Korean side Dishes

 If you love Korean food, you probably know that it is not complete without some delicious side dishes, or banchan, to accompany the main dish. Banchan can be anything from kimchi, fish, or sweet radishes, and they add more flavor and variety to the meal. Koreans usually serve all the dishes at once, rather than in courses, so you can enjoy different combinations of tastes and textures. The Korean cuisine is becoming more and more popular around the world, and it has a lot to offer to food lovers. Today, I want to share with you three easy and tasty side dishes that you can make with daikon, a type of white radish that is widely used in Korean cooking. These side dishes are simple to prepare and can be eaten as salads or snacks.

Ingredients:

Side dish number one: Spicy daikon salad

- 1 daikon

- 2 green onions

- Seasoning:

- 1 tbsp each salt and sugar

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tbsp fish sauce or light soy sauce

- 2 tsp Korean chili powder

- 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Side dish number two: Sweet and sour daikon pickles

- 1 daikon

- 2 cups water

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 cup vinegar

Side dish number three: Turmeric daikon pickles

- 1 daikon

- 1 cup vinegar

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 cup water

- Seasoning:

- 2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp turmeric

- 2 dried bay leaves

- 1 tsp peppercorns, whole black pepper, or cloves

Directions:

To make all three dishes, you need to cook the liquid first and let it cool off completely.

For dish number one:

- Peel the daikon and cut it into thin matchsticks.

- Chop the green onions.

- In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, sugar, garlic, fish sauce or soy sauce, and chili powder.

- In a large bowl, toss the daikon and green onions with the seasoning.

- Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

- Transfer to a glass or plastic container with a lid and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

For dish number two:

- Peel and cut the daikon into 1-inch cubes.

- In a small pot, bring the water, sugar, and vinegar to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.

- Let the liquid cool off completely.

- Put the daikon cubes in a glass or plastic container with a lid and pour the liquid over them.

- Cover the lid and refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

For dish number three:

- Peel and slice the daikon into thin rounds.

- In a small pot, bring the vinegar, sugar, water, salt, turmeric, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

- Strain the liquid to get rid of the solids.

- Let the liquid cool off completely.

- Put the daikon slices in a glass or plastic container with a lid and pour the liquid over them.

- Cover the lid and refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

These three side dishes are very refreshing and crunchy, and they go well with any Korean dish. You can also enjoy them on their own as a snack or a salad. They can last for up to a week or month in the fridge, so you can make them ahead of time and have them ready whenever you crave some Korean food. I hope you try them and let me know what you think. Thank you for visiting my blog.