umma’s special occasion jahp che or jap che

Ingredients

1. •1 Bag potato noodles
   

2. •8 Ounce flank steak cut into 1-inch strips
   

3. •3 Tablespoons sugar for the meat plus
   

4. 2 tablespoons for noodles
   

5. •1/3 Cup soy sauce
   

6. •1 Large onion, diced
   

7. •6 Cloves garlic, minced
   

8. •2 Tablespoons canola oil
   

9. •2 Tablespoons dark sesame seed oil
   

10. •2 Bunches of spinach
    

11. •2 Cups mushrooms
    

12. •2 Large carrots, shredded
    

13. •2 Eggs fried and cut into strips
    

14. •1 Tablespoon sesame seed
    

15. •Salt and pepper to taste
    

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Using kitchen shears, cut several times. To keep noodles from sticking together, toss them in 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil and 3 tablespoons soy sauce. Set aside in a large mixing bowl big enough to combine all ingredients.

Meat Directions

Whisk together 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/3 cup of soy sauce. Set aside. Saute 2 cloves of garlic and onions in canola oil until onion is opaque. Add the meat and stir until brown. Add sugar, soy sauce mixture, salt and pepper and stir until meat done, about 3-4 minutes. Add to the large mixing bowl with the noodles.

Spinach Directions

Boil at least 5 cups of water in a pot. Put the spinach in the pot, roots first, and blanch quickly. Immediately rinse in cold water. To make sure I don’t over blanch the spinach, I boil the water and pour it over the spinach in the colander and immediately rinse it.

Squeeze out excess water and chop into bit size pieces. You want the spinach to be as dry as possible. Add the spinach to the bowl.

Mushrooms Directions

Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add oil. Add garlic and onions saute until onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.  Cook for 1-2 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the bowl.

Carrots Directions

In the same pan used to cook the mushrooms, add oil, garlic, onions and carrot. Saute on medium heat until onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and teaspoon black pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrots to the bowl.

Add the noodles to the bowl. Drizzle in the rest of the sesame seed oil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Mix gently until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. I usually use my hands to fold the ingredients together.

Top with egg strips and serve with other bahn chan and rice.

umma’s celebration shrimp tempura

Ingredients

1. •1 Pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
   

2. •1 Tablespoon garlic powder
   

3. •1 Tablespoon onion powder
   

4. •1 Teaspoon black pepper
   

5. •1 Teaspoon paprika
   

6. •1 Cup rice flour
   

7. •1 Cup cold seltzer water
   

8. •1 Egg yolk
   

9. •1 Tablespoons garlic powder
   

10. •1 Teaspoon black pepper
    

Shrimp Directions

Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the back, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open the shrimp and rinse well with cold water. Dry shrimp well. Combine all of the seasoning and toss in the shrimp. Coat shrimp thoroughly.

Batter Directions

Combine rice flour and seltzer in a large bowl. Whisk the mixture until there are no lumps. Add the egg yolk and blend it in well. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper and whisk until thoroughly combined. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees F in a wok or deep fryer. Dust the shrimp in flour to soak up any remaining moisture, shake off excess. Dip the shrimp into the batter one by one. Drop 4 or 5 pieces at a time in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes. To keep the oil clean between batches, skim off the small bits of batter that float in the oil. Remove the fried shrimp from the oil and drain on paper towels; season them with salt. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

1. •1 Cup soy sauce
   

2. •2 Teaspoons rice wine vinegar
   

3. •1 Tablespoon hot chili sauce (I prefer Srirachi hot chili sauce)
   

4. •1 Stalk scallions, chopped
   

5. •1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
   

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

umma’s sweet and sour pork (tahng su yuk)

Pork Ingredients

1. •1 Pound lean pork
   

2. •1 Egg, lightly beaten
   

3. •1 Cup cornstarch
   

4. •1 Cup cold water
   

5. •1 Teaspoon salt
   

6. •1 Teaspoon pepper
   

7. •1 Teaspoon garlic powder
   

8. •1 Teaspoon vegetable oil
   

9. •Enough canola oil for deep-frying
   

Sauce Ingredients

1. •1 1/2 Cups water
   

2. •1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
   

3. •2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
   

4. •5 Tablespoons sugar
   

5. •1 Teaspoon salt
   

6. •2 Tablespoons cornstarch
   

7. •2 Tablespoons water
   

8. •1 Small red onion, cut into small wedges
   

9. •3 Carrots
   

10. •1 Bell pepper cut in bite-size strips
    

11. •1 Cucumber, biased cut
    

12. •1 Tomato cut into bite-size wedges
    

Directions

Mix 1 cup cornstarch and 1 cup cold water and let sit for 1-2 hours.

Cut pork into bite-size chunks. In a large bowl, add the pork, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 garlic powder and mix until thoroughly coated. Set aside.

After the cornstarch and water have separated, drain the excess water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 garlic powder and egg and mix well.  

In a large fryer, wok or frying pan, heat the canola oil.

In the meantime, add the pork in the cornstarch batter and mix until thoroughly coated. I usually use my hands to make sure the all of the pork is coated.

Drop the pork in the fryer. Don’t overcrowd. Fry until slightly golden. Don’t fully cook until ready to serve. Set aside.

Sauce Directions

Whisk water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch and water. Set aside.

Saute the onions, carrots and bell pepper in vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Then slowly stir in cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Constantly stir the mixture until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

Putting It All Together

Line a plate with 2-3 sheets of paper towel. Set aside.

While the sauce is thickening, fry the pork again until it’s golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Place the meat on the plate lined with the paper towels and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a serving platter. Add cucumber and tomato. Pour the sauce over the entire thing.

Umma’s Comforting Mandu Guk

Umma’s Party Mandu

Lettuce Wraps for Al

Haes’ Crazy Hot Guacamole