Aeri's Kitchen

This watercress and mung bean sprout side dish is very nutritious and simple to make. Since it does not have that many seasonings, its unique flavor comes from the watercress and mung bean sprouts. This is very simple and it tastes best when it is fresh, so usually this dish is made and served right before a Korean meal as a side dish. In my personal opinion, the flavor of the watercress can help increase your appetite, so it can be good as an appetizer also. If you are using leftover side dishes or vegetables for your bibimbap, this is also a perfect addition.

Yield: 1 Cup

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• MiNaRi (미나리) = Watercress
• SukJu (숙주) = Mung Bean Sprout

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This butter bean patty recipe is my adaptation of a common type of Korean tofu patty side dish (두부전=DuBu Jeon). Instead of using tofu, we will be using beans. In Korea, canned beans are not common except for red bean paste or sweetened red beans that are used for some kinds of desserts. Dried beans are the most common in Korea. We usually soak them over night and boiled them for a long time before they are soft enough to eat. In that point, the canned beans that are commonly found in the USA are very convenient and cheap. I have been thinking of ways these canned beans can be used in Korean cooking. The can of black beans that I used in my pumpkin porridge recipe was the first time I tried using canned beans in Korean food, and the result was very good. So, the last time we went to the grocery store, I got different kinds of beans to try in Korean dishes.

My husband does not care much for tofu because of the taste and health reasons. I am not a big fan of tofu either, however every now and then; I get hungry for Korean tofu dishes, especially the tofu patty dishes. Of course, I wanted to see my hubby taste delicious tofu patties. As a result of all of those things, I imagined replacing tofu with beans. So, that is how I came up with this recipe, and my husband and I love it. The creamy, nutty flavor of the butter beans combines with the garlic well, and it has a little hot pepper for an awesome taste that is sure to be a hit. I am very excited to share this recipe with you. They taste best hot off the stove.

Yield: 16 Patties

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• Kong (콩) = Bean
• Gong (공) = Ball

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There are some vegetables that are a great match with soy sauce’s flavor. Eggplants and onion are two good examples. This fried eggplant is a quick side dish that you can prepare and serve for several meals because it keeps for up to a couple weeks in the refrigerator. The flavor of fried onions, garlic, and soy sauce gives extra flavor to the plain tasting eggplant. Try it someday.

Yield: 6 Servings

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• GaJi (가지) = Eggplant
• GaJa (가자) = Let’s go.

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Koreans like seafood a lot, so there are many different kinds of seafood dishes in Korean cuisine. Since I moved to the U.S.A, it has been difficult for me to find fresh seafood because we are living far away from any ocean. For that reason, I have not been posting many seafood recipes, even though there are many seafood menu items that I would like to share with you. Anyway, we recently went to one of those big Korean grocery stores (in different state) and I finally got some fresh squid and watercress. Watercress is another ingredient that is hard to find where we live. This food is very common in Korea, especially in my hometown of GwangJu. The unique flavor of watercress is great in combination with the boiled squid and the spicy sauce. Oops, I am hungry for this again, but I guess I’ll have to wait for another trip to the Korean store. I’m happy to share this delicious Korean food with you.

Yield: 2 Cups

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• OJingEo (오징어) = Squid
• MiNaRi (미나리) = Watercress

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JangTteok (장떡) is a special food from eastern Korea. It is a type of Korean pancake, jeon (전), but it is a little different. The main difference is the batter. You mix some of the soybean paste or red pepper paste in your pancake batter. You can add different kinds of vegetables or meat in the batter too. Today, I will make spicy spinach pancakes using red pepper paste. Since Korean pancakes are not normally spicy, these are unique in that point. If you like spicy food, you will love these. They are very delicious and simple to make.

Yield: 1½ Dozen Pancakes

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

• SiGeumChi (시금치) = Spinach
• GoChuJang (고추장) = Red Pepper Paste

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