Quick Korean Food at Home

Cafe Drake never prepares Korean food at home, mainly because it's a Herculean kitchen task to recreate the vast number of dishes typically served at a traditional meal (or at any Korean neighborhood restaurant). Like you we select favorite grill houses based on the largesse of the banchan (complimentary appetizers) selection!

A craving for super spicy tofu stew had to be sated recently however and Cafe D. didn't feel like braving the chilly, pouring rain for a trek to nearby (Korean restaurant enclave) Sunnyside, Queens. Soooo . . . as above, we made a fiery and satisfying tofu and yam stew - it's heat derived from Korean chili peppers and wedges of kimchi - along with brown rice and zucchini namul. Please see our recipe for the latter dish below.

ZUCCHINI NAMUL

Namul are rapidly prepared stir-fried vegetables; generally several varieties are served at the Korean dinner table.

1 T. vegetable oil
2 t. sesame oil
1/2 an onion, sliced thinly
2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
about 1/2 t. salt or more to taste
2 T. sesame seeds (toasted first in a dry skillet)
Black Pepper
Dried Chile Flakes

Heat the oils in a large frying pan over a medium-high flame. Add the onion and saute for 1 minute. Now add all the other ingredients and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Adjust seasoning. A namul should be quite spicy so add as much chile as you can bear!

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.