Gaji Namul: Eggplant Side Dish (Improvisation)

Cooking is an art. It is spontaneous and free to interpretations. It should be international and not always associated with one specific nation or culture.

Living in such a multicultural place, I should call this dish a soy sauce marinated eggplant. Whether it is Korean-authentic or not, I doubt that the authenticity would overweight the importance of the taste, which has been inspired by the Korean eggplant side dish Gaji Namul. So if you are looking for something easy to cook, throw yourself in.

Since this recipe is an improvisation, meaning that I made it without measuring the ingredients, I will only list the items needed, but not the quantity. Basically, everything is according to your own taste. In the picture above, I've used two eggplants. I personally suggest eating Gaji Namul with rice and beef, since the chemistry between beef and eggplants is simply amazing!


Ingredients:

Chinese eggplants
Chinese soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Sugar
Sesame oil
Korean pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
Garlic
Sesame seeds
Green onions

1. Slice the eggplants into quarters and steam them for 15 to 20 minutes or until it becomes soft. Let it cool and drain for a bit and when it is cool enough to handle, tear the quarters of eggplants into strips (about the size of a finger, or thinner if you like it finer). Let it aside to drain from the excess of water.

2. In a big bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar altogether, everything is up to your own taste. Don't forget to add garlic to bring up the taste of the eggplants. When it reaches the taste you like, add the eggplants in the sauce. Mix well and then add in some sesame oil and a bit of Gochugaru.

3. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes. If you put it in the fridge, let it rest for at least 1 hour. The longer it sits, the more the taste will penetrate in the eggplants.

4. Serve it with chopped green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled on top of the Gaji Namul. It is better served cold.

Good luck and enjoy!

Kimchi and Kkakdugi

Ingredients

1 Medium size cabbage

1 large daikon (optional)

2 tbsp of sugar (optional)

1 cup of Salt

1 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of glutinous rice flour

¼ cup of water

1 carrot

6 spring onions

6 garlic cloves

1 knob of ginger

1 cup of chili flakes/gochugaru

¼ of a large onion

¼ cup daikon juice

¼ cup dried opossum shrimps

¼ of an asian pear

1. Cut the cabbage into quarters. To do it, simply slice the stem in half and use your hands to separate the cabbage into half. Then slice the halved stems into half and separate again. This is to help the cabbage leaves keep their natural form and makes it easier to work with.

2. Soak the cabbage in a big pool of salted water. About 10 cups of water for 2 tbsp of salt. Make sure that each leave is well soaked. Then remove the cabbage from water after 2 or 3 minutes, then sprinkle salt to each leave and specifically at the stem. Having salt well spread would make the cabbage crunchy. The amount of salt may sum up to 1 cup. Let it sit for 2 hours.

3. (if you want to prepare Kkakdugi) Peel the daikon and cut it into 1 inch wheels. Leave two wheels aside for the kimchi paste later. With the other wheels, cut them into cubes for making Kkakdugi. Then add 2 tbsp of salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Let it sit for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours, shake the cabbage and daikon. Let it sit for another hour. This process serves to dry out all the water from the vegetables, making them crunchier.

5. Rinse the cabbage at least 3 times to remove the excess of salt. Then let it aside for all the water to drip. As for the daikon, pour out ¼ cup of the juice that comes with it. Then, rince the daikon at least 3 times to get rid of the excess of salt. Let it drip.

6. Meanwhile, cut the carrot, the two wheels of daikon and spring onions à la julienne. Leave them aside. Then, finely chop, garlic, ginger, pear, and onion altogether and blend them in a food processor, then add in the chili flakes and julienne cut vegetables to the puree. Manually mix them.

7. Then, in a sauce pan, prepare the rice porridge by boiling water, sugar and glutinous rice flour. Stir until the solution becomes white and reaches a smooth and slightly thick consistency, remove it from heat and let it cool for a minute.

8. Add fish sauce, shrimps, daikon juice and the mix of chopped vegetables in the porridge, this will be the kimchi paste.

9. When the paste is ready, spread the paste to the cabbage, then put it in a container. Make sure that each leave is well spread. Then with the rest of the paste, mix it with the cubed daikon. Put them in another container. For both the Kimchi and Kkakdugi, leave them in a place at room temperature, away from sunlight for 12 to 24 hours. The longer it stays outside, the more it becomes sour.

Jars of Kkakdugi and Kimchi

10. Serve it or leave it in the fridge!

It is suggested to consume the kimchi within a month or two. Enjoy!