Beef Bulgogi

Date Published: April 18th, 2025 | Last Updated: April 18th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, asian, quick, easy,
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 12 hours (marinate overnight) | Cook time: 10 minutes

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Bulgogi is a Korean dish that consists of thinly sliced meat (most commonly beef, but you can find pork and chicken variations too) marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Once marinated, this dish is so quick to cook that it only takes a few minutes on the grill, perfect for a busy quick weeknight dinner if you marinate the meat the night before. Serve it over rice, lettuce wraps, or perilla leaves with a side of veggies. This flavourful dish will surely be a hit!

3 Methods for thinly sliced beef:

For best and most uniform results: Freeze the raw steak for 20-30 minutes until semi-firm, then use a meat slicer to slice as thin as possible. I have this model of meat slicer that I chose for the decent price and its relatively small size.

2. Freeze the raw steak for 20-30 minutes until semi-firm, then use a sharp knife to slice as thin as possible.

3. Buy pre-sliced frozen beef from the hotpot section of most asian grocery stores. This will be the easiest method but will also likely be more expensive.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps freshly grated ginger
- 4 green onions, sliced to 4cm pieces
- 1/2 small pear (80g), peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce (Kikkoman is fine)
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang (Korean red chilli paste)
700g/1.5 pounds boneless rib eye steak, sliced thinly (for cheaper options, flank steak or skirt steak will also do)
Garnish: chopped green onion and sesame seeds

Directions:

Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsps grated ginger, 4 green onions sliced to 4cm pieces, 1/2 of a pear, grated (80g), 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce, 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar, 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil, 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang.

Add the thinly sliced steak into the marinade and massage well. Pour the contents into a resealable bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Take out the marinated steak 20 minutes prior to cooking to let the meat come to room temperature.

When ready to cook, use a flat skillet or grill pan on MED-HIGH heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the marinated steak and cook for roughly 2-3 minutes per side until slightly charred and cooked. Done!

Serve with rice. Garnish with more green onion and sesame seeds.

Summarized Recipe:

Beef Bulgogi

Ingredients:

Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps freshly grated ginger
- 4 green onions, sliced to 4cm pieces
- 1/2 small pear (80g), peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce (Kikkoman is fine)
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang (Korean red chilli paste)
700g/1.5 pounds boneless rib eye steak, sliced thinly (for cheaper options, flank steak or skirt steak will also do)
Garnish: chopped green onion and sesame seeds

Directions:

Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsps grated ginger, 4 green onions sliced to 4cm pieces, 1/2 of a pear, grated (80g), 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce, 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar, 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil, 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang.
Add the thinly sliced steak into the marinade and massage well. Pour the contents into a resealable bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Take out the marinated steak 20 minutes prior to cooking to let the meat come to room temperature.
When ready to cook, use a flat skillet or grill pan on MED-HIGH heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the marinated steak and cook for roughly 2-3 minutes per side until slightly charred and cooked. Done! Serve with rice. Garnish with more green onion and sesame seeds.

April 18, 2025April 20, 2025

Abby1 Comment

Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Soup)

Date Published: April 12th, 2025 | Last Updated: April 12th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: soup, asian, easy, healthy, low cal, mains, quick
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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What is Soondubu/Sundubu Jjigae?

Soondubu or Sundubu or Soon tofu is an extra soft type of tofu that is very fragile when handled, but has a lovely soft texture.

Jjigae = Korean style stew usually made with meat, seafood, or vegetables. There are a variety different ‘jjigae’ out there, named according to what their ingredients are. This dish is called a ‘soondubu jjigae’ because it’s made with the classic soft tofu.

A Soondubu jjigae is a healthy and easy to make Korean soup made with bonito soup stock (fish based) and kimchi (fermented Korean cabbage) as the main flavours of the dish which results in a savoury but slightly acidic soup. The ingredients of the soup can vary from place to place but commonly you’ll find tteok (Korean rice cakes), seafood or meat (or both in this case), and of course the soft tofu. I’ve also added two types of mushrooms to mine for added texture but feel free to leave them out.

Bonito Soup Stock

Bonito is a type of fish that is in the same family as mackerel and tuna. One of the most common forms of bonito is bonito flakes which are the thin brown flakes sprinkled on top of okonomiyaki or takoyaki. Bonito stock, also known as dashi, is a Japanese soup stock made from bonito flakes, kelp, and other ingredients. It packs tons of umami flavour and is a key component of many Japanese dishes, including miso soup. HonDashi is the most popular brand of bonito soup stock/dashi that you’ll find in most Asian grocery stores and it comes in a powder/fine pellet form packaged in small glass jars (as pictured), or in packets. They usually need to be kept refrigerated once opened.

What are Garaetteok/Tteok (Korean rice cakes)?

Garaetteok/tteok are Korean rice cakes that are made from non-glutinous rice flour and come in skinny long cylinders. On their own they don’t have much flavour so they’re often added to a flavourful saucy dish (such as this dak galbi recipe) or a soup. They have a soft and chewy texture once cooked and make a great textural addition to many dishes. You’ll most commonly see garaetteok/tteok served in a dish called tteokbokki which is a spicy rice cake dish.

You can find these vacuum-sealed in the refrigerated section of most Asian grocery stores. They will be very hard coming out of the package and need to be soaked for at least 10 minutes in warm water to slightly soften before cooking them. If you’re lucky and your Asian grocer have these fresh, you can put them directly into the dish without soaking.

Don’t worry if you can’t find any garaetteok/tteok. Simply omit them from the recipe altogether. It won’t change the flavour of the dish. It’s mainly to add an extra textural component.

A Quick Note on Gochugaru – Korean Chilli Powder

This recipe uses Gochugaru, a Korean chilli powder, which is not too spicy and it gives the dish a deeper orangey/red colour. It can be easily found in most Asian grocery stores, but if you don’t have any, a good substitute is Kashmiri chilli powder (an Indian variety). Do NOT substitute with cayenne pepper which is a MUCH spicier chilli powder. If you absolutely can’t find Gochugaru or Kashmiri chilli powder, then you can substitute with 1 part cayenne powder: 3 parts paprika, or consider skipping it altogether.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

300g chuck steak, sliced into 3-4 cm long strips
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup (~250g) kimchi, chopped with juices
1 Tbsp Korean chili powder
400g button mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch enoki mushrooms (optional)
2.5 tsps Hondashi bonito stock powder
2 cups water
1 handful of tteok (Korean rice cakes), rinsed
150g raw shrimp, deveined and deshelled, cut in half width-wise
2 x 313g/11oz packages of soft soon tofu (extra soft Korean tofu), halved and sliced
For garnish: 1 green onion, sliced fine

Directions:

In a medium sized soup pot (enough to accommodate 6 cups) on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and quickly sauté the steak until just browned on the outside – do not cook all the way through (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot on MED-HIGH heat, add another drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add in the 1 cup chopped kimchi, 1 Tbsp chili powder, button mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. Continue to sauté for another few minutes until the onion softens.

Dissolve the 2.5 tsps bonito stock powder into 2 cups of water and add it to the pot along with the tteok. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the shrimp, tofu, and sautéed steak (from step 1) into the pot and carefully mix it around without breaking the tofu. Let the soup simmer until the shrimp is cooked and the tteok is soft (~another 3-4 minutes), then turn off the heat.

Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed (the amount of adjustment will depend on the type of kimchi you’ve used). Garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy! Serve with a side of white rice.

Optional: crack an egg at the surface while the shrimp is cooking at the same time for 3-4 minutes, or otherwise poach an egg separately and add it to the bowl when serving.

Summarized Recipe

Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Soup)

Ingredients:

300g chuck steak, sliced into 3-4 cm long strips
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup (~250g) kimchi, chopped with juices
1 Tbsp Korean chili powder
400g button mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch enoki mushrooms (optional)
2.5 tsps Hondashi bonito stock powder
2 cups water
1 handful of tteok (Korean rice cakes), rinsed
150g raw shrimp, deveined and deshelled, cut in half width-wise
2 x 313g/11oz packages of soft soon tofu (extra soft Korean tofu), halved and sliced
For garnish: 1 green onion, sliced fine

Directions:

In a medium sized soup pot (enough to accommodate 6 cups) on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and quickly sauté the steak until just browned on the outside – do not cook all the way through (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot on MED-HIGH heat, add another drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add in the 1 cup chopped kimchi, 1 Tbsp chili powder, button mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. Continue to sauté for another few minutes until the onion softens.
Dissolve the 2.5 tsps bonito stock powder into 2 cups of water and add it to the pot along with the tteok. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes then add in the shrimp, tofu, and sautéed steak (from step 1) into the pot and carefully mix it around without breaking the tofu. Let the soup simmer until the shrimp is cooked and the tteok is soft (~another 3-4 minutes), then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed (the amount of adjustment will depend on the type of kimchi you’ve used). Garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy! Serve with a side of white rice.
- Optional: crack an egg at the surface while the shrimp is cooking at the same time for 3-4 minutes, or otherwise poach an egg separately and add it to the bowl when serving.

April 12, 2025February 15, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Joons’ Dak Galbi – Korean Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with Cheese & Noodles

Date Published: Mar 7th, 2025 | Last Updated: Mar 7th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy, Asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: overnight marinating + 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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In my high school years when I lived in Canada, my friends and I would often hangout in downtown Toronto on the weekends, either perusing Kensington market, browsing through record shops, shopping on Queen Street, studying for finals at Robarts, or just grabbing a bite to eat at one of the many restaurant options in Toronto. One of my favourite Korean restaurants was Joons on Bloor St. in Koreatown. It was a small dingy restaurant that you had to take a few steps down from street level to get to the front door. The decor wasn’t anything impressive and the table water was served in scratched up refillable rubbermaid bottles. Despite its appearance, it was often relatively busy with nearly every other table ordering their AMAZING dak galbi, including me! I would religiously order this same dish every time – in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever ordered anything else at Joons 🤔. Dak galbi is a stir-fry chicken dish in a spicy sauce that’s seen on most Korean restaurant menus, but Joons did it differently. A portable cook top is brought out to the table and the whole dish is cooked in front of you. It usually took at least 15-20 minutes to cook which is excruciating when you’re starving and this amazing aroma in front of you keeps wafting in your face every time the waitress lifted the lid to give it a stir, but the wait was always worth it. You had options of add-ins to the dish, but most people would get everything in it which is usually cabbage, instant noodles, chicken, and cheese 🤤.

An image of Joon’s Dak Galbi from the Yelp archives, taken in 2015.

Sadly, Joons has been closed for about 4-5 years now and I mourn that loss every time I pass through the area 💔. This recipe is a tribute to Joons’ dak galbi. I’ve scoured the internet for people’s old photos and videos of the dish to try and recreate it exactly as it was. I had some help from My Korean Kitchen with the chicken marinade portion and included everything else from the instant noodles to the mozzarella cheese on top. Although mine didn’t quite come out as saucy and red as theirs, I’d say the flavours are pretty damn close! But of course, I haven’t had Joons since before vet school which is nearly a decade ago now, so I could also be remembering it a little differently. Either way, this is still a pretty tasty dish. If you’ve had the dak galbi at Joons before, let me know how close I am in the comments!

What is Dak Galbi?

Dak galbi or dakgalbi directly translates to “chicken rib”. No actual ribs are used in this dish – the origin of this word is thought to be due to using chicken as a cheaper source of meat compared to pork 🤷🏻‍♀️. It’s a dish that is essentially chicken and vegetables stir-fried in a gochujang-based sauce. The vegetables are usually cabbage, sweet potato, and green onions. You can serve it along side perilla leaves as a wrap. In my recipe I’ve used carrots instead of sweet potato because it’s already a pretty carb-heavy dish with the noodles and rice cakes, but feel free to substitute! This dish is mildly spicy. If you prefer spicier, you can buy the spicier versions of gochujang or add in more gochugaru (Korean chilli powder).

What is Gochujang?

Gochukang is Korean red chilli paste. It’s savoury, sweet, and spicy all together. It’s a very popular condiment used in Korean cooking and is used as a base to many sauces, including in this dak galbi recipe. There really is no substitute to gochujang. You can usually find this in the Asian section of most grocery stores. They come in a variety of levels of spiciness, so choose carefully! I usually go for the mild one and add in chilli powder if I want more of a kick.

What are Garaetteok/Tteok (Korean rice cakes)?

Don’t worry if you can’t find any garaetteok/tteok. Simply omit them from the recipe altogether. It won’t change the flavour of the dish. It’s mainly to add an extra textural component.

A Quick Note on Gochugaru – Korean Chilli Powder

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Chicken Marinade:
- 600g chicken thighs, cut into 2.5cm pieces
- 7 Tbsps (160g) gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1/4 cup rice wine
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 tsps curry powder
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps minced ginger
- 2 green onions, sliced to 4cm pieces
1 medium carrot, julienned or grated on the large hole (optional)
250g mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 medium brown onion, sliced
1/4 small (6 cups) cabbage, chopped
25 pieces (180g) Garaetteok/Tteok (Korean rice cakes)
2 cups (230g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 packets of instant noodles
Garnish: 1 green onion, chopped

Directions:

Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients of the chicken marinade: diced chicken thighs, 7 Tbsps gochujang, 1/4 cup rice wine, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 Tbsps soy sauce, 2 Tbsps sugar, 2 tsps curry powder, minced garlic, minced ginger, and sliced green onions. Mix thoroughly and transfer to a resealable bag or container and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

Rinse and soak the garaetteok/tteok in warm water for 10 minutes (skip this step if you have freshly made garaetteok/tteok).

In a non-stick pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and add in the carrots, mushrooms, onion, and cabbage. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

Next add in the garaetteok/tteok and the marinated chicken (from step 1) along with all of the marinade in the bag. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes, then turn the heat down to MED, put a lid on, and continue to cook until the chicken is nearly done (~10 minutes). Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.

When the chicken is almost ready, add in the instant noodles and submerge it into the ingredients and sauce. Put the lid back on and let it steam for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are soft enough to separate with chopsticks.

Once the noodles, chicken, and garaetteok/tteok are cooked, turn off the heat and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Mix it all togther, ensure everything is cooked and turn off heat

Summarized Recipe:

Joons’ Dak Galbi – Korean Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with Cheese & Noodles

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:
- 600g chicken thighs, cut into 2.5cm pieces
- 7 Tbsps (160g) gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1/4 cup rice wine
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 tsps curry powder
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps minced ginger
- 2 green onions, sliced to 4cm pieces
1 medium carrot, julienned or grated on the large hole
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 medium brown onion, sliced
1/4 small (6 cups) cabbage, chopped
25 pieces (180g) garaetteok/tteok (Korean rice cakes)
2 cups (230g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 packets of instant noodles
Garnish: 1 green onion, chopped

Directions:

Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients of the chicken marinade: diced chicken thighs, 7 Tbsps gochujang, 1/4 cup rice wine, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 Tbsps soy sauce, 2 Tbsps sugar, 2 tsps curry powder, minced garlic, minced ginger, and sliced green onions. Mix thoroughly and transfer to a resealable bag or container and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Rinse and soak the garaetteok/tteok in warm water for 10 minutes (skip this step if you have freshly made garaetteok/tteok).
In a non-stick pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and add in the carrots, mushrooms, onion, and cabbage. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Next add in the garaetteok/tteok and the marinated chicken (from step 1) along with all of the marinade in the bag. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes, then turn the heat down to MED, put a lid on, and continue to cook until the chicken is nearly done (~10 minutes). Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.
When the chicken is almost ready, add in the instant noodles and submerge it into the ingredients and sauce. Put the lid back on and let it steam for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are soft enough to separate with chopsticks.
Once the noodles, chicken, and garaetteok/tteok are cooked, turn off the heat and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

March 7, 2025February 15, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Korean Sweet Pickled Radish (“Chicken-mu”)

Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, sides, vegetarian, quick, healthy, low cal, vegetarian
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: marinate for 2 days

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Toby and I are obsessed with Korean Fried Chicken. Whenever we move to a new town, we are always on the lookout for a good Korean fried chicken spot (and also a good ramen spot). Throughout our travels around Australia, our favourite Korean chicken spot still remains to this day, 7 Grams Chicken in Perth, Western Australia. It’s just so damn good and the chicken is always cooked perfectly – there’s no comparison. With every serving of Korean fried chicken, a little bowl of sweet cold pickled radishes always accompanies it. This little bowl of radishes is the perfect accompaniment to cut the grease – it’s not too sour and not too sweet, and the refreshing crunch of the perfect little white cubes makes you forget that you’re gorging on oily fried chicken and that somehow you’re still being healthy by eating your vegetables. We love our pickled radishes so much that we always get extra orders, but now that I’ve learned how to make this, I can stop paying extra for the pickled radishes and make it myself ahead of time!

We’ve never been to Korea, but when I was researching this recipe I found that it is also often called “Chicken-mu”. ‘Mu’ means radish in Korean and this specific pickled radish dish is pretty much only served with fried chicken, which is why they call it ‘Chicken-mu’!

What type of radish?

It is no surprise that a Korean radish is used to make this recipe. It is generally smaller and rounder than the common Chinese style daikon radish and has a green colour on the top half. A Korean radish has a little less water content which results in a crunchier texture and holds up well in the pickling liquid. If you can’t find a Korean radish, substitute with daikon instead, but results may differ a little.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Pickling liquid:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 tsps kosher salt
450g (1lb = 1 small) Korean radish, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes

Directions:

In a large glass container (with a lid), add in the sugar, vinegar, water and salt. Shake the container until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Rinse the radish and peel it, then chop it into 1.5cm cubes.

Add in the cubed radishes. Ensure all of the radish is submerged into the pickling liquid – if not, double the amount of pickling liquid. Close the lid and let it marinate for at least 24 hours (flavours will be better after 48 hours). Store up to 10 days, flavours will be best if eaten within 4 days.

Summarized Recipe:

Korean Sweet Pickled Radish (“Chicken-mu”)

Ingredients:

Pickling liquid:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 tsps kosher salt
450g (1lb = 1 small) Korean radish, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes

Directions:

In a large glass container (with a lid), add in the sugar, vinegar, water, and salt. Shake the container until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Add in the cubed radishes. Ensure all of the radish is submerged into the pickling liquid – if not, double the amount of pickling liquid. Close the lid and let it marinate for at least 24 hours (flavours will be better after 48 hours). Store up to 10 days, flavours will be best if eaten within 4 days.

April 16, 2024December 30, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment