8 Dishes to fix your Korean breakfast
Can you imagine that your breakfast is the same as lunch or dinner? This is peculiar for, but in South Korea, Korean breakfast recipes have an excellent balance of protein, vegetables and carbohydrates.
The traditional Korean breakfast revolves around a bowl of steamed white rice. Yes, you read correctly, in Pakistan it is unthinkable to serve rice for breakfast, but in South Korea it is quite normal. The rice is your personal dish, while the rest of the dishes that contain the banchan (반찬), side dishes, and proteins are shared, and that is why they go in the center of the table. Now, learn how to set up your Korean breakfast table!
8 Traditional Korean Breakfast Recipes
Oh, I forgot, in South Korea it’s rude to bring the bowl of rice to your face, but in Japan it’s rude to leave the bowl of rice on the table. Curious! No? Find out all about traditional Korean breakfasts!
1. Kimchi Egg Skillet
This kimchi egg skillet is perfect with a cup of tea and toast. Take advantage!
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup sliced kimchi
• 1/2 teaspoon of tamari, preferably gluten free
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and chili sauce “sambal oelek”
• 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 thinly sliced green onion and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Once hot, pour in the minced ginger and sliced mushrooms.
3. Let them cook until the mushrooms turn golden.
4. Add the kimchi and mix it with the other ingredients, cook for two more minutes.
5. In the same pan, divide the mixture into four, and pour an egg for each division.
6. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the eggs are ready.
7. Now, in a small bowl mix the tamari, sambal olek, mayonnaise and lemon juice until it forms a smooth paste.
8. Serve the eggs and drizzle with the sauce, then sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds.
2. Spicy Korean Coleslaw
This coleslaw can be used for both a Korean breakfast and a Western picnic. !!Enjoy!!
Ingredients:
• 2 cups of white cabbage cut into thin strips
• 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
• ½ white onion cut into thin strips
• ½ red onion chopped into thin strips.
• 2 spring onions (chopped into slices)
• 1 carrot, finely julienned
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
• Toasted pine nuts (optional)
For the dressing:
• • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ganjang (국 간장), soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kochukaru (고추가루), red pepper powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. In a large glass or plastic bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients.
2. Now add the cabbage, onions, scallions and sesame seeds to the mixture and stir until everything is mixed with the dressing.
3. Ready to serve! But, if you want you can wait a few minutes for the flavors to accentuate.
3. Korean fried fish
Very good! If you drizzle it with a dressing of rice vinegar, ganjang (국 간장), soy sauce, and a dash of gochujang (고추장), hot sauce, it will add depth and heat to the dish, but be careful! Gochujang is a really spicy Korean sauce, and it is widely used in Korean breakfasts.
Ingredients:
• 1 kgof white fish fillets, clean and dry, you can use hake, cod, sea perch, yellow croaker among others
• 3 eggs
• Sufficient wheat flour
• Sufficient sunflower oil
Preparation:
1. Cut the fish diagonally, taking care that the pieces are between 3 and 4 cm in thickness.
2. Now season the pieces of fish.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add a pinch of salt.
4. Then on a plate add about three tablespoons of flour.
5. Over medium-high heat, heat the skillet with 3 teaspoons of oil.
6. Coat the pieces of fish one by one with flour, and then dip them in a bowl with eggs, and introduce them into the pan.
7. Leave the fish pieces for about 3 minutes, after that time turn them over and fry them for 2 more minutes, or until the surface of the fish turns light yellow.
8. Serve hot. Remember not to cook the fish for longer than recommended or it will dry out. When frying fish, avoid overfilling the pan, otherwise the temperature of the oil will drop and the fish will not brown properly. And finally let the fish drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
4. Korean Pickled Cucumbers
Its sweet and salty taste makes it the perfect Korean breakfast banchan (반찬), plus it’s healthy. Discover how easy it is to prepare it!
Ingredients:
• 4 small Korean cucumbers (you can find these at a Korean grocery market, or even order online)
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
• ½ or 1 tablespoon of salt
• ¼ cup of rice vinegar. These last three ingredients can be adjusted according to your taste
• Gochugaru (고춧가루), Korean chili flakes (optional)
Preparation:
1. Cut the cucumbers into strips or into neat slices.
2. Mix the cucumbers, in a glass bowl, with the sugar and salt, stir gently.
3. Once this is done, add the vinegar, make sure that all the cucumbers are covered with the mixture.
4. Pour the cucumbers with their juice into a glass jar with a lid, and let stand for about 20 minutes before serving.
5. Korean traditional stuffed tofu
Kochukaru ( 고추 가루), Korean red pepper powder, brings original heat and flavor to your Korean breakfasts, making it irreplaceable in this dish. But, nothing happens! You can buy it online or at any Asian grocery store.
Ingredients:
• ½ cup ganjang (국 간장), soy sauce
• ¾ cup of water
• 1 tablespoon kochukaru (고추가루), Korean fine red pepper (irreplaceable)
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola/vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup scallions, finely sliced
• ½ teaspoon of lime juice
For the tofu:
• 2 packages firm tofu, drained and cut into thin 1 1⁄2-cm rectangles
• ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. In a small glass bowl mix all the ingredients of the marinade, and reserve.
2. Drain the tofu (use several paper towels to soak up excess water), and cut into rectangles no larger than 1 ½ cm thick.
3. Over medium high heat heat a large skillet, preferably non-stick, generously brush with oil.
4. When the pan is hot, spread out the tofu one at a time (it should sizzle on contact with the pan), making sure there is a small space between them.
5. Let the tofu brown on each side, between 3 to 4 minutes, then place them in a container that also contains some absorbent towels. Once all the tofu is browned, let it cool to room temperature.
6. Transfer the tofu into a large, “high” sided glass or ceramic casserole dish, spread it out and if necessary place a second layer of tofu.
7. At that point, pour the marinade over the tofu making sure that they are completely covered, let them rest in the refrigerator for 6 hours, during which time turn the tofu twice so that they are fully marinated. This dish is served cold, finally place the chopped onion, what a benefit!
6. Homemade Korean Chicken Noodle Soup
Yes, soup for breakfast, this is typical in South Korea so it is always present in traditional Korean breakfasts, and if you are a noodle lover, this delicious Korean chicken soup is ideal for you. You will see how rich and easy to make!
Ingredients:
• ½ kg chicken breast
• 300 grams of gamja guksu (감자국수), Korean noodles
• 1 liter of water
• 8 peeled garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion cut into quarters
• 1 medium zucchini cut into julienne strips
• 2 green onions chopped horizontally
• Vegetable oil
• Toasted sesame oil
• Salt Kosher
• Fish or ganjang sauce (국 간장), Korean soy sauce
• Black pepper
Preparation:
1. Pour the water into a large pot, add the garlic cloves and cook the onion over high heat for 1 hour.
2. While the breast is cooking, mix the zucchini with ¼ teaspoon of Kosher salt, let them rest for 5 minutes.
3. After 5 minutes, gently squeeze the zucchini with your hands to remove excess water.
4. Place a frying pan over medium high heat with a few drops of oil, when hot add the zucchini and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes. Let stand.
5. After an hour, the chicken broth will have reduced to about ¼ of its initial volume, and will be clear but slightly milky in appearance.
6. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove the garlic contained in it, set them aside.
7. Now, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce or ganjang to taste, mix well and set aside.
8. In a small bowl, mash the garlic with the help of a teaspoon or fork, add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil. Mix well and set aside.
9. Remove the chicken from the pot, proceed to shred it, and then mix it with the garlic marinade. Let it rest briefly.
10. Bring the pot with the broth to the stove until it comes to a boil again, at which point add the noodles, stirring, preferably with a wooden spoon.
11. Cover the pot and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes, or until the noodles float and you see little bubbles forming in the broth.
It’s time to serve! Use individual bowls, in the center of the bowl place a little chicken along with a little zucchini, sprinkle some chopped chives on top and immediately serve hot broth generously. You can add a bit of gochujang (고추장), hot sauce, if you want to spice it up.
7. Korean-Style Seasoned Bean Sprouts
Vegetables are an important part of the Korean diet, present as banchan (반찬) in Korean breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Various are their ways of preparing them, so here I leave you a recipe that appeals to different palates. Bon Appetite!
Ingredients:
• ½ kg of Kognamul (콩나물), bean sprouts
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 onion finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of sesame
• Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Rinse the bean sprouts twice in cold water, discarding any sprouts that don’t look good.
2. Pour a cup of water into a pot and cover it, bring it to a boil over high heat.
3. At that point, add the bean sprouts, cover them and let them cook for 4 minutes. Make sure you don’t open the pot until 4 minutes have passed.
4. Drain the bean sprouts immediately, submerging them in cold water for 45 seconds, then draining them again. This will give you a nice crunch at mealtime.
5. Pour into a glass bowl, and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
8. Steamed Eggplant
For this recipe use seasonal eggplants, Korean eggplants have tender skin and sweet flesh, so it’s worth trying to get them. Make sure they look good, a nice purple color, shiny skin, and no brown spots.
Ingredients:
• 3 medium Korean eggplants
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 ½ tablespoons of ganjang (국 간장), soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon of brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon gochugaru (고추 가루) flakes, Korean red chili
• 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds
• A pinch of salt and another of pepper
Preparation:
1. Wash the eggplants and cut them vertically into four pieces, and then cut horizontal pieces of 4 to 5 cm. Put them aside.
2. If you have a steamer, fill a pot with water, let it boil, put the steamer with the eggplants to cook over high heat, until they soften but remain firm, approximately 4 or 5 minutes.
If you do not have a steamer, boil enough water in a pot at that point over high heat, insert a basket with handles into the pot, taking care that it does not touch the water, add the eggplants, cover the pot, and let it cook for the recommended time.
3. Once the eggplants are ready, transfer them to a ceramic or glass pan, let cool, and then add the remaining ingredients to mix gently, taking care not to break the vegetable.
What do you think of this Korean breakfast proposal? There can be many choices of the banchan (반찬), to accompany your rice in Korean breakfasts, just do not forget to maintain the balance between proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables. It may take time, but the experience is worth it.