If you want to diversify the table with relatively inexpensive and unbroken snacks, Korean-style asparagus (also called "fuju") is a good choice. Many supermarket departments that offer salads have this one in their assortment. It is in about the same high demand as kimchi or spicy carrots, but few people know that no less “correct” Korean salads can be prepared at home. In particular, for fuju, it is enough to buy a dry product of the same name, often offered in the grocery department. One of the biggest benefits to home-made is that you won't put in the flavor enhancer that Korean salad manufacturers love to abuse. And no exhortations that people who watch their health and are not indifferent to what gets into their mouth will not buy such products, will not work on them.
It is necessary
- - Dry soy asparagus (fuju);
- - carrot;
- - onion;
- - garlic;
- - vegetable oil;
- - soy sauce;
- - rice vinegar;
- - spices;
- - shredder;
- - cutting board
- - knife;
- - pan;
- - frying pan;
- - salad bowl.
Instructions
Step 1
Find dry soy asparagus on store shelves, it is usually sold in packs of 500 g and looks like rather thick ropes gathered in skeins. Read the label carefully: it's hard to make a mistake, but in order to choose the right product for sure, it's better to play it safe. The composition is usually written on the package. Those who have tried Korean asparagus at least once in their lives understand that it has nothing to do with its namesake - asparagus. The Fuju in question consists of only one ingredient. It is made in the traditional way - by removing the foam by boiling soy milk. Yes, there are now many rumors that genetically modified seeds, etc., are used to grow soybeans, which make soy in many homes almost persona non grata. Only one thing can be said for this: no one is insured against GMOs, and for that matter, the use of such technologies in wheat cultivation occurs 1, 3 times more often, which the World Health Organization warns about without concealment. This does not mean that we have stopped buying wheat flour.
Step 2
In the same store, take a look at the assortment of spices. Perhaps you have a whole arsenal at home, but if not, think about what you would like to cook Korean asparagus with. Fuzhu is a simple and rather tasteless product with a very porous structure. It allows you to absorb the flavors of the additional ingredients used in the preparation of the snack. And there are many of them, combined with soy asparagus. Every Korean housewife has her own recipe. (By the way, both Chinese and Japanese, and even Kazakh keepers of the hearths cook soy asparagus, each in its own way and under the name adopted in her country, but this does not reduce the popularity of the product.)
Step 3
At home, open the packaging and soak the asparagus in cold boiled water for a day. Some people pre-break the fuju into small pieces, but we recommend cutting it after it swells. Believe me, it will turn out much smoother and more accurate. Squeeze the soy asparagus well before slicing. The main task is that fuju should become like a sponge, prepared as much as possible to absorb our marinade. However, there are other ways to prepare. For example, you can pour boiling water over the product and leave it covered for 2-3 hours. This time will be enough for it to soften and swell. Another way is to break it into small pieces, and then boil it in salted water for 15-20 minutes. after boiling. Our version does not require heat treatment, accordingly, it leaves fuju all the useful substances, of which there are initially a lot of them.
Step 4
Make a marinade that will give the Korean Asparagus the spice and flavor so loved by many. To do this, prepare soy sauce (unfortunately, it is very different, it is difficult to guess which one you have, and therefore it is almost impossible to give exact proportions; an average of 250 g of soaked fuju takes 20 ml). Add a tablespoon each of peanut butter and rice vinegar and a couple of minced garlic cloves. In the absence of peanut oil, you can take any vegetable oil, but not olive oil and it is better if it is cold pressed. Try it, season with sugar and red hot peppers as you like. Fried onions can be added if desired. If you decide to add fresh - use purple or even shallots. These are the varieties that do not have the characteristic onion bitterness. Remember that asparagus itself is a product with an unexpressed taste, so make the marinade a little more intense than you would like it to be. By varying the composition of the Korean salad dressing, you can get a spicy (sweet, salty, sour) snack.
Step 5
Decide on any additional ingredients you want to add. The most common additive is shredded carrots. But with her, too, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. If you have ever noticed, you know that carrots for Korean snacks do not rub, but are shredded into relatively long and very thin strips that have a square cross section. This shape helps to keep the maximum amount of juice inside each slice, which ultimately has a beneficial effect on the taste and texture of the salad. For fuju, chop the carrots like this. If you do not have a special grater, chop in any usual way, but for authentic Korean-style asparagus, try to get the right chopper. It is also good to add sesame seeds to this appetizer. They must be fried in a dry frying pan until they acquire a characteristic color and a slight nutty smell, and then cooled. Combine all the Korean style asparagus, place under a press and refrigerate overnight.
Step 6
Another cooking technology involves the following algorithm of actions. Prepare the fuju and carrots as described above, then combine in a salad bowl. Chop 2-3 onions and a few cloves of garlic, fry in 30-40 g of refined vegetable oil. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, pre-prepared sesame seeds, season with hot pepper and when the mixture comes to a boil, pour it over the asparagus. Further, in the same way, under oppression - and the next day this traditional Korean appetizer can be served to the table.
