Ajumma's Simple Korean Recipes

A piece of pork rib coated in sweet, savory soy sauce is lovely with warm rice. Radish and carrot soak up the sauce too, giving you tender vegetables to enjoy between bites of meat. You can make this braise in a deep pot with a lid, without a pressure cooker. Blanch the ribs, simmer them gently in the sauce, then adjust the liquid once the meat is tender. The thickness and tenderness of the meat matter more than finishing at an exact minute. For this version, a little doenjang goes into the blanching water, while apple juice replaces the work of grating fruit for the sauce. Keep the preparation simple and allow enough time for the ribs to soften. Doenjang for blanching, apple juice for the sauce Add 15 g traditional Korean doenjang, a fermented soybean paste, to the blanching water. Blanching helps remove surface residue, and the paste contributes its aroma. Discard this water: the full 15 g of doenjang does not become part of the finished sauce. It is not a guarantee that every unwant...

Thin noodles, crunchy kimchi and a sweet, spicy sauce make a satisfying bowl when you want something quick. Cucumber adds a fresh bite, a boiled egg softens each mouthful, and a little perilla oil leaves a nutty aroma. This version uses maesil syrup for sweetness and a fruity note, with perilla oil stirred in at the end. Kimchi varies from batch to batch, so add the sugar and kimchi brine gradually rather than assuming you will need every last bit. Allow about 10 minutes to cook, rinse and dress the noodles once the toppings and boiled egg are ready. Heating the cooking water takes extra time. The main photo shows the cucumber-and-egg version with toasted baguette and sliced white bread alongside. Two ingredients that shape the flavor Maesil syrup, a Korean green plum syrup, adds sweetness, acidity and a gentle fruit aroma. The 15 ml in this recipe does not remove the kimchi's acidity, but its sweetness can make a sharp sour edge taste more balanced. If your kimchi is already swee...

A bite of spicy-sweet pork with warm rice makes a wonderfully satisfying dinner. Tuck some into a lettuce leaf and you get a fresh, crisp contrast to the rich sauce, too. This is jeyuk bokkeum , a Korean spicy pork stir-fry that fits right into a home kitchen. There is no need to marinate the meat ahead of time. Allow about 10 minutes for prep, then 10–12 minutes at the stove . Thin slices and a roomy pan help everything cook evenly; thicker meat or a less powerful stove may need longer. The small extra here is 5g of doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste. Together with the order in which you add the seasonings, it gives this simple pan of pork a savory depth without a long list of steps. Two small steps for a fuller flavor Just 5g of doenjang adds an earthy, savory note behind the spicy-sweet sauce. It is a supporting seasoning here, not the main flavor. The other trick is to briefly bubble the soy sauce on an empty patch of the hot pan before mixing it into the pork. Stir it thro...

A forkful or chopstickful of japchae brings together springy glass noodles, sweet onion and colorful vegetables in a savory-sweet sauce. Oyster sauce and a little Korean tuna seasoning add depth, while toasted sesame oil gives the finished noodles their familiar nutty aroma. For this version, you won’t need a separate pot for boiling noodles or several batches of vegetables. Cook everything in stages in one pan: sauté the meat and firmer vegetables, simmer the soaked noodles in the sauce, then add the tender greens. Allow about 15 minutes at the stove once the noodles are soaked and the ingredients are ready. And don’t wash that pan just yet. A little seasoned rice turns some of your japchae into another way to enjoy dinner. A celebration dish for an everyday table Japchae is often shared at Korean birthdays, holidays and celebrations. Cooking the ingredients separately and tossing them together is one familiar approach. This one-pan method makes it easier to bring those noodles to an ...

Sweet, tender scallions, pleasantly chewy squid and a thin coating of golden egg—this Korean seafood pancake has plenty going on without needing a long list of ingredients. The edges turn crisp while the scallions inside stay tender. A little soy-vinegar dipping sauce adds a bright finish to each bite. If flipping one large pancake feels intimidating, make two smaller ones. They are easier to handle, and you can enjoy the first while the second cooks. Let the scallions and squid do the work Pajeon is a savory Korean pancake built around green onions. In this seafood version, the batter holds the scallions and squid together without burying them. As the scallions cook, their sharp flavor softens and their sweetness comes through. Squid adds a different texture, while the egg brings a little extra richness. Spread everything evenly. Thick pockets of batter can stay wet inside even when the outside looks nicely browned. Choosing your green onions Slender Korean scallions, called jjokpa , ...

Sweet corn, creamy mayonnaise, butter, and stretchy mozzarella make Korean corn cheese one of the easiest comfort foods to put together at home. It is familiar in Korean restaurant and casual drinking culture, where it can appear as a side dish or anju, but it also works perfectly well as a simple home snack. You do not need special equipment. You can make it in an oven, microwave, or small skillet . Keep the basic version simple for kids, or add jalapeños, green pepper, and sliced olives for a more savory adult version. Korean Corn Cheese Is a Modern Korean Favorite The ingredients may look Western at first glance, but the corn cheese commonly served in Korea has become a familiar part of modern Korean restaurant and drinking culture. The basic idea is straightforward: sweet corn + mayonnaise + butter + a little sweetness + mozzarella. It is rich, sweet, savory, and extremely easy to customize. Canned Corn Is Convenient, but Fresh Corn Works Too Canned sweet corn is the easiest option...

  Doenjang jjigae is one of Korea's classic home-style stews, but the flavor can change quite a bit depending on what you add to the pot. For this version, I start with 500ml of rice-rinsing water, doenjang, and a small amount of gochujang . Then you can choose one of three directions: pork, beef, or seafood. The pork version is hearty, the beef version gets extra richness from the meat, and the clam or seafood version tastes cleaner and lighter. The basic method stays very simple. One Base, Three Different Stews The vegetables, tofu, and basic broth stay mostly the same. What changes is the main ingredient. Pork gives you a fuller, heartier stew. Beef adds its own fat and savory richness. Clams or mixed seafood take the broth in a cleaner seafood direction. Choose the version that fits what you feel like eating. A Little Gochujang Changes the Base The basic broth uses: 500ml rice-rinsing water + 35g doenjang + 10g gochujang Doenjang is still the main seasoning. The gochujang is...

Kimchi pancakes are delicious, but making one large pancake can sometimes be a little troublesome. The center can turn thick and soft, and flipping a large pancake without tearing it is not always easy. So instead of making one big kimchijeon, try spooning the batter into small, bite-size pancakes . You get more crispy edges, the inside stays pleasantly moist with kimchi, and the little pancakes are much easier to flip. They are also easy to pick up one by one, which makes them great as a snack, with makgeolli, or even with a light red wine. Why Make Several Small Pancakes Instead of One Big One? My favorite part of kimchi pancakes is always the golden, crispy edge . With one large pancake, the center can easily become thicker, and moisture has a harder time escaping. A large pancake can also tear when you flip it. Making several small pancakes solves a lot of those problems. You get more crispy edges. It is easier to keep the pancakes thin. They are easier to flip. They are easy to sh...

Sometimes you do not want cheese, cream, or a long list of toppings. You just want that simple Korean snack-shop style tteokbokki with chewy tteok, fish cake, green onion, and a thick sweet-spicy red sauce . This version is inspired by the kind of nostalgic school-front tteokbokki I remember: sweeter than many modern spicy versions, with sauce that clings closely to the tteok. There is no separate anchovy stock to make. Instead, I start by briefly cooking green onion and onion in a little oil, then add water and build the sauce directly in the pan. Start with Green Onion and Onion Instead of Making Stock Heat a little oil in a pot or deep pan and cook the green onion and onion first. About 2-3 minutes over medium heat is enough. You are looking for the aroma of the green onion and for the onion to begin turning translucent. There is no need to deeply brown them. This does not create the same flavor as anchovy stock. It simply gives the water a little more aroma and sweetness before th...