Spicy Shredded Dried Squid

This is another great Korean side dish you have probably encountered at a Korean restaurant. Basically, it's shredded dried squid jerky mixed with hot sauce and sesame oil. Although the hot sauce used for mixing fresh vegetables may include vinegar and excludes sesame oil, this one excludes vinegar and includes sesame oil. It has a very mature and spicy flavor that goes well with the fishy flavor coming from the squid. Whenever I make this side dish, I make my bowl of steamed rice disappear pretty quickly.

1. First, you will need the shredded dried squids from a Korean market. Usually they're already shredded before you buy but make sure you shred some of the bigger and thicker pieces one more time. Thinner they are, easier it is to eat and more flavor of the sauce will be worn on greater surfaces of the shredded squid.



2. This hot sauce contains following ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste, 1 tbsp corn syrup (or sugar), 1/2 tsp finely minced garlic (or grated), and 1 tbsp of sesame oil.

3. When mixing, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds as well for better flavor.

It gets a little messy when you mix them. It's better if you use a deeper salad bowl or some sort.

Now you have a bowl of steamed rice ready? Watch it quickly devoured with this spicy shredded dried squid banchan!

Spicy Cucumber Salad

You probably had this if you had gone to a Korean restaurant before. This is one of the banchans (side dish) that they give you as soon as you sit down and order your food. This is somewhat spicy, sweet and sour. It goes very well with steamed rice and any other Korean food or teriyaki chicken or beef as a side dish. It's very easy to make.

1. Cut up a cucumber. Slice them diagonally so you get long eclipse shaped slices.


Cut the eclipses in half. Then pickle them in salt water for 20 minutes.

Cut very thin slices of a red onion.

Below is all I am going to use.

And also little bit of chopped green onion.

2. Now it's the sauce. It's a typical mix of Korean spicy sauce without the sesame oil. You can still use sesame oil but I thought the flavor of sesame oil hides the fresh and spicy flavor that goes so well with the cucumbers. Mixture contains 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste, 1/2 tsp finely minced (or better grated) garlic, 1 tbsp of apple juice, and 1 tbsp corn syrup (or sugar).


3. Pour the sauce over your vegetables and then add the following additional condiments as mixing: toasted sesame seeds, red pepper powders, and 1 tbsp of vinegar.


There is the final product. Enjoy!

Fishcake Stir Fry

Fishcake stir fry is one of the main Banchans (side dishes) when you go to a Korean restaurant. Little thin slices of those fishcake with grilled onions and garlic are blending in soy sauce and sesame flavor. I should include more Banchans from now on since they're the first dishes you will see at Korean restaurants when you order main dishes. This one is pretty easy to make and adds a nice savory flavor with your steamed rice. Follow the steps below.

1. Boil sheets of fishcake.



2. Once cooked, take them out and slice them into pieces.


Also cut onions into pieces.
3. These are the ingredients you need before stir frying: minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, sugar and toasted sesame seeds.

4. Maybe a tbsp of minced garlic for a full pan fry portion.

5. Add the fishcakes and drizzle soy sauce on top of the mixture.

A touch of red pepper flakes.

Final touch with sesame oil and seeds. Sesame oil flavor will evaporate if put in too early.

Ok now, that was simple!