note: Serve kimchi with a sprinkle of sesame seed oil.

Spicy Salmon Patties

I like to buy whole salmon and fillet them myself because I can actually judge how fresh the fish is and it is much more economical. There is still a lot of meat that is left on the bones after I’m done filleting, so I scrape the meat off and make delicious salmon cakes out of them. You can still follow this recipe by using salmon steaks also.

INGREDIENTS:

300gm salmon meat –lightly chopped with the back of the knife

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

2 pieces kaffir lime leaves – finely shredded

6 pieces mint leaves – finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger – finely chopped

1 shallot – finely chopped

1 egg – white only

freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste.

1/4 cup bread crumbs for coating the salmon patties.

 

METHOD:

1). Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until everything is evenly mixed and combined.

2). Shape the mixture into individual salmon patties 2” wide and 1/3” thick.

3). Coat patties with a thin layer of bread crumbs.

4). Heat a thin layer of oil in the pan and fry the patties over medium heat until they are firm to touch and golden brown on both sides.

5). Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Serve with a squeeze of lime juice or my favourite: Tabasco Sauce.

Tom Yum Soup Base

This recipe is the soup base for any type of Tom Yum. You can add shrimp, chicken or any type of seafood. It can also be used as the broth for steamboat. The best part is keep the broth and whatever leftovers you may have after the steamboat, add any noodles of your choice and you have another satisfying meal.

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups water

4 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

3 inches galangal – cut into 1/4 inch slices

3 stalks lemongrass – lightly crushed

4 bird’s eye chili – lightly crushed

2 limes – juiced

3 pieces kaffir lime leaves – lightly bruised

3 pieces coriander root – lightly crushed (keep leaves for garnishing)

2 shallots – sliced thinly

2 tablespoon Mae Pranom Thai Chili paste

METHOD:

1). Bring water (or stock) to a boil.

2). Add nam pla, galangal, lemongrass, chili, shallots and coriander root. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3). Add kaffir lime leaves and lime juice, and Mae Pranom Thai Chili Paste.

4). This soup is ready to be used as steamboat broth or Tom Yum soup.

Note: Mae Pranom Chili Paste. Available at most Asian grocery stores. We need this paste for its sticky sweetness, dried shrimp flavour and fragrant chili oil.

Mapo Tofu

Szechuan Mapo Tofu is one of my favourite dish but it is too oily to eat all the time. I serve it at least once a week, so I’ve adapted this recipe to be lower in fat and easier to cook.. It’s just as tasty and will satisfy your craving for Szechuan food minus the guilt.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cubes (300g) tofu – cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 strips chicken tenders – minced

1 small leek – sliced

1 clove garlic – minced

1/2 teaspoon fermented black beans – mashed

1 tablespoon toban sauce (chili bean paste)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

pinch of freshly ground Szechuan pepper

dash of sesame oil

cornstarch slurry ( 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

1 stalk spring onion – chopped

 

METHOD:

1). Blanch tofu cubes in hot water for 2 minutes and drain.

2). Marinate minced chicken tenders with soy sauce, ground Szechuan pepper and sesame oil.

3). Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok and saute garlic and leek until fragrant.

4). Add minced chicken and stir fry until the meat turns white.

5). Add fermented black beans and toban sauce, stir until the sauce looks shiny.

6). Add tofu, 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil.

7). Stir in the cornstarch slurry gently and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

8). Garnish with spring onions and the Mapo Tofu is ready to be served.