Banchan

Anyone who has ever eaten Korean food knows all about the banchan. Banchan are the little side dishes that accompany the main dish and are served complimentary. They are also continuously replenished during a meal. You can have as little or as much as you want and the variety is endless. Think of it as asian tapas, but they consist mainly of veggies.

This weekend with my mom in charge, my sister and I made a few banchan. We first made a fried tofu dish that is made by slicing up firm tofu and lightly frying it on the fry pan. Then a marinade of soy sauce and garlic is drizzled on top. Lastly, a mixture of red chili powder, sesame seeds and chopped green onions is sprinkled on top. Presentation and color remember?

Next we made a dish that uses Korean squash, hobak. Slice up the hobak and sprinkle it with salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes so that excess water will be drawn out. After the 10 minutes have passed, give the slices a bit of a squeeze to get all that water out. Next, saute them and they are good to go. Easy right?

The last thing we made was fried tempura, which is also known as fishcake. After removing the fishcake from the package, I dunk them into boiling hot water for a second just to remove some of the oil. Then cut each sheet into small pieces. I then saute them for a bit until they are slightly browned. Add the usual soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Then add a few slices of jalapenos to add a little kick and season with sesame seeds.

Banchan is an easy way to add flavor and variety to your meals in a healthy way. All the ingredients you can buy at your local Korean market. I hope you'll try it!