One way to travel is try other cuisines. The cuisine of other regions or countries transports us in space. It is a voyage of discovery. Before you had to move to eat differently but today the world is more connected. So, the different cuisines travel alone and just as in a corner of Spain we can eat Korean cuisine, in a corner of Seoul we can eat Spanish churros, for example.
The common denominator of Asian cuisine is rice. Asians eat a lot of rice and in different ways.. One of the ways is by frying it, so fried rice is as common in Asia as bread here. Let's learn about how is korean style shrimp fried rice, one of those many variants.
Fried rice
One immediately associates fried rice with Chinese cuisine and has its origins in China precisely. Although it is not known exactly when it appeared, it is estimated that it was during the reign of the Sui Dynasty (589 - 618 BC), in the province of Jiangsu.
As long ago rice was the main crop, it used to be eaten at all meals and in this case born preparing with a mix of ingredients, what was on hand, what had been left over from other preparations.
In general fried rice it is made in a wok, a vessel of traditional cuisine in Asia that was born in China and has spread over time to other parts of Asia and the southeast of this region. With the wok you can not only fry food but also steam it, boil it, braise it, cook it and much more.
Fried rice it is previously boiled and just then it is combined in the wok with other ingredients that can be different vegetables, meat, fish or shellfish. There are many varieties of rito rice and it is a dish that continues to change as it adapts to other cultures.
To make any fried rice the best is cook the rice a day before and chill it in the refrigerator or do it directly with the leftover rice from another dish. The idea is that it is not freshly boiled rice because the grains still have too much moisture and the heat of the wok would cause steam cooking.
When I see recipes for fried rice, any of them always include oils that I don't have at home, so my advice is to take a tour of a Chinatown and buy sesame or peanut oil, because it gives a special touch that an olive or sunflower oil does not have.
With that said, let's see what the korean cuisine and inside it, Korean-style fried rice.
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine does not have the wealth or antiquity of Chinese, but for some time now it begins to make a place among the most international Asian cuisines. Born of Korean agricultural customsAfter all, it is a country that for centuries has lived off agriculture and has only recently become industrialized.
It is mainly based on rice, legumes, grains, meat and vegetables And like other Asian cuisines there is a phenomenal display in variety and quantity of dishes on the typical Korean table. Preferably use sesame oil, fermented bean paste, garlic, fermented chili pepper paste, and soy sauce.
Korean cuisine can be mild or spicy and the ingredients and styles of the dishes vary throughout its small peninsular geography. After kimchi, the most traditional of Korean dishes, I think fried rice is the best.
Korean-style shrimp fried rice
It's called saewoo bokkeaumbap and is a simple plate, familiar, well homemade, that anyone can prepare. When there are leftover vegetables in the refrigerator, the first thing a Korean housewife does is bokkeumbap and gets rid of everything.
What kind of ingredients am I talking about? Garlic, onions, carrots, peppers of different colors, mushrooms, egg, zucchinis, chives, whatever is on hand. Add some prawns (the simplest recipe of all uses pork, chicken or beef), and try to have yes or yes sesame oil otherwise you will not feel the typical Asian flavor.
Also, something that adds in this sense, is the oyster sauce or the fish sauce. They are strong, but since drops are used the bottle lasts a long time.
Here I leave you a good and quick recipe from saewoo bokkeaumbao, Korean-style shrimp fried rice:
- 3 cups cold cooked white rice
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- ½ cup of chopped onions
- 1 cup shrimp (small or large)
- 2 dientes de ajo chopped
- 3 cups chopped vegetables of your choice
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- black pepper powder
- shawl
First you heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat. You add the vegetable oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté for a minute until lightly browned. Then add the shrimp and sauté for two or three minutes until they change color a little.
Add the vegetables and fry for two or three minutes, add the rice and stir well to integrate. You cook for three to five minutes. Then you add the oyster sauce and keep stirring for a couple more minutes. You remove from the heat and add the sesame oil, the black pepper powder and the chopped chives.
You stir well and you already have the saewoo bokkembap ready to plate. As you can see, it is a simple and familiar dish that if you have the rice ready, it will cook in ten minutes. There are people who Accompany with a fried egg which is placed next to or on top of the rice. You can start thinking about entertaining a friend, right?