Recipe By: Otao kitchen

🌱🥢 Vegetables & Plant-Based Mastery

(Jan, May–Sep) 

 

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🍃 Yeonnip-bap – Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice

Sticky rice infused with earthy lotus leaf aroma, a traditional Korean dish often enjoyed on special occasions.

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes (+ soaking)

Cooking time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup glutinous rice (soaked 2–3 hours or overnight)
• 2 dried lotus leaves (soaked overnight)
• 2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 king brown mushroom
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 50 ml Shojin dashi (kombu & shiitake stock)

Method

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms and seasoning, and stir-fry until moisture reduces and lightly dries.
3. Drain soaked rice and combine with mushroom mixture.
4. Wrap mixture in lotus leaf to form a parcel.
5. Steam for 25–30 minutes until cooked.
6. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

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🥬 Kimchi – Yangbaechu & Oi Kimchi

Traditional fermented cabbage kimchi and quick cucumber kimchi using a shared seasoning base.

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Execution time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients

Cabbage Kimchi 

• 250g wombok (Chinese cabbage), cut into 4 x 4 cm pieces
• 10 garlic chives, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 1 tsp salt

Cucumber Kimchi 

• 200g Lebanese cucumber, seeded and cut into batons
• 10 garlic chives, cut into 3 cm lengths
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Seasoning Paste 

• 40g carrot, grated
• 100g nashi pear, grated
• 45g white onion, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 10g ginger, minced
• 4 tbsp gochugaru 
• 3 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp cooked rice (blended with water)- help fermentation
• Salt & sugar to tasted

Method

Seasoning Paste 

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well until smooth.
2. Add starter kimchi and mix through.

Cabbage Kimchi 

1. Salt cabbage and rest 1–2 hours until softened.
2. Combine with chives and half of seasoning paste.
3. Pack tightly into container and press down.
4. Ferment at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate.
5. Continue fermenting and taste daily until desired sourness.

Cucumber Kimchi 

1. Mix cucumber with salt, sugar, and vinegar.
2. Rest 1–2 hours until slightly softened.
3. Combine with remaining seasoning paste.
4. Serve fresh or refrigerate up to 5 days.

 

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🥒 Oi-baek-kimchi – White Cucumber Kimchi

Light, refreshing kimchi that can be served fresh or lightly fermented.

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber (250g), seeds removed and cut into batons
• ½ green chilli, sliced
• 3 shiso leaves, sliced
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 x 2 x 2 cm ginger, minced
• 1 tsp shio kombu
• ¼ pear, grated
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix well until evenly coated.
3. Marinate 1–2 hours.
4. Adjust seasoning if required.
5. Serve fresh or ferment for 2–3 days.

 

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🍽️ Yachae Twigim – Mixed Fried Vegetables with Gochujang Sauce

Crispy fried seasonal vegetables served with spicy-sweet gochujang dipping sauce.

 

Serves: 2

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

 

Ingredients

Vegetables 

• ½ zucchini, julienned
• 100g sweet potato, julienned
• ½ carrot, julienned
• 3–4 dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 50g carrot, julienned
• 50g onion, sliced

Batter 

• 100g tempura flour
• 140g cold sparkling water

Oil 

• 700 ml vegetable oil

Gochujang Sauce (option) 

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1. Slice vegetables evenly and prepare.
2. Mix batter until smooth (pancake consistency).
3. Heat oil and dip vegetables into batter.
4. Fry until golden and crispy.
5. Drain and season lightly.
6. Mix sauce ingredients until smooth.
7. Serve vegetables with dipping sauce.

 

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🍄 Tteokbokki – Spicy Rice Cakes with Seasonal Vegetables

Chewy rice cakes in rich spicy umami sauce with seasonal vegetables.

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Active time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 250g Korean rice cakes
• 500 ml shiitake stock
• ½ king oyster mushroom, sliced
• ½ brown onion, sliced
• 2 wombok leaves, sliced
• 1 fried tofu sheet, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Seasoning 

• 2–3 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp gochugaru
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Garnish 

• Spring onion, sliced
• Sesame seeds

Method

1. Simmer stock with garlic, mushrooms, onion, and tofu.
2. Add wombok and seasoning; mix well.
3. Add rice cakes and simmer 15–20 minutes.
4. Reduce until sauce thickens.
5. Garnish and serve.

 

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🟫 Dubu Jeon – Tofu & Vegetable Patties

Crispy pan-fried tofu patties with vegetables.

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 200g firm tofu (pressed)
• 1 tsp doenjang soybean paste
• 1 pcs shitake mushrooms dried
• 1 tbsp Potato starch
• 1/4 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp spring onion
• Salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp oil

Method

1. Mash tofu until smooth.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Shape into patties.
4. Pan-fry until golden on both sides.

 

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🍯🌶️ Cho-Gochujang – Sweet & Spicy Sauce

Balanced Korean dipping sauce for vegetables and pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp water

Method

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Adjust seasoning to taste.

 

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🍄 Chaeso-Gumul – Kombu & Shiitake Stock

Light vegetarian stock used as base for Korean cooking.

 

Yield: ~1L

Active time: 5 minutes

Total time: 1 hour (or overnight infusion)

 

Ingredients

• 1L water
• 15g dried shiitake mushrooms
• 10g kombu

Method

Cold infusion: 

1. Soak all ingredients overnight.
2. Remove kombu and squeeze mushrooms.

Hot infusion: 

1. Heat to ~70°C (do not boil).
2. Remove kombu and squeeze mushrooms.

 

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Printed From otaokitchen.com.au 05/07/2026