We tried this straightforward recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oi-muchim Our modifications: first, we used 3 Persian cucumbers instead of 1 English cucumber. Second, we omitted the onion. Finally, we added the optional ingredient, about 1 tsp sugar. This was a quick and tasty recipe, probably our favorite version of this Korean cucumber dish. (July 2025)
Tag: asian
Burmese sour soup with chayote and catfish (chin-yay hin, version 2)
This is a Burmese recipe from my friend’s sister Ma Thicht, who is an incredible home cook. Basic soup ingredients: 1 medium bottle gourd (or two chayote squash), peeled and cut into 1/2” bite-sized slices; bamboo shoot tips, sliced into 1/4” lengthwise slices (see Note 1 below); 2 tsp (or up to 1 Tbsp) shrimp…… Continue reading Burmese sour soup with chayote and catfish (chin-yay hin, version 2)
Maangchi’s updated Korean steamed egg in an earthenware pot (ddeukbaegi gyeran jjim)
We tried Maangchi’s simpler recipe today: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ttukbaegi-gyeranjjim Our modifications: we used 4 large eggs and added 1 tsp fish sauce to 1 cup chicken broth. This was a more straightforward dish than her original 2011 recipe, and more broth got absorbed into the egg mixture. (Apr. 2025)
Japanese curry with chicken meatballs, sweet potato, and Swiss chard
We had an extra bunch of Swiss chard, and we decided to try this recipe for the leaves (no stems): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026680-japanese-curry-with-chicken-meatballs?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was a delicious dish, with an unexpected combination of sweet potatoes and greens that worked well. Our modifications: first, for the meatball mixture, we followed reader suggestions to increase the panko from 1/2…… Continue reading Japanese curry with chicken meatballs, sweet potato, and Swiss chard
Maangchi’s kimchi fried rice
We threw this dish together based on our pantry: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kimchi-bokkeumbap We generally followed this recipe, except we added about 2 tsp sugar to balance out the sour kimchi we had on hand. We separately panfried 1/4″ slices of Spam until browned and crisp, and we drizzled 2 tsp drippings from that pan into the fried…… Continue reading Maangchi’s kimchi fried rice
Chicken meatballs in soy-honey glaze
We had leftover soy-honey glaze from chicken drumsticks: https://alexandracooks.com/2013/02/26/honey-soy-chicken-drumsticks-thighs-or-wings/. The glaze was so delicious that we couldn’t toss the remaining 8 oz (about 1/2 the amount of sauce needed). We decided to repurpose the sauce. First, we made chicken meatballs (but not the sauce) from this recipe: https://www.cookedandloved.com/recipes/chicken-meatballs-honey-garlic-soy-sauce/ Second, using the first recipe, we made…… Continue reading Chicken meatballs in soy-honey glaze
Korean panfried tuna and egg fritters (chamchi jeon)
We routinely have 5-oz cans of no-salt tuna in our pantry. We decided to try this recipe: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tuna-pancakes. First, for the onion, we used a small shallot. To ensure the onion/shallot and garlic were finely minced, we used our Braun handheld mixer. Second, it’s important to drain the tuna as thoroughly as possible (we save…… Continue reading Korean panfried tuna and egg fritters (chamchi jeon)
Kimchi fried rice with omelette (omurice)
We threw together this dish on a whim, drawing from multiple sources and utilizing our pantry. First, we made jasmine rice in our rice cooker, enough to yield 3 cups cooked rice. Second, using a large nonstick pan, we heated 2 Tbsp unsalted butter on medium and then added 1.5 cups kimchi (reserving kimchi liquid).…… Continue reading Kimchi fried rice with omelette (omurice)
Chicken curry puffs
We don’t make savory pastries often, but we had a craving this weekend. We tried this recipe: https://onolicioushawaii.com/curry-puffs/ Our modifications: first, instead of 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, we used 1 lb minced chicken. We also used 2 medium yukon potatoes and 1 medium onion. We found the seasoning (1 Tbsp S&B curry powder, 2…… Continue reading Chicken curry puffs
Japanese chicken meatballs (tsukune)
My husband loves meatballs of all kinds. So we tried this recipe: https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2019/09/japanese-chicken-meatballs-recipe-tsukune.html As written, the recipe calls for 14 oz ground chicken, but we had 16 oz (1 lb) from the supermarket. We adjusted the recipe by slightly tweaking the other meatball ingredients (e.g., mounded), but we left the sauce amount the same as…… Continue reading Japanese chicken meatballs (tsukune)
Cooking Adventures 