Doen Jang Chigae (pronounced like "Dwayne Jang chi-gay"; a.k.a. Korean Bean Paste Soup) is my favorite acquired taste Korean food. In fact, it is probably one of the healthiest dishes in what is already a very healthy cuisine. The key ingredients are, as the name suggests, Korean bean paste and tofu. You can pickup the bean paste (sam jang and doen jang) at your local Korean market (and often in Chinese markets as well). The following is an American treatment of the subject that I know you will come to enjoy.
Doen Jang Chigae (Korean Bean Paste Soup)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
7 oz (200g) Enoki mushrooms
1/2 lb bak choi (Chinese cabbage)
1/2 lb zucchini
4 tbsp. Sempio Sam Jang (seasoned bean paste)
1 green chilli pepper
1 red chilli pepper
18 oz (510g) organic tofu
1 large potato
2 tbsp. garlic paste
10 cups (2.5l) water
4 tbsp. Haechandle Doen Jang (bean paste)
Bak Choi is not typically an ingredient in this recipe but we just love it so...slice each bak choi once down the middle.
Cube the potatoes and tofu. Slice the chilli on an angle and wedge the zucchini.
Boil the bak choi in the water until tender (approximately 15 minutes). Add the potatoes and boil for another 10 minutes. Add the garlic paste, tofu and zucchini and boil until the zucchini is tender (approximately another 15 minutes). Finally, add the remaining ingredients and cook on reduced (medium) heat for another 10 minutes. We always prepare doen jang chigae as a side to another dish. Tonight we had Sam Gyub Sal (삼겹살), a pork BBQ wrapped in lettuce with kimchi and rice.
A good friend also recently turned me onto Put Your Records On by Corrina Bailey Rae.
Wow, that knife looks really sharp!
Posted by: Reg | March 04, 2007 at 03:45 PM