My first impression of Korean food was its striking similarity to eastern European cuisine. Some dishes reminded me a lot of my grandmother’s goulash. I noticed that gochugaru had sweet aromatic properties similar to Hungarian paprika. Kimchi jjigae tasted a bit like borscht, which is why it’s great with a dollop of sour cream.
It wasn’t until I was in that international cooking contest that I saw a dish by Maria Bakhmurova that made me smack my forehead–Kimchi Golubtsy.
They’re just like my grandmother’s cabbage rolls (which we called “Pigs in a Blanket”) but with kimchi. Yes, I know the LiteralNet will point out that kimchi is pickled cabbage, but you see why I slapped my forehead. Such a simple leap in ingredients. And the tartness in the kimchi reduces the need for a sour vinegary sauce. I wasn’t able to talk to Maria and ask for her recipe, so I had to try to make this on my own. But make sure that credit goes to her for the original idea.
Now this is interesting. I have about 5 kilos of kimchi given to me by our deacon’s wife. Since it’s only me and the oldest son eating kimchi jjige, this may be a good way to go through some of the kimchi. Should the kimchi be rinsed off before steaming? I might try this with or without the kimchi rinsing. 🙂
RInsing the kimchi is totally up to you. But keep in mind that it will
reduce the tartness. I only steamed it to soften it.
Sounds just like mother’s ‘Ping in the Blanket’ but tastier. I will try this recipte.