MEATLESS MONDAY- KOREAN PANCAKE

20/5/2013

Our meatless Monday Menu.

After my injection for my knees, well-meaning friends have been telling me that I must take foods that have high collagen value. I don't know how far true is it that the body to absorb these collagen or maybe induce the growth of the cartillage itself.        

Some of these foods recommended are Bird's nest, sharkfins, sea cucumbers etc. Well bird nest and sharkfins are out of question, as not only are they expensive but also un-eco-friendly.  The other substitution  are white fungus and coral seaweed (so called "poor man bird nest").  

I always loved Chicken Soup with White Fungus and this was my late mother's favourite soup too- double boiled till the white fungus are really soft and gelatinous, no wonder my mother's complexion was smooth and practically wrinkle-free when she passed away at the age of 85 years :D!. 

The coral seaweed is a more recent available  ingredient and this is supposed to have  very high collagen level.  I have tried dunking it into sweet soup ("tong sui") but somehow I just don't like the texture- it could  melt into a jelly-like drink which can be a bit difficult to swallow!.

So when I came across the recipe from Wendy of Table for Two or More - a salad/kerabu version of making use of these seaweeds, its a must try for me. I have make some changes to the dressing.           

I have soaked the Coral seaweeds for more than 2 days in the fridge, changing water everyday to remove the "fishy" smell.  Drain them and pickle them with lime juices, sugar and salt while I prepare the other ingredients: bunga kantan, red onion, red chilies mixed together with more lime juices, sugar, dash of fish sauce and sesame oil. 

Mixed the ingredients together when you are ready to serve, toss in some sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers,  mint leaves and topped with toasted sesame seeds.  Very refreshing and totally  collagen-goodness. For one who dislike them in the tong sui, Sarah enjoyed eating this!  

The next dish: Pan Fried Taufoo with Leeks and Red Peppers in Black Bean sauce.
Heat oil and saute minced garlic and ginger, add some salted black beans till fragrant.
Add the cubed taufoo and fry till lightly golden brown. Add a bit of water and cover briefly.
Add red peppers and lastly the leeks, splash of rice wine
Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Finally the highlight got to be this: Korean Pancake with my homemade kimchi.

I made these kimchi using the recipe from Catherine Lau/Flavours magazine.  Though it is easy but I find that the taste of the chili flakes is a bit overpowering and the colour is very red- as can be seen above.   However the vegetables still retain their crunchiness.

I follow the simple batter recipe: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup rice flour, 1 egg and 1 cup water, mix together till smooth before adding the kimchi and some of its juices and 1/2  sliced onion. 

I am sure this is definitely not the authentic Korean Pancake, but it is very tasty and delicious.

So maybe I need to get some advice and help from my daughter-in-law, Eunice.