grandma’s old country dang jahng jigeh

(dang jang jigae)

Mom used to make dang jahng jigeh in the garage on a

tabletop burner but the powerful aroma still seeped its way

back into the house.

Dang Jahng Jigeh’s pungent aroma is an indicator of the

robust flavor it delivers. If you don’t want your house to smell

of dang jahng jigeh for days, you should cook this outside on

the grill or on a tabletop burner. Your neighbors will love you.

Don’t let the smell stop you from enjoying this classic Korean

dish. Not only is it brimming with exotic flavors, it’s incredibly

healthy. The stock of this dish is made from soybeans, which

is low in cholesterol and packed with Protein, Thiamin,

Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Manganese,

Vitamin C and Folate. Additionally, recent research

shows that soybeans have been found to possibly

reduce the risk of colon cancer, according to the

World Health Organization (WHO).

Dang jahng jigeh is usually made in a dolsot pot.

If you don’t have one, a 3-quarter saucepan works

just as well.

Ingredients

1. •3-4 Cups water
   

2. •1/4 Cup dried anchovies (If you cannot find
   

3. dried anchovies, you can also use
   

4. 1 tablespoon of anchovies flavored dashida)
   

5. •1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
   

6. •8 Ounces boneless lean pork, cut into strips
   

7. •5 Cloves garlic, minced
   

8. •4 Tablespoons dang jahng (Korean
   

9. soybean paste)
   

10. •1 Teaspoon kochu jahng (Korean chili paste)
    

11. •1 1/2 Cups Korean radish, cubed
    

12. •Half of a Korean squash, cut into 1-inch strips
    

13. •1 Korean green pepper, diagonally cut
    

14. •9 Ounces firm tofu, cut into 1-inch squares
    

15. (I use half of an 18 ounce carton)
    

16. •2 Scallions, diagonally cut
    

17. •Black pepper
    

Directions

In a medium-size pot, add 3 cups water and

anchovies (or dashida). Cover and let simmer for

10 minutes. In a small bowl, add the soybean paste

and 1/2 cup of the anchovies broth. Mix to dissolve

the soybean paste and add to the anchovies broth.

Add the kochu jahng. Bring to a boil and cook

covered for 5 minutes. Using a small mesh strainer,

scoop out the anchovies and discard.

In the meantime, in a medium-size dolsot pot, add oil, garlic

and pork. Saute until the pork is no longer pink. Season with

pepper. Add the anchovies/soybean broth and cook for 5

minutes. This is a good time to taste the broth. If you want a

stronger soy bean taste, add more soy bean paste. If it’s too

strong, add more water.

Stir in radish and green pepper. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add the squash, tofu and if needed more water. You want the broth to cover everything. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.  Drop in the scallions and cook for another 5 minutes.

Servings

Korean meals usually consist of several small side dishes (bahn chan) and one major side dish. Dang jahng jigeh is a major side dish. Rice is the main dish and is always served with the bahn chan. Depending on how many side dishes you have and how much rice you serve, this recipe can serve up to six people.

first grandma’s old-fashioned kimchi jigeh (kimchee jigae)

The smell of kimchi is overpowering and will taint the taste of other food in your refrigerator. Most Korean homes have a separate refrigerator for the kimchi, usually kept in the garage. The smell can be pungent but the taste is irresistible. On top of that, it’s great for your health.

According to Associated Content:

“Because of the fermentation process and its ingredients, it has many nutrients. Garlic is heavily used, which helps you absorb vitamin B-12, and keeps your immune system high. You get a huge amount of Vitamin C (no orange juice needed!) from cabbage and spicy seasoning. You also receive carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A when eaten. Carotene also protects you from lung cancer.

Another huge benefit of garlic is lowering your cholesterol. Garlic also contains selenium, which keeps your skin and hair in tip-top condition. This lowers your cholesterol too!”

So stock up on boxes of Arm & Hammer and buy a bucket of kimchi.

Like dang jahng jigeh, kimchi jigeh is usually made in a dolsot pot. If you don’t have one, a     3-quarter saucepan works just as well.

Ingredients

1. •2 Tablespoons dark sesame seed oil
   

2. •5 Cloves garlic, mince
   

3. •8 Ounces boneless lean pork, cut into strips
   

4. •1 Small onion, cut into wedges
   

5. •2 Cups cabbage kimchi, chopped in big pieces
   

6. •1/3 Cup kimchi juice
   

7. •1 Tablespoon kochu jahng (Korean red pepper paste)
   

8. •3-4 Cups chicken broth
   

9. •14 Ounces firm tofu, cut into 1-inch squares
   

10. •6-8 Small clams (See cleaning tips below)
    

11. •2 Scallions, biased cut
    

12. •Salt and pepper to taste
    

Directions

Scrub the clams and soak them in salt water for several hours. Discard any with broken shells. 

In a dolsot or medium-size pot, sauté the garlic and pork in dark sesame seed oil until the pork is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and kimchi and cook until kimchi is soft, about 7-8 minutes.

Add the kimchi juice, kochu jahng and enough of the chicken broth to submerge all ingredients. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Add tofu and clams. Add more chicken broth if necessary. Let it simmer for another 15 minutes.

Top it off with scallions and simmer for another 10 minutes. Kimchi jigeh is about timing and letting each of the ingredient soak up the flavors of the other.  Be sure to allow the broth to simmer as you add the ingredients as this will result in a better jigeh.

Servings

Korean meals usually consist of several small side dishes (bahn chan) and one major side dish. Kimchi jigeh is a major side dish. Rice is the main dish and is always served with the bahn chan. Depending on how many side dishes you have and how much rice you serve, this recipe can serve up to six people.

How to Clean Clams:

1. •Discard clams with broken, chipped or open shells.
   

2. •In a large pot, add enough fresh water to submerge the clams and 3-4 tablespoons of cornmeal. Do not add salt as this will kill the clams. Soak for 30 minutes. Clams filter water through their systems and by soaking them in fresh water, the clams pump out the salt and sand on their own.
   

3. •Using a slotted spoon or tongs, take out the clams. Do not pour them out using a strainer. This will only add the salt and sand back into the clams.
   

4. •Scrub the clams to clean of other debris that may be on the shell.
   

grandma’s souped up ramen noodle soup

This is a fast and simple dish. It’s a glam version of ramen noodles. We grew up with ramen noodles and always added ingredients like kimchi, eggs and scallions. Grandma’s version was extra special with fancy ingredients.

Ingredients

1. •1 Packet of Ichiban original flavor ramen noodles
   

2. •2 Cups water
   

3. •1 Teaspoon canola oil
   

4. •3 Cloves garlic, minced
   

5. •1/2 Cup pork tenderloin, sliced thin
   

6. •1 Teaspoon rice wine vinegar
   

7. •1 Tablespoon soy sauce
   

8. •Half yellow onion, sliced
   

9. •5-7 Thin slices of Kamaboko fish cakes (These are pink and white Japanese fish cakes that can be found in frozen section.)
   

10. •4 Shitake mushrooms, sliced
    

11. •2 Pieces of fried bean curd, sliced (Fried bean curds are in the refrigerated section. It usually comes in a plastic carton and has 8-10 pieces of light, crispy fried tofu.)
    

12. •1 Scallion, diagonally cut in thin strips
    

13. •1 Egg, fried and julienned
    

14. •1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce (Reduce the amount if you don’t like it too spicy)
    

15. •Ground black pepper to taste
    
    

Directions

Whisk rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Set aside.

Heat a medium-size pot and add oil. Stir in the garlic and pork and cook until the pork is no longer pink. Add water, noodles soup base and vinegar mix. Bring to a boil. Add the onions, fish cakes, and mushrooms. Season with pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the Ramen noodles and bean curd. Cook for 3 minutes. Top with scallions and egg.

Serves 2

grandma’s after school kimchi noodles (kimchee noodles)

The key to any kimchi dish is obviously the kimchi. Neighbors and friends used to pay my grandmother for her kimchi. It was phenomenal. Unfortunately, we did not save her recipe and have never been able to

replicate it.

While we didn’t get grandma’s kimchi recipe, we did get this one from her while she stayed with us for a few months in Oklahoma. She made this for us at least once a week. We’d come home from school and rush to the kitchen to find the fiery red noodles carefully swirled and topped with scallions and sesame seeds in the big stainless steel bowls. My lips would continue to burn through the first half of the Brady Bunch.

Ingredients

1. •4 Bundles of dried somen noodles
   

2. •1 Tablespoon oil
   

3. •3 Cloves of garlic, minced
   

4. •4 Tablespoons kimchi juice
   

5. •2 Tablespoons dark sesame seed oil
   

6. •1 Teaspoon rice wine vinegar
   

7. •2 Tablespoons kochu jahng (Korean red pepper paste)
   

8. •1 Tablespoon soy sauce
   

9. •3 Tablespoons sugar
   

10. •1 1/2 Cups cabbage kimchi, chopped
    

11. •1 1/2 Cups leafy lettuce, shredded (I usually use romaine lettuce)
    

12. •Half of red onion, thinly sliced
    

13. •1 Cucumber, julienned
    

14. •2 Scallions, thinly sliced
    

15. •1 Teaspoon sesame seeds
    

16. •Black pepper to taste
    

Directions

Bring a large pot water to boil and cook noodles for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Set aside.

Heat a medium size skillet, add garlic and saute until soft. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl whisk together the kimchi juice, sesame seed oil, vinegar, kochu jahng, soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.

Add the cold rinsed noodles back in the pot used to cook the noodles. Pour the kimchi juice mixture evenly over the noodles. Add the garlic, kimchi, lettuce, onions, cucumber and scallions. Season with pepper.

Gently toss until combined. Don’t over toss the noodles as they will get mushy. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 4

grandma’s rainy day kimchi (kimchee) noodle soup

This is a variation of another dish my grandmother made when she stayed with us. Don’t let the number of ingredients freak you out. They’re mostly seasoning and spices and not a lot of chopping, mincing, or dicing.

Bok choy and shitake mushrooms are two of my favorite vegetables and I added these two items to the recipe. I also switched out the anchovies broth for water and added dashida, which is a soup stock that comes in anchovy, clam or beef flavors. I use beef dashida.

Ingredients

1. •16 Ounce bag of fresh Chinese egg noodles (Lo mein noodles)
   

2. •3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
   

3. •6 Cloves garlic, minced
   

4. •8 Ounces pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
   

5. •2 Teaspoons rice wine vinegar
   

6. •6-8 Cups water
   

7. •3 Tablespoons soy sauce
   

8. •2 Tablespoons dashida powder (Beef flavored soup stock)
   

9. •2 Teaspoons ginger, grated
   

10. •2 Cups cabbage kimchi, chopped in big pieces
    

11. •4 Ounces shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
    

12. •7 Ounces firm tofu, cut into 1-inch squares
    

13. •4 Baby bok choy, quartered
    

14. •2 Scallions, thinly sliced
    

15. •2 Teaspoons dark sesame seed oil
    

16. •Salt and pepper to taste (Add a little salt and pepper at a time and taste as you go. The kimchi and soy sauce may be enough salt for your taste.)
    

17. •Sriracha sauce (Optional but highly recommended.)
    

Directions

In a large pot add vegetable oil and garlic and sauté until soft. Add pork and cook until it is slightly browned. Season with salt, pepper and rice wine vinegar and stir for 2 minutes. Add kimchi and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add the water, soy sauce, dashida, and ginger. Stir and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. 

Carefully add the egg noodles, mushrooms, tofu, bok choy and just enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Stir gently and scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure the noodles are not sticking. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Putting It All Together

Equally divide the soup in four large bowls. Drizzle the sesame seed oil and top with scallions. For that extra kick and flavor, add sriracha sauce (For those who can handle the heat).

Serves 4

grandma’s famous spinach (she-gum-chee namul)

Ingredients

1. •1 Bunch or bag of spinach
   

2. •3 Cups chicken stock
   

3. •1 Cup water
   

4. •2 Cloves garlic, minced
   

5. •1 Scallion, chopped
   

6. •1 Tablespoon sesame seed oil
   

7. •1 Teaspoon sesame seeds
   

8. •1 Tablespoon sugar
   

9. •1 Teaspoon salt
   

10. •1 Teaspoon ground black pepper
    

Directions

In a large pot, bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Add spinach and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water immediately. Grab a handful at a time and squeeze out the excess water. You want the spinach to be dry as possible.

In a mixing bowl, add the spinach, garlic, scallion, sesame seed oil, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and black pepper. Using your hand, mix until thoroughly combined. Make sure all ingredients are infused.

Serve with rice and other bahn chan.

Umma’s Unpronounceable Kahdee Lice (Kare Rice - Japanese Curry)

Umma’s “We’re Coming Home” Bi Bim Bop (Bi Bim Bap)

Umma’s Picnic-Ready Kim Bop (Kim Bap)   

Umma’s 10-hour Shift

Gehran Jhim