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1. Myulchi Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Ikan Bilis)
Image via Korean Bapsang
We love having ikan bilis in our nasi lemak, and this addictive Korean ikan bilis side dish makes for a great accompaniment to rice too! It’s up to you whether you wanna make it pedas or not, but the key point is to not overseason the dish since ikan bilis are naturally salty. You can also add peanuts for an extra crunch.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup small size ikan bilis
– 2 teaspoons cooking oil
– 2-3 green chilli peppers, cut into small pieces (optional)
Ingredients (for sauce):
– 2 teaspoons soy sauce or gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste), depending on whether you want to make the dish spicy or not
– 3 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
– 3 tablespoons water
– 2 teaspoons sugar
– 2 teaspoons corn syrup or honey
– 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
– 1 teaspoon sesame oil
– 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Get the full recipe from Korean Bapsang.
2. Sigumchi Namul (Seasoned Spinach)
Image via The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Y’all, it’s sooooo easy to make this, you practically don’t even need a recipe. All you have to do is blanch the spinach, then toss it in the seasoning sauce, it’s that simple! The great thing is you can also tweak the sauce according to your preferences.
Besides eating it with rice, this seasoned spinach is also used in other popular Korean dishes like japchae, bibimbap, and kimbap. So, once you’ve got this basic dish down, you can make all kinds of other yummy Korean food too.
Ingredients:
– 1 pound fresh spinach
– 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
– 1 tablespoon sesame oil
– 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
– 1 tablespoon sesame salt
– 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
– 2 teaspoons sugar
Get the full recipe from The Spruce Eats.
3. Korean Macaroni Salad
Image via My Korean Kitchen
You’ve confirm eaten this at Korean restaurants before, especially if you love going for KBBQ. It typically only has a few ingredients in addition to the macaroni, like carrots, cucumber, and corn. But the advantage of making it at home is you can add whatever you like! Eggs, ham, crabsticks, cabbage, tomato, apple, the choice is yours.
Ingredients:
– 200g elbow macaroni
– 50g cucumber, seeded and cut into small cubes
– 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
– 50g corn kernels (from tin), drained
– 50g red bell pepper / capsicum, cut into small cubes
Ingredients for salad dressing:
– 1/2 cup mayonnaise
– 1 tablespoon sugar
– 1/2 tablespoon honey
– 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
– 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, adjust to your taste
– ground black pepper
– 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (optional)
Get the full recipe from My Korean Kitchen.
4. Spicy Eomuk Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Spicy Fish Cake)
Image via futuredish
This simple yet totally addictive side dish pairs so well with rice that you’ll be scarfing down lots of nasi. The key is in the sauce, which contains various ingredients that cover all the different tastes — sweet, spicy, salty, and umami. It even tastes good cold, so it’s great for packing as bekal.
Ingredients:
– 6 sheets of eomuk a.k.a Korean fishcake (300 grams)
– 1/2 onion
– 3 tablespoons soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
– 1 tablespoon gochugaru flakes (Korean red pepper flakes)
– 1 teaspoon minced garlic
– 1.5 tablespoons honey or oligodang syrup
– Sesame seeds (for garnish, optional)
– Sliced green onions (for garnish, optional)
Get the full recipe from futuredish.
5. Kongjang (Soy Braised Soybeans)
Image via Korean Bapsang
This classic Korean side dish only consists of a few ingredients, and is super easy to make. It is typically made with dried black soybeans, but you can use yellow soybeans as well. To prevent the beans from getting hard and to keep them chewy, make sure to cook the soaked beans in water first, before you add the sauce for slow braising.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup dried black or yellow soybeans
– 4 tablespoons soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
– 2 tablespoons sugar
– 2 tablespoons oligodang syrup (a.k.a oligosaccharide), rice syrup, or corn syrup
– 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds (optional)
Get the full recipe from Korean Bapsang.
6. Gyeran Mari (Korean Rolled Omelette)
Image via Christie At Home
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner — any time of the day is gyeran mari time! Learning how to roll the omelette perfectly can be a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be churning out flawless omelette rolls in no time. Feel free to use whatever ingredients you like as the filling.
Ingredients:
– 6 eggs
– 2 stalks green onion, finely minced
– 2/3 cups ham, finely minced
– 3 tablespoons carrot, finely minced
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
– 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
Get the full recipe from Christie At Home.
7. Hobak Jeon (Pan-Fried Zucchini)
Image via ahnesty
Light and crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, mmm! These egg-coated, pan-fried zucchini slices aren’t overly greasy and pair well with a soy sauce dip. And of course, it’s sedap to eat with rice. Using Korean frying mix instead of flour results in a coating that’s tastier, crunchier, and crispier.
Ingredients:
– 1/2 zucchini
– 2 tablespoons Korean frying mix or all purpose flour
– 1 egg
– A pinch of salt
– A pinch of white sugar
– Oil for frying
Ingredients for soy sauce dip:
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
– A pinch of Korean red pepper flakes
Get the full recipe from ahnesty.
8. Korean Pickled Radishes
Image via My Korean Kitchen
This sour and tangy pickled radish side dish is usually served with Korean fried chicken. The pairing is so popular that the dish is even known as chicken mu (mu means radish in Korean), hehe, so cute. Crunchy, addictive, and refreshing, it makes for a great accompaniment to deep fried dishes, as the sourness and freshness help to cut through the grease and oil.
Ingredients:
– 500g Korean radish or daikon radish, peeled and ends trimmed
– 1 cup water
– 1/2 cup white sugar
– 1/2 cup white vinegar
– 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
You will also need two 490ml preserving jars or one 1 litre jar to store the pickled radishes in. Make sure to sterilise the jars before using them.
Get the full recipe from My Korean Kitchen.
9. Kongnamul Muchim (Korean Bean Sprout Side Dish)
Image via Tiffy Cooks
Ahhh, taugeh, you either love it or hate it. If you’re the former type, you gotta give this Korean taugeh side dish a try. It can be whipped up very quickly, and is best enjoyed with a bowl of warm rice. Prefer a spicy version? Just add some Korean red pepper flakes for that kick!
Ingredients:
– 1 pound taugeh, cleaned
– 1 tablespoon sea salt
– 1 green onion, chopped
– 1 garlic, minced
– 1 tablespoon sesame oil
– 1/4 teaspoon sugar
– 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
– 1/2 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds, crushed
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
Get the full recipe from Tiffy Cooks.