So it might come to no surprise to you that I am loving Korean food right now after my lovely invite to Simply Beef & Lamb’s cooking class last week with Da-Hae West. (And it’s also the Chinese New Year Jan 28th!)
And because there’s so many unfamiliar and exciting ingredients in West’s cookbook, K Food, I’ve been gradually stocking up without overwhelming myself.
So, bring on rice wine (5 calories per tbsp) and sesame seed oil (a little more synful but delicious). Buying new things has really helped me identify flavours I’ve had before from a takeaway too and I’ve been learning how they take a meal to another level. Yeah, baby!
And while I attended the cooking class, Da-Hae taught us how to cook three quick, easy yet tasty meals and a Korean Crispy Lamb recipe stuck in my mind. Here’s the original if you want to try it, along with many others.
So as soon as I got home, I planned to adapt it. However, it’s proven tricky to pick up extra lean lamb mince. If you find some, please tell me where from, won’t you? I love lamb, but knowing beef is more accessible, it made sense to make it easy for you (and me).
I also swapped the gochujang for tomato puree too. I’m sure many of you won’t know what I’m babbling on about. I’d never heard of it either until then and it meant me ordering online and it sounded faffy. It’s a delicious chilli paste, I promise, but just not that accessible (or at least not to me).
It’s also a blooming quick meal too, so I can successfully juggle a work and home balance. So let me know what you think and look out for the Red Tractor label for quality meat. I just picked up some 5% extra lean beef from Aldi as it’s more affordable.
But my question to you is: What’s your favourite Korean meal? (Perhaps I should give it a go!)
Recipe – Serves 2 Mains (or 4 sides)
- 500g 5% extra lean minced beef
- 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder (or more to taste)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 30ml rice wine *(1/4 syn each or balsamic vinegar for syn free)
- 30ml soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- Seasoning
- 2 courgettes, spiralized or grated
- 1 carrot, spiralized or grated
- Your choice of syn free dried noodles, cooked (I used Amoy Udon Noodles Straight to Wok which are 1 Syn per pouch)
- Spring onions & lemon juice to garnish
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Method
- In a mixing bowl, mix together two tablespoons of the puree, garlic, chilli, wine, soy sauce, seasoning and beef.
- Place a frying pan over high heat and squash in the beef and fry for 15 minutes, occasionally turning and breaking down into large clumps.
- Add the veg and cook until they’ve reduced in size.
- Stir in the remaining puree and the cooked noodles, then serve.
- Garnish with the spring onions and a twist of lemon.
- And finally a good ol’ hearty pic of your meal on Instagram would make my day (@TastefullyVikkie) would really make my day, so I know you made it!
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Hi Vikkie – I’ve been pondering getting a spiralizer but wondered if it would be another gadget left in the back of the cupboard! I often buy pre-prepared spiralized veggies so I’m coming round to getting yet another gadget. Some have had fairly rubbish reviews though, is there one/two out there that you’d recommend that actually try? Thank you
Hi Carolyne,
I’m loving my savisto one but it does take up a lot of space. However, I did see a mini handheld one for £3 today in the works that I think would be worth a try if that helps x
Hi Vikkie, if I was able to find the chilli paste any idea as to how many syns it would be? Also would I use 3tbsp in place of the tomato puree? Looks delicious and will definitely be trying it ? thank you
Sorry for the delay. You would be best weighing the 3 tbsp to check the calories on the back of the packaging and count 1 syn per 20 calories. Hope that helps x