Chilled Soy Milk Noodle Soup Kong Guksu (콩국수)

It's been another while hasn't it? I'm sorry, but the school term is starting to get hectic again, there are assessments and other things going on. There is only another 5 weeks until the end of the school term D: And then next term things are seriously going to be hectic. Anyways, enough with my school angst.

I have got another recipe today. Since I assume that it is getting really hot in the northern hemisphere these days since it is just about summer. I have decided that I should do a dish for the summer, to help you guys all refresh. It doesn't help me since it is almost winter for me, but hopefully this will save you from the sky rocking temperatures.

Since my last post, I have had a thing for noodles. So today's post is also a dish that has noodles, but they are prefect for the summer. Although it has not started getting humid yet in SK, it will sooner or later so it is best to be prepared with a cool refreshing dish. The dish today is called black Kong Guksu, which is a variety of Kong Guksu.

Kongguksu is a seasonal Korean noodle dish served in a cold soy milk broth. It is compromised of noodles made with wheat flour and a soup made from ground soybeans. It is unknown when Korean people started eating kongguksu; however, in accordance with the mention of the dish along with kaeguksu (깨국수, sesame noodle soup) in Siui jeonseo, a Joseon cookbook published around the late 19th century, it is presumed to have originated at least as early as the 19th century.

This dish is nice and refreshing and is a good way to up your calcium intake in the summer. It is super duper easy to make this dish, after all who want to be moving around in the summer heat? Anyways, to the recipe:

Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened soy milk or milk
1 cup black beans, cooked
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/4-1/2 ts salt
Noodles – somyeon or memil myeon (see below)
Optional) a few slices of cucumber for garnish, ice cubes

Method
1. Toast black sesame seeds on a dry pan over low heat until you hear the popping sound and start smelling nutty aroma. Stir occasionally for even toasting.
2. Blend soy milk, beans, black sesame seeds and salt until smooth. Keep in the refrigerator to keep cold.
3. Cook noodles according to the package instruction.
*Note: Somyeon (소면), white wheat noodles is the most common kind used for kong guksu, but memil myeon (메밀면), brown colored buckwheat noodles, work great for this dish not only for its slightly chewy texture and added nutritional value from buckwheat, but also for keeping the color theme of the dish.*
4. Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water and drain.
5. To serve, place the noodles in a bowl and pour the chilled black bean soup in the bowl. If you’d like, add ice cubes to keep the noodle soup chilled longer.
6. Place thinly sliced or julienned cucumber pieces on top for color and crunch bites.
7. Serve cold





And there you have it, a simple meal you can serve on a hot day. Also if you want to just have normal kong guksu, you can leave out the sesame seeds and black bean. I know that this is a favourite childhood dish for many Koreans, may this dish bring back many memories from your childhood.

This is it from me today, until next time remember to keep safe, healthy and happy. For those of you in the southern hemisphere remember to keep warm, and those in the southern hemisphere remember to keep cool and hydrated.

<3

Kalguksu 칼국수

Hey guys, so I am returning with a post today ^^ Finally right? Well, the weather has gotten a lot colder so I just feel like eating hot foods all day long. Bye bye to cold foods. Even today, I made a batch of hotteok because I wanted to eat a hot snack food.

Anyways, today I will posting a recipe for kalguksu 칼국수, which is also known as cut noodles. The dish is made of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food, consumed most often in summer.

The record of kalguksucan be found in documents of the Goryeo era, but the descriptions are vague and the nature of the noodles isn't clear. In the 12th century document Goryeo dogyeong it is mentioned that noodles were only eaten on special occasions, as wheat flour was very expensive, being imported from China.

A cooking description can be found in a later document, The Best New Cooking Methods of Joseon, written in 1924. In the 1934 book Simple Joseon Cooking, the recipe calls for the noodles to be boiled and rinsed in cold water before adding broth and garnish, a method that differs from the modern version of boiling the noodles together with the broth.

Often the noodles are made with dough from wheat flour and eggs, and sometimes ground bean powder is added for texture. The dough is let to breathe, then rolled out thinly and cut in long strips. The broth for kalguksu is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish, and kelp. Sometimes chicken broth would be used.

In order to obtain a rich flavor, the ingredients are simmered for many hours. The noodles and various vegetables, most often zucchini, potatoes, and scallions are added and boiled together. Usually seasoned with salt, the noodles are served with garnish of choice.

And now, to get to the recipe:

Noodles
Ingredients
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1/3 cup Cold Water
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Oil

Method
1. Mix flour, water, salt oil to form a dough and knead for 10 minutes.
2. Wrap in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. On a clean, floured surface, roll out the dough with a roller to a thin sheet. 4. Fold and cut with a knife.
4. Flour the cut noodles to keep each strand separated.

Broth
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup Carrot, Chopped
1 whole Onion, Chopped
1 stalk Celery, Chopped
1 package Chicken Parts
6 cups Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
¼ whole Zucchini
2 whole Potatoes, Cubed
1 bunch Hand Rolled Fresh Noodles
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 stalks Green Onion (chopped)

Method
1. Heat your olive oil in a large soup pot. Add chopped carrot, onion and celery and cook until soft and fragrant.
2. Add 4-6 cups of water and chicken parts. Boil chicken for about 15 minutes until the meat is tender and falls off the bone.
3. Remove chicken, but continue to simmer broth. Remove meat from bones and place in a bowl for later use. Put the skin and bones back into the pot and continue to simmer for at least an hour. Add the tablespoon of salt, or season to your taste.
4. In the meantime, you can go ahead and chop up your zucchini and your potatoes.
5. Strain stock when it is ready
6. Add zucchini, potatoes and chicken.
7. Add your fresh noodles.
8. When noodles are ready add pepper and garnish.
Serve hot.



And there you have it, a hot dish that you can eat as the weather starts to turn for the cold. And best thing about it, if you can't handle spicy food this will be perfect to warm you up. Also, you can eat it when you have a cols or are feeling a bit under the weather.

Until next time, remember to keep happy, warm and healthy.