Bring K-Pop Kitchen At Your Home With These Traditional Korean Recipes This Chuseok Festival

The growing popularity of K-dramas and K-pop in India, has also sparked a fascination with Korean culture and food. A few of the popular Korean delicacies prepared during Chuseok, one of the main harvest festival of South and North Korea also known as Korean Thanksgivin include rice cakes in varying forms. Songpyeon, Hangwa, and Gungjung Tteokbokki, paired with other dishes such as glass noodles (Japchae) and Korean pancakes made with mung bean are the most famous festive dishes.

Miso Spinach

Ingredients

6 cups of raw spinach, 1 tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean and brine paste), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 scallions (spring onions)

Procedure

• Add spinach to a large pot of boiling water. Cook for approximately 1 minute before removing it and placing it in an ice bath ( to discontinue cooking).

• Drain the excess water by placing one handful of spinach at a time into either a cheesecloth/ kitchen towel/paper towel and squeezing it between your hands

• Place the 6 cups of raw spinach into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients - doenjang (fermented soybean and brine paste), salt, pepper, sesame oil, sesame seeds, 2 scallions (spring onions) to it.

• Mix well with a large spoon or by hand

• Your Miso Spinach is ready to serve

Gochujang Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, ½ tbsp coarse sea salt, 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit

• Chop the 4 sweet potatoes into bite-sized portions and place them in a large bowl

• Add the other ingredients including the 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, and ½ tbsp coarse sea salt to it

• Remember to not add the sesame seeds

• Place the lid of a pot (large enough to cover the entire bowl) and shake vigorously to ensure sweet potatoes are evenly coated

• Place the potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet sprayed generously with cooking oil (use two trays if necessary)

• Place on the low rack of the oven and cook for 15-17 minutes

• Flip the potatoes and place them back in the oven to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until evenly browned

• Sprinkle 2 tsp of sesame seeds before serving.

Gungjung Tteokbokki

Ingredients

1 package of tteokbokki (fresh or frozen / simmered rice cakes), 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ½ Zucchini chopped, 3-4 sliced shiitake mushrooms, 1/8th green bell pepper julienned (cut into long thin strips), 1/4th red bell pepper julienned (cut into long thin strips), 1/4th red onion julienned (cut into long thin strips), 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 cup of vegetable broth (or water), 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Procedure

• Place the tteokbokki in a large bowl and add sesame oil and black pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes

• In a large pan, add extra virgin olive oil over medium heat

• Add all vegetables and saute until they soften

• Add 1 tsp of salt and continue cooking for 1 minute

• After this add the package of tteokbokki, as well as soy sauce and maple syrup until the vegetable and rice cakes are coated with sauce

• Deglaze the pan with broth or water and bring to a boil

• Then reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the liquid thickens for 2-3 minutes

• Garnish with sesame seeds before serving

Gluten-Free Berry Cobbler

Ingredients

1 cup non-dairy milk, 2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup almond meal, ½ cup + 1/4th cup potato starch, ¼ cup coconut sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blackberries, 2 tbsp maple syrup, Juice of ½ lemon

Procedure

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

• In a large bowl, add almond meal, rice flour, ½ cup potato starch, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

• In a brownie pan/cast iron pan, add berries, maple syrup, lemon juice, and 1/4th cup of potato starch

• Stir with a wooden spoon or hands until the berries are evenly coated

• Go back to the bowl of dry ingredients and add non-dairy milk + vinegar mixture and coconut milk

• Stir with a whisk until incorporated and the cake batter will be fairly thick

• Scoop out spoonfuls of the batter with two spoons or an ice cream scooper and pace carefully over the top of the berries mix until all the berries are covered

• Smooth it out with a spatula or the back of a spoon if you can

• Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the filling and the bubbling of the cake is nice and brown

• Your Gluten-Free Berry Cobbler is ready to serve now

Recipes sourced from The Korean Vegan Cookbook on Audible