Kimchi jjigae

Kimchi Stew

8oz/1 cup pork, beef, or tuna
3 cups kimchi
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups beef or anchovy broth

Cut meat and kimchi in 1 inch long strips. Stir-fry garlic and ginger in oil, add meat. When it's half cooked, add soy sauce, stir-fry again, add kimchi. Pour broth to cover. Boil and simmer about 40 minutes.

Source: A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes by Sun-Young Chang

Kimchi Kongnamul Bap

Kimchi and Bean Sprouts mixed in rice

2 cups of rice, soaked
3 cups bean sprouts, washed
1/2 lb beef or pork, any cut

sauce for meat:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ginger juice (if using pork)

1 cup kimchi (sliced and squeezed)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 3/4 cup water

serving sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chopped green onion
1 tbsp chopped korean green pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp roasted crushed sesame seeds
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp red pepper powder
1 drop of vinegar
1/8 tsp sugar

Cut meat into 2-inch-long strips. Season with the "sauce for meat" ingredients.
Cut kimchi into small pieces, squeeze out liquid, add some sesame oil, mix with meat. In a pot or rice cooker, put a layer of kimchi/meat, then a layer of rice, then repeat. Boil, simmer. When the water's all simmered down, add the sprouts and simmer 7-8 minutes. Mix gently.
Mix the sauce ingredients, serve with the rice/kimchi bowl.

Source: A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes by Sun-Young Chang

Aunt Jeannette's No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Cookies

2 cups sugar
6 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/4 lb butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Blend the sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter. Boil until dissolved, stirring, then add the rest of the stuff. Drop by teaspoon on waxed paper, let cool completely.

Source: Brian Gray's Aunt Jeannette, I guess.

Masala Beans (or Peppers) Poriyal

1 lb green beans or green bell peppers, finely chopped
salt, water

masala:
2 tsp oil
3 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
2 tbsp coriander seeds
4 red chilies
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
4 tbsp grated fresh coconut or 5 1/2 tbsp flaked coconut
marble-sized piece of tamarind pulp
salt, water

for tempering:
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
1 red chili
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
a few curry leaves

Heat the oil and all the masala ingredients except coconut and tamarind. Blend in a blender or food processor, adding water as necessary to make a thick smooth paste.
If using beans: add them to a skillet with just a little water and salt, cook until tender. If using peppers, skip this.
Heat the tempering ingredients. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the masala paste. Cook on low 5-7 minutes until dry and crisp. Add the beans/peppers, cook 2-3 minutes until well blended.

Source: Dakshin, Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Cabbage Poriyal

2 green chilies, slit sideways
1 lb cabbage (half a big head)
1/2 cup shelled peas
salt
water
2 tbsp fresh coconut, grated, or 2 1/2 tbsp flaked coconut

For tempering:
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 red chili, halved
1/2 tsp asafoetida
a few curry leaves

Heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients. When mustard seeds splutter, add green chilies, then cabbage, peas, salt, and water. Cover, cook over low until tender. Add coconut, mix.

Source: Dakshin, Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Spicy Tamarind Sambar

a lemon-sized piece of tamarind pulp, soaked in 2 cups hot water, strained, squeezed to remove juice.

For tempering:
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 red chilies, halved
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp toor dal/red gram dal/pigeon peas
1 tsp chana dal/yellow split peas
1 tsp urad dal/black gram dal
a few curry leaves

150g/5oz shallots, peeled and chopped, or green onions
3 tsp sambar powder
2 tbsp powdered jaggery
2 tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup water

Heat oil. Add chilies, mustard seeds, asafoetida, fenugreek. When mustard seeds splutter, add the dals and curry leaves. Saute until golden.
Add shallots, saute 2 minutes. Add sambar powder, saute 1 minute. Add tamarind juice, salt, and jaggery, saute 10 minutes. Make a batter with besan and water, add to sambar, boil 2 minutes.

Source: Dakshin, Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Ordinary Sambar

1/2 cup toor dal/pigeon peas
2 cups water
lemon-sized piece of tamarind pulp, soaked in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes, drained
1 cup mixed vegetables, chopped into small pieces
2 green chilies, halved
1 cup water
salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp rice flour + 2 tbsp water (optional)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 red chili, halved
a few curry leaves

Cook the toor dal in 2 cups water for 1 1/2 hours, stirring. Don't drain.
Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, fenugreek, cumin, chili, and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the green chilies and chopped vegetables. Saute a cople of minutes. Add the tamarind juicce, salt, turmeric, and sambar powder. Simmer on low until vegetables are tender. Add cooked dal, simmer 5 minutes. Add rice flour dissolved in water if necessary to thicken. Cook 2-3 minutes.

Source: Dakshin, Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan