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rebeccmeisterWhen I rented a car for the 300k brevet, my first stop was the Asian grocery store, which is exactly 2 parking lots over from the strip mall where the rental place is located. One of the delectables I purchased there was Kalguksu, fresh Korean knife-cut noodles. They are so yummy. I didn't have a plan for them when I bought them, but the plan I eventually came up with was to make a chili-garlic sauce and then serve them with some stir-fried tofu and cabbage.
When I went hunting for sauce recipes, I learned about the existence of Chinkiang vinegar, also known as black vinegar, a pantry item we did not have. After some culinary consultation withannikusrex, it was deemed worthwhile to make an extra trip back to the Asian grocery to go get some, so I did.
Probably the most satisfying part of the dish, however, was finally putting some gochugaru to use: when AKW was out for a visit a while back she'd pointed it out among the bulk spices available at our grocery co-op and I had gotten some without having any clear plan for it.
Well, now I know I won't have any trouble at all finding a good use for the rest of it! The sauce recipe I found was great and the end result was fantastic. It's a bit of work to cook everything up, but fast enough to make this a weeknight dinner as appropriate for you.
Chili Garlic Noodles with Tofu and Cabbage
Modified from https://joyfuldumplings.com/garlic-chilli-noodles/
Ingredients:
1.5 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 C scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C vegetable broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Black Vinegar (Chinkiang Vinegar)
1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
2 bundles Kalguksu
1/4 to 1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 container firm tofu, cubed
Frying oil of choice for tofu and cabbage
Get water started for boiling the noodles, and get a large frying pan started over medium-high heat for frying up the tofu and cabbage. In a small pan (~6" diameter), saute the scallions and garlic in the toasted sesame oil over very low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so they don't burn. Then add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, vinegar, and gochugaru. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to fully develop the flavor. The sauce can sit and wait while your noodles, tofu, and cabbage finish cooking.
Somewhere in the middle of the flurry of sauce-makin and noodle cooking, also start working on frying up your tofu. Once it has cooked for a couple minutes, add in the cabbage and continue to cook until you've achieved the cabbage consistency you most prefer - somewhere between crunchy and soft and caramelized. Once your noodles are done, drain them and combine them with the tofu and cabbage. Pour the sauce over the works, toss everything together, and garnish the works with the green parts of your scallions and maybe some sesame seeds, too, if you're feeling fancy.
When I went hunting for sauce recipes, I learned about the existence of Chinkiang vinegar, also known as black vinegar, a pantry item we did not have. After some culinary consultation with
annikusrex, it was deemed worthwhile to make an extra trip back to the Asian grocery to go get some, so I did.Probably the most satisfying part of the dish, however, was finally putting some gochugaru to use: when AKW was out for a visit a while back she'd pointed it out among the bulk spices available at our grocery co-op and I had gotten some without having any clear plan for it.
Well, now I know I won't have any trouble at all finding a good use for the rest of it! The sauce recipe I found was great and the end result was fantastic. It's a bit of work to cook everything up, but fast enough to make this a weeknight dinner as appropriate for you.
Chili Garlic Noodles with Tofu and Cabbage
Modified from https://joyfuldumplings.com/garlic-chilli-noodles/
Ingredients:
1.5 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 C scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C vegetable broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Black Vinegar (Chinkiang Vinegar)
1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
2 bundles Kalguksu
1/4 to 1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 container firm tofu, cubed
Frying oil of choice for tofu and cabbage
Get water started for boiling the noodles, and get a large frying pan started over medium-high heat for frying up the tofu and cabbage. In a small pan (~6" diameter), saute the scallions and garlic in the toasted sesame oil over very low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so they don't burn. Then add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, vinegar, and gochugaru. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to fully develop the flavor. The sauce can sit and wait while your noodles, tofu, and cabbage finish cooking.
Somewhere in the middle of the flurry of sauce-makin and noodle cooking, also start working on frying up your tofu. Once it has cooked for a couple minutes, add in the cabbage and continue to cook until you've achieved the cabbage consistency you most prefer - somewhere between crunchy and soft and caramelized. Once your noodles are done, drain them and combine them with the tofu and cabbage. Pour the sauce over the works, toss everything together, and garnish the works with the green parts of your scallions and maybe some sesame seeds, too, if you're feeling fancy.
