Today it will be difficult to find a person who has never tasted a salad like asparagus in Korean - you can buy it in almost any department of Korean salads. But not every housewife will undertake to cook it on their own - everything that is unusual and unfamiliar is frankly scary. But the recipe for making a delicious salad is surprisingly simple, so let's talk more about this product.
What is asparagus?
To begin with, the yellow product used to make Korean Asparagus and real asparagus are two completely different things. This will surprise someone, but the fact remains.
Real asparagus is a green shoot, eaten most often in the form of salads. But what most people are used to seeing in Korean salads is actually called fuju. It is quite far from plant origin - soy milk is the raw material for cooking.
At first it boils, and when a film forms on the surface, it is carefully collected, dried a little and rolled into a roll. In this condition, the product is completely dried, becomes crispy and can be stored for many months and even years.
Since most people are accustomed to just such terminology and have not even heard of fuju, we will continue to use the word "asparagus". And before we talk about cooking methods, we’ll briefly explain what Korean asparagus is good for.
Product benefits
Of course, the main benefit comes from asparagus itself. It is rich in fiber, which means it will help people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and often suffer from constipation. A large number of amino acids accelerates the process of removing toxins from the body, renewing the skin and muscles. It can be recommended to foodies suffering from excess fluid, because asparagus has a diuretic property. Many experts believe that all soy products contain a large amount of lecithin, it not only has a choleretic effect, but also does not allow fat to accumulate on the liver.
Do you have hair problems? This means that asparagus will be useful for you too - the hair stops falling out, gets additional nourishment and grows more intensively. There is an opinion that women should consume the product during PMS and menopause - the pains of the first day are reduced, and unpleasant hormonal changes in the body are easier. The selenium contained in it has a preventive effect, reducing the risk of developing cancer of the rectum and prostate in men. Finally, it quickly saturates, allows you to not feel hunger for a long time and, accordingly, can become an assistant during diets.
Now you have encyclopedic knowledge and know exactly what Korean asparagus is good for.
Who should abandon her
Unfortunately, every thing in the world has two sides - the good and the bad. Therefore, asparagus in Korean has not only benefits, but also harm, to know about which is even more important. We will tell you more about this:
- Like any Korean salad, this one is quite spicy - people who have problems with gastritis or an ulcer should better stop using it.
- Sometimes it causes the development of allergic reactions.
- The high content of estrogen (female sex hormone) leads to the fact that men store fat on their hips.
- All the same hormones inhibit sexual development in children.
- Oxalates, which are part of asparagus, can lead to kidney disease.
And in general, you shouldn’t be too zealous when eating - it’s better not to use asparagus more than once or twice a week, eating at most 200 grams at a time. Otherwise, even a perfectly healthy person may experience problems: decreased metabolism, diarrhea, rapid weight gain.
Prepare the product
So, you have decided to make Korean asparagus salad at home and have already purchased a delicious product. Where does the work with this exotic dish begin? First of all, you need to soak it. It is best to use boiled, slightly warm and slightly salted water. This is a very simple stage, which does not require much effort or time.
Dried asparagus should be broken into pieces 7-10 centimeters long (or longer, if the container in which you will soak it) and pour water. But you need to soak it for about one and a half to two hours. The last half hour, check the asparagus every 5-10 minutes - it should stop crackling, but at the same time maintain a slightly rubber structure. Having completely soaked, the product will lose its taste, and it will not work to prepare a tasty dish with it.
Should I use store refueling?
Today, having come to a specialized department that sells products for Asian cuisine, quite often you can see such a thing as asparagus dressing in Korean. Of course, the salad prepared with its help will certainly be very tasty. In addition, the back side also often indicates the method of its preparation.
But use these gas stations with caution. Indeed, they include a large number of artificial flavors, flavor enhancers and other harmful substances that people today consume much more than they should.
If you want to cook a salad just once, then you can take a ready-made dressing. But for families where this dish is regularly cooked, it’s best to learn how to make Korean asparagus marinade on their own. Yes, the taste will not be so pronounced. But you don’t have to spend money and, more importantly, health damage will be minimized.
Combine asparagus with paprika
This salad is simpler. So if you have never wondered how to cook asparagus in Korean before, try this one. For cooking, stock the following ingredients:
- 600 grams of asparagus (soaked);
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 2 tablespoons of paprika;
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce;
- 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- 2 teaspoons of sugar;
- black and red pepper to taste.
Asparagus must be soaked previously, so start cooking:
- Cut asparagus into small pieces to make them convenient to eat.
- Combine vegetable oil with sugar, paprika and soy sauce in a bowl.
- Rub the garlic finely or pass through the garlic press, add to the bowl.
- Lay out the resulting mixture for asparagus, mix thoroughly.
- Transfer to an enameled or plastic container, close the lid and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
The simplest asparagus is ready in Korean - for sure its taste will not disappoint either you or your loved ones.
Cooking Asparagus with Carrot
But most of our compatriots are more familiar with the option of carrots - it is he who is most often sold in specialized departments. How is asparagus cooked in Korean with carrots? We will deal with this issue.
Take products:
- 500 grams of asparagus (soaked);
- 1 kilogram of carrots;
- 1 onion;
- 100 ml of vegetable oil;
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 4 teaspoons of coriander;
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar essence;
- black and red pepper, salt, sugar - to taste.
It is more difficult to pickle carrots here. But then you can serve it as an independent dish - carrots in Korean are even more popular in our country than asparagus.
- Discard soaked asparagus in a colander, let the water drain (do not squeeze). Cut into small pieces.
- Peel and grate the carrots on a special grater - the slices should be long and thin.
- Add salt, vinegar and sugar to it. Mix everything thoroughly with your hands, squeezing harder so that the juice appears.
- Chop the onion finely, push the garlic through a press.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and saute the onions until it becomes clear. Put garlic, coriander, black and red pepper here. Sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. The ingredients should not burn out, just give the flavor to the oil.
- Add asparagus to the pan. Fry for another minute or two.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to the carrot. Stir quickly and thoroughly.
- Put the prepared salad in a bowl and put in the refrigerator. Here it should stand all night, and preferably a day, so that it is saturated with juice.
Now you can serve.
Conclusion
Well that's all. Now you know how to cook asparagus in Korean in two simple ways. So, you can often please your relatives and friends who are fans of Asian cuisine.