My cooking was limited to fried eggs and ramen noodles until I watched my sister cook a few of my favorite Korean dishes. Ever since then, I have been spending more time in the kitchen experimenting with various recipes. I realized that the base of most dishes like tteokbokki, spicy stir-fried pork, soondubu jjigae and kimchi fried rice all start with the same base; it’s just about adjusting the ratio to meet the taste and consistency of each dish.
The five ingredients are soybean sauce, red pepper paste, red pepper flakes, sugar and minced garlic. Red pepper paste and soybean sauce establish a savory base, red pepper flakes add spiciness, sugar — or alternatively corn syrup — balances out spicier flavors and garlic, typically minced, adds a fresh, unique Korean scent. You’ve got the base down and just need a source of protein and a side of vegetables. Similar logic goes for most soups — you just need a combination of these five ingredients along with anchovy or shrimp powder and water. With that, you are set to make almost any Korean soup of your choice.
Here are some example ratios (makes 3 to 4 servings each):
Dish 1 – Tteokbokki
Base Ratio
- ½ tablespoon soybean sauce
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
Main
- Rice cake
- Fish cake
- Optional: green onion, sesame leaves
Dish 2 – Spicy pork stir-fry
Base Ratio
- 1 tablespoon soybean sauce
- 3 tablespoons red pepper paste
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
Main
- Pork (shoulder blade recommended)
- Optional: white onion, green onion, red peppers
Dish 3 – Soondubu jjigae
Base Ratio
- 1 tablespoon soybean sauce
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- No red pepper paste
Main
- Soft tofu
- Water
- Optional: onion, green onion, choice of meat or seafood, egg, mushroom, salt, sesame oil
Hopefully, you will pick up these five items on your next run to Koreana Plaza, and play around to see what you can make! For extra flavor and garnish, you can never go wrong with adding green onion, white onion, sesame seeds, black pepper and rice wine to your cart. Happy cooking!
