Korean cuisine is dominated by the flavorful Tower chili or Gochugaru chili flakes or Gochujang fermented paste (Both are available on Amazon in India). Bright red, subtly flavored, this ingredient adds that perfect "umami" flavor to every dish it is added to. I personally love this flavor, and sneak it into everything I can.
The wonderful spiciness of this salad took me by surprise. The noodles are coated with the beautifully red and flavored sauce and complimented with the egg, sweet pears and crunchy cucumbers. The salad is super simple to make, once you have the ingredients, and since it is chilled, it is perfect for those hot days.This is a salad that I really enjoyed!
This Korean cookbook is filled with an array of traditional recipes including soups, stews and of course many banchan. It opens up to me the world of Korean cuisine, one that I have so much to learn about. This cookbook opens the world of unique, and still being discovered by me, Korean cuisine.
For more recipes from this cookbook click here.
Ingredients:
7 oz soba noodles
1 teaspoon olive oil
For the dressing:
2 teaspoons gochujang chili paste
2 teaspoons gochugaru chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
1 large clove garlic, minced finely
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 scallion, finely minced
3/4 regular pear, grated
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
2 cucumbers, semi-peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/4 regular pear, cut into thin julienne
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients and allowing the flavors to come together for 1 hour. The dressing is thick, bold, sweet and spicy. Adjust spices as needed.
Boil the soba noodles as per the instructions on the packet. Cool and toss with 3/4 of the dressing to prevent the noodles from drying out and sticking. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
To assemble, add the noodles to a bowl, top with the pears and the cucumbers. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Toss well before serving.