Maangchi is an amazing source for authentic Korean recipes that

are easily and thoroughly explained for amateur and professional

cooks alike. Her passion for Korean food and her pursuit of
culinary excellence have inspired myself and many others.

HOONI KIM
chef of the Michelin-starred Danjii restaurant, New York City

CONTENTS
CONTENTS

Introduction

000

The Korean Meal

000

IngredientsIngredients
for Koreanfor
Cooking
Korean Cooking
Rice
Equipment for Korean Cooking

000
000

000

Noodles, Rice
Rice Cake Soup & Porridge

000

000

Soups andNoodles,
Stews Rice Cake Soup, and Porridge

000

000

Kimchi and
Pickleand Stews
Soups

000

000

Side Dishes
Kimchi and Pickles

000

000

Pancakes Side Dishes

000

000

Snacks

000

000

Party and Snacks

Special Occasion Food

000

000

Desserts Party and Special Occasion Food

000

000

Foods
TraditionalTraditional
FermentedFermented
Foods

000

000

Sauces
and Garnishes
Sauces and
Garnishes

000

000

000

000

Online Sources

000

000

Index

000

Introduction
The Korean Meal

Pancakes

Desserts

Menus for Korean Meals

Menus for Korean Meals

Online Sources
Index

000
000
000

000

000

Facing page: clockwise, Cold Noodle Soup (page 000); Fried Dried Squid (page 000);
Chili Peppers Seasoned with Doenjang (page 000); Cooked and Seasoned Soybean Sprouts (page 000);
dried persimmons (page 000); Crispy Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce (page 000);
Fernbrake Side Dish (page 000); Stir-Fried Crabs (page 000)

44

MAANGCHIS REAL KOREAN COOKING

Seaweed Rice Rolls

(Gimbap)

Serves 4
Gimbap is made by rolling up rice and other ingredients in sheets of gim (aka nori, or
seaweed paper) and cutting the rolls into bite-sized pieces. Gimbap and sushi are similar, but the biggest difference between the two is that the rice in gimbap is seasoned
with sesame oil, and the rice in sushi is seasoned with vinegar. Gimbap is a favorite
picnic food and a popular choice for lunch boxesas popular as sandwiches are in the
United States. I almost always pack a gimbap lunch with me when I go on a journey.
Its simple to make; its a healthy, affordable alternative to fast food; and its easy to eat.
When I take out my gimbap lunch in the airport, Im the envy of all the other travelers!
There are no hard-and-fast rules about the fillings, and you can skip whatever you
dont like or cant find. Carrots, yellow radish pickle, egg, spinach, and beef or ham
are all popular. The one that I just cant leave out is the radish pickle. You can purchase yellow radish pickles (which are sold in airtight packages, precut or whole) and
a bamboo mat to help you roll up the gimbap at Korean grocery stores.
Keep leftover gimbap in the fridge. When youre ready to eat it, freshen it by dipping
each piece in some beaten egg and then panfrying in some vegetable oil until golden
brown and crunchy on all sides.

Fluffy White Rice (page 000), freshly

cooked
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 large eggs
Vegetable oil
8 ounces lean ground beef
1 tablespoon soy sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar or
granulated sugar

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spinach, blanched in boiling
water for 1 minute, rinsed under cold
water, squeezed dry, and coarsely
chopped
5 (8-inch) crab sticks
5 (7-x-8-inch) sheets dried seaweed
paper (gim, aka nori)
5 yellow pickled radish (danmuji), patted
dry and cut into strips

1. Transfer the hot cooked rice to a large wide bowl. Gently stir in teaspoon salt and
1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil, taking care not to break the grains of rice.
2. Beat the eggs with teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Heat a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high-heat. Add a few drops of vegetable oil. When the oil
is hot, spread it over the bottom of the skillet with a paper towel and then turn the
heat to very low. Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet, tilt it so that the eggs cover
the bottom evenly, and cook until set but not browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Flip the egg sheet over, remove from heat, and let sit in the skillet for a minute or
two to finish cooking. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly.

continued

Top row: left, cooked short-grain white rice; right, the beef mixture;
second row: left, vegetables for filling; right, spreading rice over gim;
third row, left and right, rolling up rolls; bottom, Seaweed Rice Rolls

228

party food

MAANGCHIS REAL KOREAN COOKING

Crispy Pork with Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

(Tangsuyuk)

4. Drain the mushrooms and trim off and discard the tough stems. Cut the mushrooms into bite-size pieces and pat dry.
5. Combine 2 tablespoons of the potato starch with 2 tablespoons of the water in
a small bowl.

Serves 4 to 6
This dish is very popular in Chinese restaurants in Korea, but its been so adapted
over the years that it would be unrecognizable to diners in China. My family used
to feast on it for special occasions when I was little, and I loved the combination of
mushrooms and carrots, vinegar and sugar, and apple and pineapple in the sauce.
I learned how to make a light, super-crispy coating for the pork from a friend. She
mixed potato starch with water in a bowl and then let the starch settle to the bottom.
After draining away the water on top, she mixed the clay-like starch with an egg white
to loosen it and then coated the pork with this mixture. But the best coating in the
world will not get you crispy pork if you fry it only once. As with crispy fried chicken,
double-frying is essential.
This isnt a difficult recipe, but timing is everything. Make the sauce first, so its
ready when the pork is. Then reheat it just as the pork comes out of the oil for the
second time. And make sure to serve this dish as soon you have combined the pork
and sauce so the pork is still crisp when you sit down to eat.

6. Pour off the water from the bowl of potato starch, so you are left with the thick
layer of starch at the bottom of the bowl. Add the egg white and stir until smooth.

1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut

into small strips (1 x x inch)
1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
Kosher salt
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
cup dried wood ear or shiitake
mushrooms
1 cups potato starch
6 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
cup sliced onion
1 medium carrot, cut into -inch rounds

10. Heat about 4 inches of corn oil in a deep pot to 330F. Turn the heat down
to medium-high. Toss the pork with the batter, mixing well to coat each piece.
Working in batches, carefully drop the pork pieces into the oil. They will puff up
and float to the surface. Stir them occasionally until they begin to turn light golden
brown and look crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a
colander set over a bowl to drain.

cup packed light brown sugar or

turbinado sugar
for the dipping sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white or cider
vinegar
1 red apple, cored and cut lengthwise
into -inch slices
3 canned pineapple rings, halved
Corn oil for deep-frying
cup sliced English cucumber
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1. Combine the pork, ginger, teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix
well, cover, and refrigerate while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Cover the mushrooms with cold water in a bowl. Soak wood ears for 1 hours,
shiitakes for 3 to 4 hours, until softened.
3. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of the potato starch and 3 cups of the water in a
bowl. Stir well, then let sit until the starch settles at the bottom of the bowl, about
1 hours.

7. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the
onion and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the carrot and stir-fry for
1 minute. Add the remaining 3 cups water, the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, the soy
sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down
to medium and add the pineapple and apple. Stir the small bowl of potato starch
and water and then stir into the sauce. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and
becomes shiny, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
8. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons potato starch.
9. For the dipping sauce: Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and
1 tablespoon vinegar in small bowl.

11. Fry the pork again, in batches, until very crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the colander to drain, then arrange on a large platter.
12. Reheat the pineapple sauce. When its hot, stir in the cucumber and sesame
oil and stir for 10 seconds.
13. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve immediately, with the soy-vinegar
dipping sauce on the side.

229

Facing page: top, trimming napa cabbage leaves; bottom, Pork Wraps (page 000)
Above: top row: left, pork cut into strips; right, drained potato starch batter; center row: left, pork tossed in the
batter; right, frying battered pork; bottom, Crispy Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce (page 000)

THE ULTIMATE KOREAN COOKBOOK BY

THE YOUTUBE SENSATION AND WORLD
AUTHORITY ON KOREAN COOKING,
WITH HUNDREDS OF PROCESS
PHOTOS AND FINISHED DISHES

ISBN: 978-0-544-12989-4
Hardcover 7 15/16 x 10 304 pages
Full-color throughout $30.00
Publication Date: May 5, 2015

Whipping up the most delicious Korean food,

Maangchi invites us all into her kitchen with
YouTube to learn the tricks of the trade,
one chop at a time.

National Media from New York

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Author Appearances

It is her sense of humor and traditional

experience in Korean cooking that draws
viewers to Maangchis videos.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Author Website:
www.maangchi.com

Maangchi, you are my Julia Child.

A READER FROM WASHINGTON
MAANGCHI (Hammer, her online
name) was born and raised in South
Korea, where she learned the fundamentals of home cooking from her
relatives. A former counselor of
domestic-violence victims and a
language and philosophy teacher,
she is the founder and owner of
maangchi.com, the top online destination for Korean
cooking. She has her own YouTube channel.
Cover photograph Paul Brissman

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