Thursday 19 April 2012

Korean Rice Cakes with Ramen Noodles - Rabokki (라볶이)


Tteokbokki or Ddeokbokki(떡볶이) is a popular Korean braised dish which consists of sliced rice cake, meat, vegetables, eggs, etc and seasonings. This dish is commonly purchased from street vendors in Korea and there are many different kinds of tteokbokki such as seafood tteokbokki(해물 떡볶이) or rice tteokbokki(쌀떡볶이).

Whereas in this post, I would be sharing a Rabokki (라볶이) recipe with you. Rabokki derives from the combining words of "ddeokbokki" and "ramyeon" which means stir-fried rice cakes with instant ramen noodles. With this you can have two different favourite korean ingredients in one dish and enjoys the chewy texture of rice cakes plus springy ramyeon.


KOREAN RICE CAKES WITH RAMEN NOODLES
Rabokki (라볶이)


My version of Rabokki is a bit different from the authentic way of Korean cooking. Here instead of adding carrot into the braised dish, it is served separately with shredded cucumber where you can add into your Rabokki according to your preference. I remember the first time I had this dish is over at Maameemoomoo's house a few months back and indeed I love this dish to bit. But my version is slightly different from Sherie's as it has being simplify by using pre-mixed Topokki Hot Sauce.

(Serves: 2-3 |        Preparation: 10 minutes |        Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Packet(150g) of Topokki Hot Sauce
150g of Korean Rice Cakes (ddeok - 떡)
1/2 Portion of Napa Cabbage, cut into pieces
1 Piece of Fish Cake, cut into slices
1 Packet of Korean Instant Ramen, break into halve
2 Stalls Spring Onion, cut into sections
2 - 3 Hard-boiled Eggs, shell removed
1/2 medium carrot, thinly shred
1 Japanese Cucumber, thinly shred

Garnish:
Red/Green Chilli, thinly sliced
Roasted White Sesame Seeds
Chopped Spring Onion
Sesame Oil to taste


Method:-
1. Rinse rice cake in cold water. Drain and set aside.

2. In a medium pot or frying pan, add rice cakes together with 250ml of water and cook on medium heat till water comes to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Next add in cabbage, spring onion, fish cake and noodles, let the mixture simmer for 1 minute(on medium heat) before stirring in the "Topokki Hot Sauce".

4. On low heat simmer the mixture till the sauce has thickened slightly and both rice cakes and noodles are soften.

5. Remove mixture from heat, divide it into 2 or 3 serving plates. Top with some shredded carrot and cucumber together with hard-boiled eggs and served hot with some garnish on top.

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PREVIEW!!!


KOREAN SPICY CHICKEN
매운 닭 날개


For those who loves baked chicken wings, here is a preview of my next Korean dish which is known as "Korean Spicy Chicken(매운 닭 날개)". It has a similar cooking concept like the western "Buffalo Wings" whereby you can adjust the spiciness of the wings according to your preference.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Chef Sleeve For iPad

Few weeks ago, I received a box of this Chef Sleeve for iPad/iPad2 to review and since sometime I love to reference to some of my online recipe collections instead of the big and heavy cookbooks, I guess this sleeve will be in great help to keep my iPad protected in the kitchen.

Friendly speaking tablets are not cheap and they can be easily crack or break if you are not careful in handling them. Moreover using tablet in the kitchen might be a bit messy with the splat, spill and spread of ingredients during cooking process especially baking where flour mixtures and egg might get a bit tricky if you place the tablet nearer to your access.


CHEF SLEEVE
(iPad Protector)


Each box consists of 25 sleeves which cost about S$1.00+ each and when you take out a sleeve from the box, there is a flap on one side where you can slide your iPad into the sleeve. To secure it, just remove the thin white strip to expose a sticky part on a flap, fold the flap back over the iPad and it is ready for use. Even though your iPad is protected by the sleeve, you can still use all your favorite Apps while making a mess and it's touch screen works perfectly under the thin protective film.

Although the sleeve is not water-proof but it is certainly makes to water-resistant till some extend to withstand spill of coffee, drinks or water by accident.

If you are looking for quick and easy protection for your iPad in the kitchen or outdoor where there is a risk that it might get dirty or wet, Chef Sleeve definitely works very well. For those who is interested to get this product you can refer to the following:-

~ From SINGAPORE:- Their online ordering site HERE;

~ From OVERSEAS:- Amazon.com HERE;

~ Chef Sleeve Facebook Page(Singapore) HERE.

Each Chef Sleeve box consists of 25 sleeves that fits both iPad and iPad 2.


GIVEAWAY!


Here I would like to share some of these sleeves with 2 Lucky Winners, each will received a gift pack that comes with 5 sleeves in order for your use or share with friends to try out this new iPad protector. If you are interested, please participate the Giveaway through Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page HERE.

Monday 16 April 2012

Angry Birds Mugs Exclusively from 7-Eleven

For those Angry Birds fans from Singapore, I am sure most of you are aware of this Angry Birds Mugs promotion from 7-Eleven outlets(island wide) starting from 28 March till 05 June 2012(while stocks last). With a minimum spend of S$3.00 at any 7-11 outlets you would  received a similar stamp(s) shown below.

And for your information items purchase excludes cigarettes, parking coupons, bill payments, top-up services, telco top-up cards, cash card, EZ-Link card, lottery sales, Angry birds mug purchase and fuel purchases at 7-Eleven @ Shell.

Friday 13 April 2012

Japchae - 잡채


Japchae(잡채) is a Korean dish cook with cellophane noodles(glass noodles) which is made from sweet potato starch(dangmyeon) mixed with sesame oil, soy sauce and a variety of vegetables or like the above with some meat such as "beef". In the past, this noodle is usually served at special occasions like weddings, birthdays and parties but now it is often served as a side dish(also known as "banchan") at some Korean restaurants.

Friendly speaking I am not a fan of Japchae/Glass Noodles and I remember I did not even pay much attention to it my Korea trip. But lately this Korean-style noodles kept flashing in my mind even since I watched the Korean drama known as "City Hunter(시티헌터 )" cast by Lee Min Ho(李民浩 ) and Park Min Young(樸敏英) where both of them loves to eat this dish in some of the scenes shown.


JAPCHAE
(잡채)


Indeed this Korean Stir-fry Glass Noodles is quite similar to our Asian Stir-fry Cellophane noodles(炒东粉) but in a while Korean noodles are a bit thin in texture compared to ours. Personally I love their  sweet and fragrant Japchae sauce which is mainly consists of light soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and minced garlic.


(Serves: 2-3 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Packet CJ Brand Japchae(韩式炒粉丝)
100g Beef Fillet, cut into 2" long sticks
1 Medium Brown Onion, thinly sliced
1 Medium Carrot, shred into 2" long
4 Medium Fresh Shiitake Mushroom, sliced
2 Stalks Spring Onion, cut into section
2 Garlic Cloves(minced), optional
1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Roasted Sesame Seeds
Some Chopped Spring Onion
100g Spinach(optional), cut into sections

Method:-
1. Boil glass noodle in boiling water for about 3 minutes, till soften. Rinse with water, drained well and put in a large bowl.

2. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan, saute minced garlic, brown onion and spring onion till fragrant, stir in shiitake mushrooms and marinated beef strips with 1 Tablespoon of Japache sauce (mix 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds with the pre-mixed Japache sauce included in the pack) and give it a quick toss.

3. Next add in the shredded carrot, cooked noodles and Japache sauce into the pan and cook on low heat, stirring frequently until all the sauce is mixed well.

4. Drizzle some extra sesame oil and mix well before serving.


For those who can't get hold of this CJ Brand Japchae(韩式炒粉丝) that comes with pre-mixed Japchae sauce, you can use any other brand of Glass Noodle/Dangmyeon (about 30 - 35g) for this recipe. And as for sauce you can use this mixture shown below:-

Ingredients:
2.5 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Sesame oil
2 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1.5 Teaspoons Roasted Sesame Seeds

Method:-
1. Mix all the ingredients together until sugar dissolved.


KOREAN RICE CAKES WITH RAMEN NOODLES
Rabokki(라볶이)


Stay tune for my next Korean dish which is known as "Rabokki(라볶이)", or "Korean Rice Cakes with Ramen Noodles". Kamsahamnida(감사합니다, 좋은 주말 되세요)!

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