Side dishes are generally defined as foods served alongside rice, sometimes filling nutritional gaps in the main dish and adding flavor. A delicious side dish can help you finish a bowl of rice in no time. Are you curious about side dishes that bring peace of mind when stocked in the refrigerator? Culinary researcher Lee Jung-woong, known as ‘Cooking Fairy Team Leader Lee,’ introduces banchan recipes made with seasonal ingredients and items easily found around us. Discover modern side dishes that take just 30 minutes at COOKING.
Janchi Guksu (banquet noodles) is one of those menus that naturally comes to mind when the cold wind starts to blow. It features thin somen noodles in a clear broth brewed from dried anchovies and kelp, topped with zucchini and egg garnish. Sipping the hot broth first and slurping the noodles warms up the body in no time.
Janchi Guksu has a cheerful name. Since ancient times, the long and thin noodles have carried wishes for longevity and blessings. There is also a custom of eating noodles on joyful days like weddings and birthdays. In the past, it was a food shared by many people at village banquets, but today it has become a familiar, casual meal enjoyed comfortably at markets or snack bars.
While the ingredients are humble, making it properly at home takes more effort than expected, as you need to make the broth, stir-fry vegetables, and fry egg garnish. The key element that determines the taste of Janchi Guksu is, of course, the broth. While you can boil water with dried anchovies, kelp, and radishes yourself, nowadays using a packaged broth bag makes the process much easier. In this recipe, the broth is simmered over medium heat for 20 minutes with a broth bag. However, since recommended times vary depending on the type of broth bag, it is best to check the product’s cooking instructions.
The zucchini and carrots for the garnish should be thinly julienned and stir-fried, and the eggs prepared as thin egg strips. Boil the somen noodles separately, rinse them in cold water, place them in a bowl, and pour hot broth over them. It is better to add the seasoning sauce little by little while tasting the broth rather than adding too much at once.
Today’s Recipe: Lee Jung-woong’s Janchi Guksu
As important as the warm broth is the chewy texture of the somen noodles. To boil somen properly, make sure to stir the noodles so they do not clump together while boiling. Also, after boiling, rinse them thoroughly in running cold water to wash away the starch. This prevents the noodles from sticking together or getting mushy easily, preserving their chewy texture.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200g somen noodles, 1 broth pack (or 3 pieces of kelp the size of Neoguri, 10 anchovies), 1 liter water, 2 tbsp tuna liquid seasoning
Garnish: Eggs, 1/3 zucchini, 1/4 carrot, 1/2 green onion, cooking oil, salt
Seasoning Sauce: 1 tbsp brewed soy sauce, 1 tsp red pepper powder, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, a pinch of sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp starch syrup, 1 tsp minced garlic
1. Put the broth pack into boiling water and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Adjust any lacking flavor with tuna liquid seasoning.
2. Fry the eggs into thin strips and slice them thinly.
3. Julienne the zucchini and carrots, and diagonally slice the green onion.
4. Grease a pan with oil, sprinkle a little salt over the julienned zucchini and carrots, and stir-fry them.
5. Mix all the seasoning sauce ingredients well in a bowl.
6. Boil the noodles in another pot with plenty of water. When the water bubbles up, pour a little cold water and repeat this process 2 to 3 times.
7. Thoroughly rinse the boiled noodles in running cold water.
8. Place the noodles in a bowl, top with the egg strips, zucchini, carrot, and sliced green onion, then pour the hot broth over them.
9. Serve with the seasoning sauce to taste and mix well before eating.
