Quick And Easy Korean Banchan Recipes That Your Indian Tastebuds Will Enjoy
Table Of Content
- What Are The Best Korean Banchan Recipes?
- 1.Mayak Eggs
- 2. Tteokgalbi
- 3. Jangjorim
- 4. Sanjeok
- 5. Chamchijeon
- 6. Gyeran Mari
- 7. Wanja Jeon
- 8. Samchi-yangnyeom-gui
- 9. Eun daegu-jorim
- 10. Yangnyeom-gejang
- What Are Some Popular Vegetarian Korean Banchan Recipes?
- 1.Kkakdugi
- 2. Kongnamul Muchim
- 3. Dubu Buchim
- 4. Dubu Kimchi
- Korean Potato Salad
- 6. Bok Choy Kimchi
- 7. Oi Muchim
- 8. Perilla Leaf Kimchi
- 9. Danmuji
- 10. Hobak Jeo
- 11. Ssamjang
- 12. Sangchu Geotjeori
- 13. Gamja Jorim
- Can I Store Korean Banchan Recipes?
- Tips For Storing Korean Side Dishes:
- Famous Indian Dishes Paired With Korean Banchan Recipes
- My Takeaway
As an Indian, the concept of side dishes is very holistic for me. I have grown up eating my food with an array of side dishes.
When I first found out about the Korean Banchan recipes, I instantly fell in love. I love how different South Asian cultures blend so well together.
I became curious about Banchan, or Korean side dishes, when I started watching K-dramas.
There, I noticed that whenever they sat for a meal, they always had small plates of different food surrounding the main dish.
This was also the first time I tried Kimchi. After that, there was no going back.
I started falling into the dark abyss of all the tasty Banchan, and I kept falling, quite happily.
What Are The Best Korean Banchan Recipes?
I’m about to share a list of over 20 Korean Banchan recipes, and I can assure you that I’ve tried every single one of them.
There are numerous options available in both the Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian categories. So you can take your pick.
I have listed all the non-vegetarian options below. Let’s check them out first:
1.Mayak Eggs
Mayak eggs show us that simple ingredients can be combined to create something truly amazing.
I cook these soft-boiled eggs to a perfect, jammy texture. Then, I soak them in a savory-sweet soy marinade.
They are great as side dishes, lunchbox items, or meal prep staples to keep on hand all week!
2. Tteokgalbi
Tteokgalbi is the english name for beef patties. It’s a delicious dish that is tender and slightly sweet.
It is a special treat often served at festive gatherings and special occasions. Each bite is soft, juicy, and has a hint of smokiness.
I think this makes meals feel festive, especially when enjoyed with various banchan (Korean side dishes).
Originally, cooks made tteokgalbi by carefully removing meat from beef short ribs, mincing it, marinating it, and then reassembling the meat on the bones for presentation.
This traditional method yields a flavorful dish, but it is time-consuming and expensive to prepare.
3. Jangjorim
To cook Jangjorim, you start with beef cooked in a soy sauce-based marinade. It often includes boiled eggs or quail eggs.
While it is traditionally made with meat, you can also use pork.
This dish is a popular side dish, known as banchan, and is usually served with rice.
The beef simmers in a soy sauce marinade, giving it a sweet, salty, and savory flavor.
4. Sanjeok
Sanjeok is a traditional Korean food often served on Korean Thanksgiving Day and Korean New Year’s Day.
I really enjoy Sanjeok. I think it is colorful and has a tasty mix of flavors. You can adjust the recipe to suit your preferences by adding or omitting ingredients as needed.
Sanjeok is made with thin slices of meat and vegetables skewered onto a small stick, similar to a toothpick.
The skewers are lightly coated with flour and dipped in an egg wash before being cooked in a frying pan.
5. Chamchijeon
The Korean name for tuna pancakes is Chamchijeon. Mind you, these are different from regular pancakes. These have very little batter but stay together well.
Typically, you make them with canned tuna, eggs, diced vegetables, a little flour, sea salt, and black pepper.
In this recipe, I added some mayonnaise to keep the tuna moist. If you don’t like mayonnaise, you can skip it, but it can make a difference.
I generally use eggs to hold everything together. You can see the yellow color of the eggs in the pancakes.
6. Gyeran Mari
Korean egg roll is a popular side dish in Korea. My mom often made it for us because the ingredients are readily available.
The egg roll looks nice and is compact, making it a favorite for school lunchboxes.
I loved having it in mine! It is also a popular snack with soju, you know, the popular Korean liquor.
When seasoned well, the Korean egg roll is savory and slightly salty. It goes great with a bowl of steamed rice. You can also add some tomato sauce or ketchup if you like.
7. Wanja Jeon
I always saw my mother making these during traditional holidays like the Korean harvest festival and New Year’s Day.
Furthermore, many Korean families make various types of jeon. These are pan-fried battered foods.
One popular choice is wanja-jeon, also known as gogi-jeon. Koreans call meatballs gogi wanja.
I use these in various traditional dishes, including soups and hot pots.
When these meatballs are battered in egg and pan-fried, they become wanja-jeon. To prepare the jeon, the meatballs are gently shaped into small patties.
8. Samchi-yangnyeom-gui
Samchi-yangneyom-gui is a savory dish that is slightly sweet and soft, with no fishy smell.
I use Spanish mackerel, but you can also use mackerel, cod, or snapper for this recipe.
Even people who usually don’t like fish enjoy samchi-yangneyom-gui.
9. Eun daegu-jorim
Eun Daegu, also known as black cod Jorim, is a delicious and appealing dish that showcases the perfect balance of flavors and textures in Korean cuisine.
The rich and smooth black cod simmers in a soy-based sauce with
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Red chile powder
- Red chile paste
As it cooks, the fish, radish, and zucchini soak up these savory, sweet, spicy, and umami flavors. The garnishes add fresh, herbal, and spicy notes.
10. Yangnyeom-gejang
I love seafood. I love spices. And I deeply love the combination of these two. Therefore, it’s obvious I worship this banchan recipe.
Yangnyeom gejam is none other than one of my favorite Korean banchan recipes, spicy marinated crab.
I make it with raw, frozen crab, and, as the name suggests, I marinate it with a generous mixture of spices.
You can pair it up with white rice, or you can make a hearty Bibimbap with it. However, the best way to have it is by itself.
What Are Some Popular Vegetarian Korean Banchan Recipes?
I know, I know! I mentioned that I will talk about both the Vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties. However, I wanted to categorize it separately.
So, here we are! I am now going to discuss all the Korean banchan recipes that cater to your vegetarian taste buds.
1.Kkakdugi
Kkakdugi is the Korean name for radish kimchi. The origin of the name is pretty interesting. Wanna know about it?
So, whenever I make radish kimchi, I cut it into cube-sized pieces to ensure that it’s still crunchy.
This style of chopping vegetables into cube-sized pieces is called Kkakdug sseolgi in Korean.
2. Kongnamul Muchim
Kongnamul muchim is a popular dish in Korean cuisine. It is healthy, easy to make, and very flexible.
I love soybean sprouts. I enjoy them so much that I can eat them raw! They are a great side dish that adds a nice texture and fresh flavor. They are also essential for bibimbap!
Like many side dishes, each household has its own recipe. I will show you how I make mine in two ways: classic and spicy.
I prefer the spicy version, but you will usually find the classic version in Korean restaurants.
3. Dubu Buchim
I make this dish by braising tofu along with all the other Korean staple spices.
This dish is one of my favorite ways to prepare tofu. I must be honest; I don’t particularly like tofu.
Moreover, I don’t hate it, but I wouldn’t choose to eat it. However, I remember that this is the one recipe I liked a lot during my childhood.
Dubu buchim is a popular side dish in Korean homes, and it can be prepared in various ways.
My recipe is quite traditional, but I add a lot of sauce ingredients. This is just my preference since I don’t care much for tofu.
I dip my dubu buchim in sauce. Why? I think it tastes better that way. I also enjoy mixing it with my rice and eating it together.
4. Dubu Kimchi
Just like the braised Tofu, here I make kimchi with tofu. Again, not a personal favorite, but everyone in my family simply devours it.
Korean Potato Salad
This Korean-style potato salad combines fluffy mashed potatoes with other ingredients in a sweet and savory mix of rice syrup and mayonnaise.
These ingredients include:
- Crunchy carrots
- Fresh cucumber
- Egg pieces
Gamja salad is a popular side dish, or banchan, found at many Korean restaurants.
6. Bok Choy Kimchi
Bok choy kimchi is a quite famous Korean side dish. To make this, I ferment and prepare it fresh with a tangy, spicy, and flavorful paste.
It offers a unique combination of textures from the different parts of the bok choy, with a crispness from the leaves and a mild sweetness from the stems.
7. Oi Muchim
Oi Muchim is a tasty Korean cucumber salad that adds a refreshing kick to any meal.
Its bright and spicy flavors will awaken your taste buds and pair well with many Korean main dishes.
You can enjoy it with Korean BBQ or other traditional Korean foods. This crisp and flavorful salad is sure to please! Learn how to make it!
8. Perilla Leaf Kimchi
Perilla leaf kimchi, known as Kkaennip Kimchi in Korean, is a popular one among all the Korean banchan recipes.
This recipe features marinated perilla leaves. These leaves, often likened to a blend of basil and mint.
Furthermore, I season it with a flavorful sauce that contains ingredients such as gochugaru and soy sauce.
I also use fish sauce, garlic, and other spices, then layer and stack according to recipe instructions.
9. Danmuji
Danmuji is a Korean banchan (side dish) consisting of bright yellow, pickled daikon radish.
It’s known for its crispy texture and sweet and tangy flavor, making it a popular accompaniment to various Korean dishes, particularly kimbap (seaweed rice rolls).
10. Hobak Jeo
Hobak jeon is a Korean side dish (banchan) consisting of pan-fried, thinly sliced zucchini coated in a batter made with egg and flour.
It’s known for its slightly crispy exterior and tender, mild-flavored interior. I often serve it with a dipping sauce.
This dish is a popular choice. Everyone enjoys it year-round, particularly during the summer when zucchini is in season.
11. Ssamjang
Ssamjang is a Korean dipping sauce, often used as a condiment and not typically considered a traditional Korean banchan recipe.
It’s a key component of Korean barbecue, used to add flavor to lettuce wraps and grilled meats.
Ssamjang is made from a combination of fermented doenjang and gochujang. Other ingredients are sesame oil, garlic, and onions.
12. Sangchu Geotjeori
Sangchu Geotjeori is a Korean banchan recipe that consists of fresh, crisp lettuce. I quickly dress it and eat it immediately, without fermentation.
It’s a fresh, spicy, and lightly seasoned lettuce salad. I often have it with Korean BBQ or enjoy it as a refreshing appetizer.
13. Gamja Jorim
Soy sauce braised baby potatoes are a common side dish in Korea. Some also call this sealgamja jorim. I used to enjoy these tasty potatoes in my school lunchbox.
Baby potatoes are soft inside, but the outside is sticky and chewy, making them very delicious.
I coat them with a sweet and salty sauce. This makes them a great side dish for plain steamed rice.
Can I Store Korean Banchan Recipes?
Yes, of course! However, there are different conditions for different Korean banchan recipes. Let’s take a look at it one by one.
Firstly, when we are talking about any Kimchi, we already know that storing it well, rather than fermenting it, is the best approach.
On the other hand, any sort of Gutjeori, a type of kimchi that you can eat right away, can be stored for a few days.
Cucumber Kimchi offers a crunchy and spicy flavor and can be stored for a week or more.
When we talk of braised dishes, it is Dubu Jorim. I make this before and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Can you guess why? This allows the tofu to absorb more sauce and flavor over time.
Gamja Jorim is a hearty and flavorful dish that can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.
Overall, almost all the Korean banchan recipes that I have mentioned can be stored for quite some time.
Tips For Storing Korean Side Dishes:
- Use airtight containers to store banchan in the refrigerator, preventing them from drying out and absorbing other flavors.
- You must keep the banchan stored in the coldest corner of the refrigerator to ensure a longer shelf life.
- Pay attention to the smell and appearance of the banchan. If they seem off, it’s best to discard them.
Famous Indian Dishes Paired With Korean Banchan Recipes
Well, I know you might be freaking out by the title, but come on guys, you should have saw it coming.
I think the first indian dish you should go and try asap is this Kimchi paratha. Guys! May I tell you that it was fire!!!!
I also tried the cucumber kimchi with Daal-bhaat, and now, I cannot see a way to redeem myself.
Oh! How can I forget? I also tried having the Ssamjang as an achaar equivalent with aloo paratha, oh my goodness! One word, Amazing.
My Takeaway
This is it, guys! I think our journey, of course, for the Korean banchan recipes, has come to an end.
I have shared everything that you can try out. Moreover, have also mentioned some of my Indo-Korean twists. Let me know how you liked it.
Also, if you guys invent a new Ido-Korean twist, do let me know in the comment section below.
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