Today, I will introduce a winter kimchi that Koreans enjoy a lot. It is the radish water kimchi called Dongchimi. I think that this is one of the easiest types of kimchi that you can make. Simply cut up the ingredients and then mix them with salt and water. You don’t even need fish sauce or hot pepper powder, so it can be a perfect kimchi recipe for vegetarians or people who cannot eat spicy food. 🙂 Please try it this winter. Then, let’s get started.

Yield: 1 Gallon

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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

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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

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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

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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 Pieces

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This egg and onion dish brings back some good school memories. It was one of my favorite dishes for my lunch box that my mom made. For lunch boxes, moms had to cook several side dishes in the morning. I can see that my mom liked to cook this since it is very simple and we loved it. Usually, Korean food takes time to make and has many ingredients. In that point, this recipe is one of the simplest recipes on this website. 🙂 The flavor of onion with fried eggs tastes great without any other flavors. I am a garlic, onion, and green onion lover. Are you too? If so, you have to try this recipe someday. 😉

Yield: 2 Servings

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This is a simple cucumber dish for garnishing mul naengmyeon or bibim naengmyeon, although you can use it as a side dish or you can use it in other noodle dishes too. The sweet and sour flavor in this cucumber dish gives extra flavor to the main dish. 🙂

Yield: ⅔ Cups

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