Tag: comfort food

Posted on by — 8 Comments

Baked ricotta and smoked salmon dumplings in Gyoza skin

I believe almost every food culture in the world has some form of dumpling. It can be essential comfort food sometimes, but it can also be celebratory food for special occasions. The dumpling I grew up with called ‘mandu’ is a great example. It is one of the most popular comfort food you could find anywhere in Korea but it is also something my grandmother and aunts spent all day preparing for big family holidays. They are commonly boiled and served in the soup or steamed and served with soy sauce based dipping sauce. I was a good girl helping my family of course, but only to stay near the steamer and get my hands on delicious piping hot homemade dumplings before anyone else. I have to admit, making dumplings is not the easiest job in the world. Continue reading Baked ricotta and smoked salmon dumplings in Gyoza skin

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Fried omelette rice with sweet and spicy tomato sauce

Growing up my brother and I probably had at least 2-3 ‘Omurice’ a week. ‘Omurice’ is one of the examples of ‘Yoshoku’, which refers to Western influenced Japanese cuisine. And this type of cuisine is also very popular in Korea. The typical Omurice we used to eat had fried rice with vegetables, ham or bacon wrapped inside thin omelette and topped with tomato ketchup. My little brother loved the combination of these flavors so much that he would ask me to make simpler version at home, which is steamed white rice topped with fried eggs and drenched in tomato ketchup. Continue reading Fried omelette rice with sweet and spicy tomato sauce

Posted on by — 11 Comments

Coconut and Korean red chili paste “Gochujang” prawn curry

korean chili paste curry

I love pretty much any kind of hearty food. But if I had to choose one, I would definitely go for a pot of hot stew or curry. I often call it a “belly warming food” :-). Being Korean, I grew up with soup and stew, which are essential parts of Korean cuisine. But I think these kinds of food are just so comforting to anyone no matter where you are from. So today I decided to make hearty, comforting, quick and easy one pot curry (not much washing up!) mainly with South East Asian ingredients (I need to use leftover coconut milk from the dairy-free rice pudding I made for my previous post ;-)) and a little bit of Korean flavor. This dish is mildly spicy but if you want to add some serious heat you could use hot Thai chili. This curry sauce will also work well with chicken or white fish. Continue reading Coconut and Korean red chili paste “Gochujang” prawn curry

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Spicy and sweet pork stir-fry with Korean chili sauce

This is one of my all time favorite Korean food. Essential ingredient of the sauce is fermented Korean red chili paste called ‘Gochujang’, which is very commonly used in Korean cooking. Its complex spiciness is well balanced with the sweetness from onion and honey in this dish. Feel free to add a bit more honey if you want extra sweet flavor. And if you are worried about the heat taste the sauce after adding 1-2 tablespoons of chili paste then adjust the amount to your liking. Best way to serve the pork is to with fresh lettuce and fluffy rice. Continue reading Spicy and sweet pork stir-fry with Korean chili sauce