If you haven’t tried Kimchi yet, this recipe is a great way to start! Kimchi is pickled/fermented vegetable, usually the east-Asian variety of cabbage, daikon radish, or green onions which are spiced with korean red chilli powder, along with a myriad of other sauces. These typically also contain fish, or fish sauce, but these days several vegan versions are available. Just be mindful when picking your kimchi.
For the Indian palate, this is similar to the achar/oorga or pickles we all love as a side with our meals. Vegan kimchi is one of my favorites to eat, and cook with. Because of its fermentation process, its tangy, and filled with goodness of probiotics!
Today I made a really easy stir fry with kimchi, and green veggies. I happen to have broccoli and snow peas, but feel free to use any vegetable combo you can think of!
Another ingredient that’s a staple in my pantry is this Kimchi hot sauce. It adds that characteristic korean flavor and is a life saver for weekday meals.
Ingredients:
serves 2
1 medium sized head of broccoli, broken into florets
1 cup snow peas
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp canola oil
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped (discard the bottom inch)
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup kimchi + 3 tbsps of the kimchi pickling liquid
2 tbsp kimchi hot sauce
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
Method:
Heat a non stick pan over medium heat with 2 tbsps canola oil. Add chopped garlic and chopped green onions. Saute for about 30 seconds until the garlic starts turning golden brown.
Add the broccoli florets, and 1 tsp of coarse salt. Toss together and cook for about 5 minutes.
Follow with snow peas, 1/4 cup kimchi and a few tablespoons of kimchi water from the bottle. Mix well and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Pur in the measured 2 tbsps of kimchi hot sauce, toss everything together, and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the veggies are at perfect doneness.
Drizzle 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and immediately remove from heat. We want to keep that fragrance intact and not cook it.
Serve fresh out of the pan, with hot and fluffy brown rice. Top with more green onions and cilantro if you’d like.
This simple plate packs a huge flavor punch, and is healthy yet incredibly tasty!
